• Chris Evans plays a cult church leader in new movie, Honey, Don’t!
  • But many fans were outraged by the casting – as he doesn’t fit the ‘hot priest’ trope
  • But what is a ‘hot priest’, and why is Evans a bad fit? 
Chris Evans
Chris Evans Credit: Imago

There’s no denying it – Chris Evans is one of the biggest heartthrobs on the planet.

So it’s no wonder that some fans were excited to see the trailer for his upcoming movie, Honey Don’t!. 

In the film, Evans, 43, plays Drew – the cult leader of a mysterious church, which is eventually investigated by Margaret Qualley’s Honey O’Donahue.

But while Evans’s real-life followers praised his versatility in the role, others blasted his portrayal – claiming he doesn’t fit the ‘hot priest’ trope. 

What is the ‘hot priest’ phenomenon? 

A theory which shot into public consciousness thanks to Andrew Scott’s role in the second season of Fleabag, the ‘hot priest’ trope has actually been around for decades. 

Said to be written for the female gaze, the complex characters are often of the Catholic faith – and their vow of celibacy and the ‘forbidden’ nature of a relationship with a female character adds sexual tension to the storyline. 

‘Hot priests’ are unattainable. But while they may be unable to participate in romantic relationships, they often offer spiritual guidance and support to the women in the narrative – and, again, this type of emotional availability is alluring to not only the onscreen characters, but the viewers as well. 

Think James Norton’s Reverend Sidney Chambers in Grantchester, Nicholas Chavez as Father Charlie Mayhew in Grotesquerie, or Josh O’Connor in the upcoming movie, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. 

The trope has also been known to pass into other religions – with fans dubbing Adam Brody as ‘the hot rabbi’ in Nobody Wants This. 

They are imperfect, charming and funny – and female viewers can’t get enough of them. 

Why do fans think Chris Evans is the wrong choice for a ‘hot priest’?

So why, then, are fans unconvinced by Evans as a ‘hot priest’? 

“They’re trying to cash in on ‘hot priest’ phenomenon but anyone who is attracted to the hot priest concept is not attracted to Chris Evans,” one fan pointed out after watching the Honey, Don’t! trailer. 

Well, even though we pointed out that the phenomenon can change between religions (again, we’re looking at you, Brody), Evans’s priest leaps into the bracket of ‘televangelists – with many comparing him to those in the series, The Righteous Gemstones. 

“Hot priest is not transferable to hot evangelical preacher/faith healer,” one fan noted. “The latter is so much less hot. The Catholicism is necessary.” 

Someone else agreed, “Hot priest girlies want a genuine man passionate about his religion, not a cocky televangelist grifter type that Evans is obviously playing.”

Another went on, “I don’t think they are at all. This is a completely different type of priest. It’s satirizing the overly charismatic, traditionally attractive, cult-like, commercialized priest that some mega-churches have.”

Others said, “First of all, you’re a fake hot priest lover if you can’t tell the difference between a hot priest and a sleazy evangelical pastor!”

Someone else noted that not everyone will understand the ways of the ‘hot priest’ – writing, “It’s just a different kind of person who’s attracted to a different kind of hot priest” – others noted their qualities. 

“A hot priest is one who looks like he is worn out and burdened by the atrocities of the world and the unconfessed sins of his own mind,” they wrote. 

And another explained, “Female gaze vs male gaze theory of everything. Hot priest is a woman’s hot man. Chris Evans is a man’s hot man.” 

Sophie Cockerham is a freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience. Her writing can be seen across titles such as Grazia, The Mail on Sunday, Femail, Metro, Stylist, RadioTimes.com, HuffPost,...