Ryan Phillippe "would've loved" to have played the lead role in 'Captain America: The First Avenger'.

The 35-year-old actor admits the role - which eventually went to 'Fantastic Four' star Chris Evans - would have been a dream come true but he has had to move on from the idea.

He said: "It's something I would've loved to do, especially for my six-year-old son, who would've thought it was the coolest thing in the world. The child within me really loved the idea of it too.

"There are very few things I'd get that excited about, but as an actor you have to move on. At some point I'd love to do something action-oriented like that because I've been in martial arts since I was eight."

However, the leading man told Advocate magazine he doesn't have a lot of time before he will "get too old" for such a role.

Ryan can next be seen in action comedy 'MacGruber' with Val Kilmer and Will Forte before appearing in drama film 'The Bang Bang Club'.