Unlike Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) did not die at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but we expect both of them to return to the MCU in the future. For Iron Man, Marvel has various means to bring the superhero back without ruining the character’s legacy after Endgame. The MCU’s original Cap can return to the MCU even more easily, as he’s still alive. He might be old, but the Multiverse Saga could deliver a younger Steve Rogers.
The same goes for Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). She is another fallen Avenger whom Marvel might resurrect. Nothing is official at this point, however. And Marvel won’t spoil such surprises until it’s good and ready to make an announcement.
Anthony Mackie, who will play the MCU’s new Captain America in the current saga, thinks Chris Evans won’t return to the MCU. But we have reason to believe he’s wrong. Mind you, spoilers might follow.
Anthony Mackie already working on Captain America 4
The new Captain America will appear next in New World Order, which premieres on May 3rd, 2024. That won’t be Sam Wilson’s “origin” story for his version of Cap. You’ll have to catch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series on Disney Plus to make the most of Captain America 4 when it hits cinemas.
Mackie talked about the upcoming Marvel project to E! News, revealing that Captain America 4 is in pre-production. “We’re getting it all together to start shooting next year,” the actor said.
Before addressing Chris Evans’s potential return to the MCU, Mackie explained what he wants from his Captain America version. Unsurprisingly, Mackie is looking for something as iconic as Evans’s elevator scene.
“I want a fight scene that rivals Chris Evans’ fight scene in the elevator [in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier],” the actor said. “When he fought like 10 dudes in the elevator. That was a bad ass scene. The first time I saw that, I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’ So I just want a fight scene that rivals that.”
New World Order will have to tell a story that makes Sam Wilson stand out in his own way as Captain America. But the comparisons between Mackie and Evans are inevitable, and the former will probably have to address Steve Rogers rumors until Captain America 4 hits theaters.
What about Chris Evans’s return?
The E! News interview is one such example. Mackie fielded questions about Chris Evans returning to the MCU. Unsurprisingly, the actor said that Evans won’t be coming back.
“Chris is so far gone from Marvel,” Mackie joked. “Like, Marvel is not even in his radius. He’s so far gone. He’s enjoying life. He’s like an old retired dude.”
But we know better than to trust Marvel actors to tell the truth about their MCU roles. While we don’t have solid evidence that Steve Rogers is coming back to Marvel, there is one big leak that points to one such scenario.
A series of trademarks for movie titles leaked before Comic-Con this year. Then Marvel confirmed some of those trademarks, implying that the others are probably real.
One of the unannounced titles is for a film called Nomad. As we explained, that might be a Captain America story with Chris Evans playing a Steve Rogers variant not associated with the role.
If that’s the case, Mackie will probably know about the project. He told E! News that he, Chris, and Sebastian Stan have developed a strong brotherhood over the years.
“It’s not often you come across people you work with who you sincerely miss and consider friends,” the actor said. “Fortunately, between the three of us, we’re actually friends. We go to each other’s houses and spend birthdays together.”
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