Some rather big news recently dropped suggesting that Chris Evans will be returning, in some capacity, as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This came as quite the surprise to many, given the end of Avengers: Endgame. Not to mention Evans’ personal comments on the matter over the last year or so. Whether or not it does happen remains to be seen but the news does make it worth looking into how it can happen. And, given where we left off with Steve Rogers, it is very possible to have Cap return for one last ride.
When last we left our hero was in the final minutes of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The Avengers had successfully managed to gather the Infinity Stones in the so-called time heist and undo Thanos’ snap, while also defeating the Mad Titan and his army once and for all. As promised, the heroes were tasked with returning the stones to the place in time where they were taken from, as to not upset the balance of time. It was Cap who ended up gathering the stones, taking them to the various locations across time and space. Yet, when Hulk tried to bring Steve back, it didn’t work.
We then find a much older Steve sitting on a bench near the lake. As it turns out, revealed through a conversion with Sam, he decided to stay back in the past after returning the stones to finally live out his life with Peggy Carter. Steve gifted his shield to Sam, suggesting that he should become the new Captain America and take up the mantle. It was viewed by many as the perfect end to Steve Rogers’ cinematic journey.
But, crucial when it comes to the possibility of Chris Evans’ alleged return to the MCU, Steve Rogers is very much alive. That alone makes it fully possible to bring back Captain America, in some capacity, in a future MCU project. It’s important to note that the reports were specific, suggesting that Cap would not return for a new solo movie. Rather, he would pop up in other projects. So, the easiest way to go about it, seemingly, would be to bring back old Steve in a future Phase 4 MCU project.
There are some logical places to do that. Perhaps the most logical would be The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The upcoming live-action Disney+ series will center on Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, aka Winter Soldier. Mackie recently revealed that the show will deal with filling the void left behind by Captain America, examining who should step up to take his place. While many of us merely assumed it would be Sam, and it very well could be, that hasn’t been settled yet. It might make sense for Steve to show up and offer some sage guidance to his young friend in the show. Though the series has wrapped filming and these reports suggest it will be for something in the future.
If not there, the MCU has no shortage of opportunities coming up in the next handful of years. Aside from the many movies coming down the pipeline that haven’t finished filming yet such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2, among others. Marvel also has a ton of shows in the works for Disney+, including Hawkeye, Ironheart, Armor Wars, Secret Invasion, She-Hulk, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel. And that’s just what we know of.
Point being, there will be no shortage of opportunities to bring Captain America back. In looking at the events of Avengers: Endgame, the thing that might make the most sense is to actually show Cap returning the stones throughout space and time. Six stones. Six episodes for Disney+. This would contradict the idea that Evans’ new deal wasn’t to headline a project but this would be a way to bring him back without destroying the storyline that had so satisfyingly brought his character arc to a close.
To that point, fans seemed to be divided over the news. Chris Evans became one of the most beloved elements of the MCU over the course of nearly a decade. He turned Captain America into one of the most popular superheroes on the planet in the modern era, which simply wasn’t the case before The First Avenger came out. So, there are naturally going to be fans that are eager to see him return. On the flipside, Endgame served as a great bit of closure for Steve. Those final moments of him finally getting his dance with Peggy could, and perhaps should, serve as the lasting memory we all have of Steve Rogers’ cinematically. Bringing him back runs the risk of soiling that image to some degree.
This all may be irrelevant speculation anyhow. Shortly after the news broke, Chris Evans took to Twitter to address the reports saying, “News to me.” This suggests he is not nearing a new deal with Marvel Studios and Disney. That’s not to say it won’t happen, though it heavily implies that the initial reports at least jumped the gun a bit. However, if things do head in that direction, there is an abundance of options to bring back America’s ass for some more cinematic adventures.
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