Chris Evans is convinced the gender wage gap is part of a bigger inequality issue in Hollywood.

The wage imbalance between male and female stars has been a hot topic in Hollywood for a while, and chat show host Chelsea Handler admitted she hated constantly having to discuss it out "over and over again" during a filmed dinner with Chris and his Captain America: Civil War co-stars Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Stan and Frank Grillo for her new Netflix show Chelsea.

However, Emily told Chelsea that women must have such conversations otherwise change will never happen, and Chris admitted male actors should also be championing gender equality.

"You can't stick your head in the ground like that," he said. "Being a guy, it's a radically different landscape. I think there is a gender gap that is ubiquitous in Hollywood, and I think a lot of times it's hard to even identify."

He is convinced the root of the problem doesn't lie with pay and contracts, but the number of roles on offer to women in the first place.

"If you look at that project there's probably about nine roles guy roles and one girl role," he explained. "So even before you get to the point of money there's already an issue going on underneath."

His comments are in direct contrast with his co-star Jeremy Renner, who came under fire last year (15) for saying tackling the wage gap was "not my job".

"I don’t know contracts and money and all that sort of stuff," he told Business Insider. "I'm a performer and I know human behaviour. When it comes to that sort of stuff I let other people deal with that... I do what I'm good at, that's what I focus on."

He later clarified his remarks on Instagram, writing, "On the issue of gender equality I have always supported women deserving equal pay. Period."