Even as the MCU marches ahead with a new Captain America, Chris Evans might not be done with the character.Evans debuted as the character in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. He appeared as Captain America in eight more movies - eleven, counting his brief cameos in Thor: The Dark World, Ant-Man, and Captain Marvel. His final appearance was in Avengers: Endgame, which saw Steve Rogers' story seemingly conclude when he travels back in time to be with Peggy Carter, his love interest in Captain America: The First Avenger. Captain America's death was not confirmed in Avengers: Endgame and hasn't been in any of the Marvel Studios shows and movies that followed. Because of this, fans have been speculating that Steve Rogers could still re-enter the fold in future MCU projects.It sounds like Evans has been doing his own thinking about Steve's story. Evans appeared as part of a panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, during which he was asked about returning to his superhero role. "Do I think there are more Steve Rogers stories to tell? Sure, but at the same time, I’m very, very precious with it," Evans answered. "It’s like this little shiny thing that I have that I love so much and I just don’t want to mess up in any way." Evans emphasized how much the character has meant to him, saying, "And I was a part of something that was so special for a really special period of time, and in a way, it really landed so well. I don’t know. As much as I’m connected to that role and love telling those stories of working with those people, it doesn’t quite feel right, right now."
The question of Evans' return to the MCU comes amid production for Captain America: New World Order, the MCU's first Captain America movie without Evans as Steve Rogers. Captain America: New World Order stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who had previously been part of the MCU as the Falcon. Following Steve's decision to leave his life as Captain America behind in favor of the domestic life he missed out on, Sam eventually picked up the mantle. Sam's struggle with the Captain America role was documented in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which also continued Bucky's story. The show seemed to cement Sam's role as the new Captain America; however, with the direction the MCU has gone since the show ended, it's possible that Sam won't be the only Captain America.
Now in Phase 5, the MCU has frequently interacted with the multiverse. The plots of Phase 4 movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have revolved around the multiverse and what happens when well-meaning heroes mess with reality. The show What If...? used the multiverse to re-imagine MCU characters and tell stories from the comics that haven't made it to the big screen. Loki not only introduced multiple versions of the God of Mischief but Kang the Conqueror, a multiversal villain whose many versions are set to take over the MCU in coming years.
Steve Rogers could return as Captain America through time travel or multiverse collisions. Most importantly, it sounds like Evans could be willing to reprise the role for the right story. For now, fans must keep their eyes peeled to see if Rogers makes a surprise appearance in one of the upcoming films.
Captain America: New World Order is set to premiere in theaters on May 3, 2024.
Source: Laughing Place/Twitter