Chris Evans Clarifies That Object He Signed in Viral Photo “Is Not a Bomb”

After former presidential candidate Nikki Haley signed an Israeli shell with the contextually-horrific phrase “finish them” last week, the act of “bomb-signing” has come under scrutiny online, and now, Captain America actor Chris Evans is at the center of the conversation.

Specifically, a photo of Evans signing what appears to be a bomb has gone viral, with some suggesting that the pic is related to Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza. In response, the actor has spoken out against this “misinformation,” clarifying that the photo is not recent, and was actually taken in 2016 when he was on a USO tour visiting American troops in Turkey.

“I was with a group of actors, athletes, and musicians to show appreciation for our service members,” Evans said in a statement posted to his Instagram story. Addressing the item itself, Evans explained: “The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind. It’s an inert object used for training or display purposes only.” See a screenshot of the full statement below.

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Granted, signing a fake bomb in 2016 Turkey is indeed a better look than signing a real bomb in 2024 Israel. Still, some were disappointed that Evans’ statement failed to address the context around why the photo has become so controversial, with the actor remaining silent on the topic of Palestine (where tens of thousands have been killed in recent months).

On Twitter, a few netizens asked why he didn’t raise more awareness, or at least include something like a donation link to a relevant charity. But hey, considering that Evans joined the MCU when the franchise was in the rhythm of accepting support from the US Department of Defense in exchange for making their movies more pro-military, the fact that he’s at least distancing himself from the ongoing conflict is better than some possible alternatives.

Meanwhile, Evans recently starred alongside Emily Blunt in the crime drama Pain Hustlers. Up next, he’s set to appear in the Dwayne Johnson-starring Christmas movie Red One.