Marvel’s original Captain America Chris Evans has revealed he would be reluctant to return to the role of Steve Rogers now that Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson has taken over as Captain America.
Chris Evans made his MCU debut in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, where he appeared (via some digital trickery) as the small and sickly Steve Rogers, who was then transformed into the super soldier Captain America. Evans would go on to appear as the star-spangled man with a plan in two more Captain America movies and all four Avengers movies in Marvel’s Infinity Saga.
Avengers: Endgame saw Chris Evans bow out of the role, with Steve Rogers travelling into the past to live a life with his lost WW2 sweetheart, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter. The film closed with an aged Steve handing his shield over to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson.
The End Of The Line For Steve Rogers
Fans have been clamoring to see more of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers since the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. Before the older Steve was revealed at the film’s end, he had set off on a mission through time and space to return the Infinity Stones to their proper places. This wasn’t shown in the film, Steve’s absence only lasting a few seconds from the perspective of his fellow Avengers, leading some fans to think there could be room for a spinoff movie or Disney Plus series following Steve on this mission.
Others have suggested that the older Steve Rogers could return to the MCU, alongside Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, possibly assisting Earth’s heroes in a less physical role. However, now that the shield has been passed on, Chris Evans seems reluctant to return alongside his successor and risk messing with Steve Rogers’ legacy. Speaking on the Disney D23 podcast, Evans said of a possible return:
“No, I don’t think so. I mean it was a really unbelievable ride and the character’s just so dear to me and I’m just so precious with it. To return to the role, I mean the truth is, the role isn’t even mine anymore. The role is Anthony Mackie’s. So, you know, even if there was a different incarnation, not as Captain America, but you know for Steve Rogers, even that would feel… I’d be very cautious, just because I love that chapter of my life professionally, personally. I love what those movies accomplished and to revisit it and potentially have some weird extension to that legacy would be upsetting if it didn’t land. So it would require a near-perfect recipe and it may just not be in the cards.”
Following Avengers: Endgame‘s perfect conclusion to Steve Rogers’ story, seeing him finally learn to live a life beyond the battlefield, Chris Evans’ reluctance to return to the MCU is understandable. Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie is due to reprise the role of Sam Wilson’s incarnation of Captain America in a new solo film for the character.
Following his MCU exit, Chris Evans has most recently appeared in Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear. Here’s the synopsis:
The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
Directed by Angus MacLane, the film features the voice talents of Chris Evans, Uzo Aduba, Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, and Keira Hairston.
Lightyear blasts off into theaters on June 17, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news on Chris Evans’ potential future in the MCU, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: D23 podcast (via ComicBook.com)
