Chris Evans has been dubbed People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2022. The Captain America alum follows last year’s fellow Marvel hero, Ant-Man, the ever-sexy ever-youthful Paul Rudd. Evans even noted that in his Instagram post today (November 8), “I think we can all agree that it’s damn near impossible to follow in Paul Rudd’s footsteps in any capacity, but I’ll do my best.”

Evans, 41, says the news will delight one person close to him: his mom. “My mom will be so happy,” he told the publication for the feature. “She’s proud of everything I do but this is something she can really brag about.” The Boston native added that he doesn’t feel comfortable discussing his sexiness, saying with a laugh, “This whole thing is tough to be interviewed about. It feels like a weird form of humble bragging.” That won’t go over well with his group of friends, though, which the actor said the title of sexiest man “will just be a point of bullying,” he jokes. “It’s ripe for harassment.”

Just don’t ask him to use the word “sexy” in a sentence about himself. “It is something that as I become old and saggy I can look back on and say ‘I remember then…'” he adds. “I’m lucky to be in the discussion in any capacity.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the Lightyear star revealed that he has been thinking about a future outside of acting — one that includes marriage and fatherhood. “That’s absolutely something I want,” he says. “Wife, kids, building a family. When you read about most of the best artists, whether it’s actors, painters, writers, most of them [admit] it wasn’t the work they made [that they are most proud of], it was about the relationships, the families they created, the love they found, the love they shared. So it’s also something through my long 41 years that also rings true. Those things are the most important. I love the idea of tradition and ceremony, I had a lot of that in my life so the idea of creating that, I can’t think of anything better.”

As far as what he values most in a relationship, Evans told People, “I don’t like to argue, I don’t like to raise my voice, or any forms of manipulation. I find a certain level of humility sexy but that doesn’t necessarily mean physically at all. I just think it’s very wise to recognize that you might not know [everything]. It’s wise to recognize you could be wrong. It’s wise and mature to be able to say ‘I’m sorry I made a mistake,’ to be vulnerable and not always be looking for the argument or take things to an argumentative place. That takes a lot of maturity and I find that very sexy.”

The Gray Man star added that he will keep that part of his life as private as possible. “Some things you want just for you, or just for my family and my friends.” He did reveal, however, that he can be quite the romantic, revealing that, “I think declarations of love are great. I love love. I’m a bit of a sap like that. I like being sentimental, I cry pretty easily. At a good song, nice sunset, yeah, my emotions are bubbling.”

With 22 years of acting below his belt, Evans feels like he can finally slow down a bit. “The most enjoyable aspect of my career right now is feeling secure enough to take my foot off the gas,” he says. “I feel like I have a bit more freedom to take time away from the industry and still find projects that will satisfy my creative appetite when I return.”

Take a look below at Chris Evans through the years, looking sexy at every stage.