With the final moments of Endgame, it seemed fairly certain that Chris Evans was saying goodbye to his MCU tenure as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Not only did he get a touching farewell, but he quite literally handed Cap’s trusty shield over to good friend Sam Wilson, aka Falcon – not to mention that Evans’ Marvel contract had officially expired. But in a surprise development, reports are emerging that Evans might be returning to the MCU after all – though in what capacity would remain to be seen.
According to Deadline, Evans is not far off inking a deal to come back to the MCU as Cap “in some form”, for at least one upcoming project. The report states that this is likely not for a new Captain America film, and that it will probably be in a supporting capacity similar to the role that Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark played in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
So, what does this mean for the MCU? Well, since we’re heading into Multiverse territory in Phase 4, there are all kinds of possibilities – and the return of Evans as one of many Captain Americas would not necessarily preclude Wilson taking on the mantle himself in the main timeline. Could Rogers be an all-out mentor to Wilson as he gets to grips (literally) with the Shield? Will the multiple-timeline chronology of the new set of stories mean he could play Cap from an alternate universe? Or will he appear in a story set within the span of the Infinity Saga? Will it be in a film, or in one of the many upcoming Disney+ series? That’s all up in the air right now – whatever the reason for his return, here’s hoping he’s got his Infinity War beard back too. Or perhaps brings in that Knives Out knitwear.