John Krasinksi: It’s Chris Hemsworth’s Fault I Don’t Play Captain America

Only one thing stood in the way of John Krasinski playing Captain America—Chris Hemsworth.

On Conan on Tuesday night, Krasinski—perhaps still best known as Jim from the American version of The Office—recounted the story of auditioning to play Steve Rogers, who himself is better known as the first Avenger, Captain America.

For Krasinski, playing a superhero would have been a dream come true, and he went to the audition determined to get the part. To help get him in the mindset of a scrawny enlisted man who is given a secret serum that transforms him into a muscled U.S. soldier with incredible athletic ability, Krasinski was allowed to suit up in full Captain America garb. But something happened—Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel movies, walked by.

While Chris Evans eventually got the part as Captain America, as Krasinski told Conan O’Brien, at least in his head he got the role.