Chris Evans explains why he refuses to host Saturday Night Live

‘Avengers’ star has never hosted the long-running variety show

Chris Evans has explained why he has avoided hosting Saturday Night Live.

Filmed live, the long-running NBC variety show is known for featuring a weekly “guest host”, who opens the show with a monologue and appears in many of the episode’s sketches.

Evans has never hosted the show, despite being one of Hollywood’s most visible actors through his role in the Marvel film franchise.

Speaking to ET Canada, the actor said he would be up for appearing on the series in a short cameo capacity, but was reluctant to ever accept a hosting stint.

“Well, now a cameo I can handle,” Evans said. “I’ve avoided hosting SNL like the plague for years now just because I’m so scared. It’s terrifying to me.”

Evans was being interviewed alongside Ana de Armas, with whom he stars in the new action comedy Ghosted. De Armas is set to host SNL for the first time this Saturday (15 April).

“Hosting, I tip my hat to her,” Evans remarked. “She’s going to be amazing. But it would provide a lot of sleepless nights for me.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Evans suggested his reluctance to appear on the show was rooted in a fear that he was not a “funny person”.

Chris Evans pictured in July 2022 (Getty Images)

“Maybe I only feel that because I have very, very funny friends who once told me I’m not a funny person,” he said.

“It would just be an everyday anxiety, constant regret: ‘Why did I do this? I could have been comfortable at my house, in my bed, not worrying about this.’”

Earlier this year, it was reported that Prince Harry was in serious talks to host an episode of SNL, ahead of the release of his memoir. Ultimately, however, the royal did not appear.

Ghosted is released on Apple TV+ on 21 April.