We often discuss Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr.) return to the MCU despite his death, but he’s not the only character we lost in Avengers: Endgame. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) also died before Tony Stark sacrificed himself. Then, at the end of the movie, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) departs the main reality on a mission that will see him return as an old man. Just like that, Captain America retired, only to pass the shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).
Chris Evans’s name also comes up frequently in reports about the old Avengers returning for another big Avengers crossover movie, perhaps Secret Wars. Not as often as RDJ, but Evans also has to repeatedly deny reports that he’ll rejoin the MCU sooner than later. We’ve seen the beloved Marvel actor do that a few times, and he did it again recently. But this time, he seems more willing to consider playing Steve Rogers again.
Before we go any further, I’ll warn you that some spoilers might follow.
Chris Evans is just as important to the MCU as RDJ
RDJ often gets the praise for getting the MCU started, and rightly so. But I think it’s really the Captain America franchise that sustained the MCU growth and made the big Avengers movies that concluded the Multiverse Saga shine.
You don’t get to Endgame without The Winter Soldier and especially Civil War. And Chris Evans is part of the reason why these movies are great. His version of Cap is just as important to the Avengers as RDJ’s Iron Man.
Kevin Feige just pointed out the same thing in an interview for a Chris Evans profile that was just released.
“I often think about the parallel world where he said no,” Marvel’s Kevin Feige told GQ. “Robert Downey Jr. gets a lot of attention, deservedly so, for being the foundation of this studio we have here. But in many, many ways, Chris Evans was one of those additional pillars that the house would not be standing today, if not for him.”
The GQ story focuses on Chris Evans’s current projects and the years after Marvel. The actor has reached a point in his life where he can be more picky about the projects he embarks on. And Evans wants to do less acting than before, if anything, to enjoy life. But his big MCU role is what makes this all possible. A role that he didn’t necessarily want in the early days of the MCU.
How it all started
“I was really apprehensive about taking the role initially,” Evans told GQ. “I remember in my late 20s having a real shift in how I felt on set, how I felt promoting films: a little more anxiety, a little more uncertainty. You always end up questioning, Is this what I should be doing?”
He continued, “I just wasn’t sure if I was moving closer to myself or further away. And something inside me kept saying that I was getting further away—that something about this industry wasn’t healthy.”
He ultimately accepted, erasing the memory of his Johnny Storm stint for Fox’s Fantastic Four. Interestingly, Marvel might revisit that Fantastic Four universe via Deadpool 3, and some rumors indicate there’s a potential Human Torch cameo from Evans. Some rumors also hint Deadpool 3 might feature Steve Rogers.
After all, Steve Rogers would also be on the short list of the TVA for breaking time travel rules.
But the real Marvel role fans want Evans to return to is Steve Rogers. A role that Evans ended up enjoying.
“I love playing that role,” he says. “I feel connected to it in a way that when you revisit a character so many times you can’t help but try to absorb some of their traits and measure yourself against them.”
Unsurprisingly, GQ asked Evans whether he’d return to the Captain America role. And, unlike previous interviews, the actor didn’t offer a similarly strong denial.
When will we see Steve Rogers again?
“Yeah, maybe,” he says. “I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing.”
“So, no time soon,” he continued. “And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests. Look, by no means have I climbed any sort of a mountain in this field. I have no Oscars and I’m not lumped with other names that are at the top of the mountain in any way. But I also feel very satisfied.”
The MCU has been on an extended pause thanks to the strikes. But now that the writers inked a new deal with the studios, the actors might follow. This would allow Marvel to get back to work on the MCU projects that have been announced.
But Marvel will undoubtedly have to delay various movies and TV shows because of the strikes. Therefore, Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars might be pushed further back. This would line up with the kind of Steve Rogers return that Chris Evans seems to consider. It wouldn’t happen anytime soon. But it could happen.
While you wait, you can check out GQ’s Chris Evans at this link, to see what the actor has been up to, and why he wants to reduce his acting jobs.
