Evan Peters, pictured above in 2013 at the San Diego Comic Con, is an actor known for his roles in American Horror Story and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Peters has recently been credited with a role in the popular Marvel television show WandaVision and continues to be an incredibly popular star. (Courtesy of Gage Skidmore on Flicker).
There’s something about this dude and his cheeky, mischievous smile that has captivated the attention of any person attracted to men since around 2010 when he played the cute dorky friend in Kick-Ass. Peters’ energy in Kick-Ass (2010), soft and giggling or telling jokes, pokes through each of his roles—regardless of character—to woo every audience member. This remains true of his recent appearance in a particular superhero television show to be mentioned later, which has pulled Peters back into the limelight and has encouraged even more adoration of the actor than ever. Evan Peters … WTF?
His glaringly obvious charm is one reason that Peter’s had the world wrapped around his finger for the past decade. Clearly, Ryan Murphy saw this asset in 2011 when he cast Peters as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story (AHS): Murder House. Tate is evil, obviously, but that sweet smile catches our protagonist Violet—and the audience—off guard.
Murder House confronts viewers with Tate’s incredible likability despite his egregious crimes. Like Violet, we fall in love with Peters even as we learn the horrific truths about him—just as Murphy wanted us to. It’s clear that Peters was the right choice for the role.
As Peters continued to portray characters in seasons one through eight of AHS from 2012 to 2018, his roles explored the satanic, the chivalrous and the matted gray areas in between. Obsession around Peters thrived as the actor developed his clear talent for acting. AHS gave Peters the perfect stage upon which to throw himself violently into his characters. Peters plays into the sensationalized nature of Murphy’s characters with theatricality while maintaining the desperate spark of realism beneath the absurdity. And then Peters left the show.
If you don’t want spoilers for WandaVision, stop here and come back when you’re caught up on all recent episodes. For those of you who boldly soldier on, we must acknowledge Peters’ role in the Marvel and X-Men universes, which began in 2014 with Peters’ role as Quicksilver in X-men: Days of Future Past (2014). In recent weeks, Peters’ portrayal of Peter Maximoff in the X-Men universe has bled into the Marvel universe via the first season of the WandaVision television show on the Disney+ streaming service.
Quicksilver, a goofy kleptomaniac in the X-Men movies, seems to take on an altered personality in WandaVision. Fan theories have gone so far as to suggest that Peters is playing a different character entirely. Portraying the same character with the same personality in a new environment would be impressive in itself. This new version of Quicksilver looks and acts largely the same, but audiences everywhere have noticed that something just feels … off about him. Peters’ acting talent shines so far in the WandaVision series because of the way he projects a marginally different aura despite his familiar jokey dialogue and colorful superhero suit.
The point is, fans are enamored—and maybe they have been since 2011. Peters has one of those faces that can make us melt with a grin. One of those faces that lights up with emotion, no matter what kind. It’s impossible to ignore this man’s talent and charisma, and we can’t wait to see where he takes us next.