Chris Evans recently provided some clarification following criticisms around a resurrected photo of him signing what at first looked like a missile. In the final week of May, the photo from eight years ago started making the rounds on social media.
Finally, on Thursday, May 31, the Captain America actor refuted the allegations on his Instagram Story. He posted the image along with a caption where he clarified the story behind the picture.
The caption read:
“There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture.”
He also mentioned that the picture was taken while he was on a United Service Organizations-sponsored holiday tour in December 2016 in Turkey honoring U.S. troops.
No, Chris Evans did not sign a bomb
Chris Evans, who is most recognized for portraying the role of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has responded to a picture of himself that has gone viral and is making the rounds on social media.
Notably, the act of “bomb-signing” has been under scrutiny online following former presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s signing of an Israeli shell bearing the contextually horrifying words “finish them” last week. Currently, Captain America star Chris Evans is at the center of the discussion with his photo going viral.
The picture seemed to show him signing a missile. After the picture went viral, he took to social media to refute the rumors that the rocket was later fired in Gaza and to correct the record.
Contrary to the rumors, he was requested to sign a device that was only used for training or display, rather than a real missile. He called it “misinformation” and to clarify the same, he wrote:
“Some clarification: This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016. I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members. The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind.”
He added:
“It’s an inert object used for training or display purposes only. You can read the quote from the Air Force in the next story.”
The movie actor then posted a screenshot of an article from Agence France-Presse proving the same.
A U.S. Air Force spokesperson clarified the same to AFP in February 2024. The spokesperson said:
“The object Chris Evans is signing in the USO tour photo from 2016 is an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) inert training aid. The object is meant to model an artillery shell and is for display and training purposes only.”
Furthermore, an AFP article from February reported that Jennifer Passey, the USO’s director of communications, also told the outlet:
“I can verify this is a photo from our 2016 USO Holiday Tour and was taken by a DoD photographer at that time.”
Additionally, Scarlett Johansson, who co-starred with Evans in Avengers and Captain America, also joined the trip, which was arranged by the United Service Organizations.
