The 'Avengers' star hangs up Captain America's shield for the upcoming eight-episode series.
Chris Evans is doing everything he can to protect his family.
The Avengers: Endgame star hangs up his Captain America shield for a gavel in Apple TV+'s upcoming drama, Defending Jacob, based on the 2012 best-selling William Landay novel, and a first look of Evans in action was released Sunday at the winter Television Critics Association press tour.
The eight-episode limited series, which filmed on location in Boston (Evans went straight to this after Knives Out), will launch with its first three episodes on Friday, April 24, followed by subsequent episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.
Defending Jacob tells the story of a shocking crime that rocks a small Massachusetts town. Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber (Evans) is at the center of the tale, as he finds himself torn between his sworn duty to uphold justice and his unconditional love for his teenage son, Jacob Barber (Jaeden Martell), who has been accused of murder.
Evans, 38, spoke about playing a young dad of a teen in Defending Jacob, explaining that he enjoyed the process quite a lot.
"I actually loved it. It's the first time I've been able to play a parent. I loved it," Evans told reporters Sunday. "There's a body language. There's a posture. There's so many things, at least that I drew from my own childhood, of what a dad looks and feels like. I really, really, really enjoyed it because it lends itself to complexity and depth of the [story]."
"I think being a parent, I can imagine, unlocks depths of love that you didn't know you were capable of," he said. "And I think that it raised the stakes and makes it more interesting. For me, it was a fun place to start of that blinding love at times and how far you can go to keep it pure."
Michelle Dockery plays Laurie Barber, Andy's wife and Jacob's mother, while Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel and Sakina Jaffrey also star. Evans is an executive producer, alongside showrunner Mark Bomback (The Wolverine, Live Free or Die Hard) and director Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game).
Check out the first photos from Defending Jacob below.
While doing press for the critically-acclaimed Knives Out in November, Evans opened up about wanting to have his own family while discussing his close bond with his dog, Dodger.
"Dogs are just so good and so pure. A weird, little door unlocks inside of you, this new level of empathy…in a weird way, that type of empathy permeates so many aspects of your life," Evans told ET's Keltie Knight. "You know, I think it actually unlocks a little bit, as I imagine having children will, I really want kids too."
Defending Jacob launches with the first three episodes Friday, April 24 with subsequent episodes debuting every Friday on Apple TV+.
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