Mum is the word. Chris Evans had a sly response when asked about rumors that he is in negotiations to star in the upcoming Little Shop of Horrors remake.

“As a kid, theater is what’s available to you, local plays. And it’s usually going to be a musical. But musicals aren’t the thing that I fell in love with. I just liked acting,” the Knives Out star, 38, told Esquire in his April/May 2020 cover story. “I have a soft spot for theater, because it was such a big part of my childhood, a very sweet chapter in my life. But it’s not like I’ve always said, ‘Man, I got to get back to musical theater!’ My main reason for doing it was because I liked acting so much.”

Evans drove fans wild in February when he tweeted a tooth emoji in response to a report by The Hollywood Reporter that claimed he is in talks to portray dentist Orin Scrivello, the role Steve Martin played in the 1986 film. Scarlett Johansson and Taron Egerton are also reportedly in negotiations, while Billy Porter has already signed on to voice the carnivorous plant Audrey II.

Evans’ reported role would reunite him with Johansson, 35, with whom he has starred in several Marvel blockbusters. He ended his decade-long stint as Captain America with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Us Weekly exclusively revealed in September 2019 that Lady Gaga was “offered a role” in the Little Shop of Horrors remake, with a source saying the A Star Is Born actress is “very interested to keep acting.” However, it seems she has since shifted her focus back to music as her sixth album, Chromatica, is due later this year.

Evans, for his part, is no stranger to the stage. After graduating from high school, he took classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. He went on to make his Broadway debut in the 2018 production of Lobby Hero.