Chris Evans skipped Cannes film premiere to attend mum’s 70th birthday

Chris Evans has revealed why he wasn’t at the Cannes premiere for one of his upcoming films.

Evans stars in Honey Don’t!, the latest movie from writer-director Ethan Coen. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last week (May 23), but the Marvel actor didn’t join co-stars Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza and Margaret Qualley on the red carpet.

As reported by People, Evans explained the reason for his absence via his Instagram Stories on Sunday (May 25) – he was with his mother, Lisa, celebrating a milestone birthday.

He wrote: “I wish I could’ve been with my incredible cast and filmmakers at Cannes, but it was my mother’s 70th birthday and there are some things you just can’t miss! Congrats everyone!!”

Evans has spoken about his closeness with his mother before, fondly calling her a “nut” in a 2020 interview with Esquire.

Honey Don’t! is co-written by Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke. The synopsis reads: “Honey Don’t! is a dark comedy about Honey O’Donahue, a small-town private investigator, who delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.”

Qualley plays the titular Honey, Plaza is a cop that she strikes up a sexual relationship with, and Evans is Dean, the outwardly-charming but suspicious preacher at the church. The film does not have a confirmed UK release date, but will hit US cinemas on August 22.

Evans will also appear this year alongside Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal in romantic drama Materialists, director Celine Song’s follow-up to Past Lives, set for release on August 15.

The star is most known for his multiple appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Steve Rogers, aka. Captain America, most recently in Avengers: Endgame – though he did pop up in Deadpool & Wolverine for a cameo reprising his first Marvel role, Johnny Storm from 2005’s Fantastic Four.

Despite some speculation, Evans confirmed in January that he would not be returning to the MCU for upcoming superhero team-up Avengers: Doomsday. That appears to still be the case given his name didn’t appear on a chair during Marvel’s six-hour streaming event announcing the Doomsday cast, though more stars could join the list yet.

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