Chris Evans has received criticism from fans after clarifying “misinformation” about a viral, resurfaced photo.
The actor, who formerly played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, jumped to his own defence after an image was shared on social media showing him signing what appeared to be a bomb or missile.
The image went viral days after former presidential candidate Nikki Haley was photographed writing “Finish Them” on an artillery shell during a Memorial Day visit to the Israeli military amid the country’s ongoing war on Palestine.
Days after an Israeli airstrike killed at least 45 people in a refugee camp, Evans pointed out that the object he signed in the 2016 photo was, in fact, an “inert” prop.
“There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture. Some clarification: This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members (sic). The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind (sic).”
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,” following which he shared an article confirming his comment.
However, after the actor shared the clarification of the image, many questioned why he didn’t use the opportunity to condemn Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza.
“Chris Evans can say all this to defend himself and still not use his platform to spread awareness about Palestine,” wrote one person on X/Twitter.
chris evans can say all this to defend himself and still not use his platform spread awareness about palestine is truly so evil. pic.twitter.com/G4OjnT0siw
— ً (@cityofdilfs) May 31, 2024
Elsewhere, a fan account dedicated to the Hollywood star, named @evanscontent, noted that his clarification “should have been accompanied by donation links or information regarding the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza”.
“We urge Chris to speak out against this genocide and use his platform to push for a permanent, lasting ceasefire,” the account said.
One commenter added: “The fact Chris Evans came online to ‘debunk’ a known controversy people have been addressing for years yet is silent about a genocide says so much and mind you he only did this after he started to get compared to Nikki Haley.”
Earlier this month, comedian Amy Schumer received criticism for expressing her support of Israel in the past. However, in a more recent interview, she clarified her stance by sharing that she disagrees with the actions of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.