Chris Evans may have put down Captain America’s shield but he’s got a new badge of honor: he’s been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

People’s selection was announced Monday night on Stephen Colbert’s late night show and on the magazine’s website. Evans, who for nearly a decade played Captain America in Marvel’s sprawling superhero films, takes the baton from another Avenger, Paul Rudd.

“My mom will be so happy,” he told the magazine for its cover story, which hits newsstands on Friday. “She’s proud of everything I do but this is something she can really brag about.”

He also knows that he’s likely to be teased by close friends. “Really this will just be a point of bullying,” he joked in an interview. “It’s ripe for harassment.”

Among those likely to heckle him are co-stars and previous Sexiest Man Alive winners like Rudd, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Hemsworth. (Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel films, was the first Avenger to win People’s annual honor, which was first handed out to Mel Gibson in 1985.)

Other past honorees include John Legend, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Adam Levine, Richard Gere, Channing Tatum and David Beckham.

People interviewed Evans, 41, at a Georgia farmhouse, where the actor talked about finding a better work-life balance. “The most enjoyable aspect of my career right now is feeling secure enough to take my foot off the gas,” he said.

He also joked he’s going to be teased by close friends saying, “Really this will just be a point of bullying.  It’s ripe for harassment.”

Stephen Colbert also had a little fun with the announcement as he has in the past.

11-8-22