Chris Evans has officially denied rumors that he will return to Marvel and reprise his role as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, claiming he’s “happily retired” from the MCU.
However, given Marvel’s history of keeping major reveals under wraps and previous instances of actors outright lying about their involvement in projects, Evans’ statement isn’t putting speculation to rest.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in The Avengers (2012), Marvel Entertainment
The rumors of Evans’ return have been swirling for months, creating a potential problem for Captain America: Brave New World, which is set to release in just a few weeks. Some fans have suggested that Evans could be deliberately downplaying his involvement to avoid overshadowing Anthony Mackie’s film, as excitement for a Steve Rogers return could further diminish interest in Mackie’s Captain America.
Evans Denies Marvel Involvement but We’ve Heard That Before
The latest wave of speculation began when Esquire asked Anthony Mackie about Evans returning to Marvel. Mackie, who starred alongside Evans as Sam Wilson/Falcon in multiple Marvel films, admitted he was caught off guard by the rumor.
“I didn’t know!” Mackie said. “I talked to Chris a few weeks ago and it wasn’t on the table then. At least, he didn’t tell me it was on the table, because I asked him. I was like, ‘You know, they said they’re bringing everyone back for the movie. Are you coming back?’ He goes, ‘Oh, you know, I’m happily retired.’”
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America in Marvel Studios‘ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2024 MARVEL
Evans himself also addressed the rumors, telling Esquire, “That’s not true, though. This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years — ever since Endgame. I’ve just stopped responding to it. Yeah, no — happily retired!”
Of course, Marvel fans have seen this play out before. Andrew Garfield famously denied his involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home for months, only to end up playing a major role in the film. It’s entirely possible that Evans is following the same playbook, staying quiet until Marvel is ready to make an official reveal.
Why Evans’ Return Would Be a PR Nightmare for Mackie’s Captain America
If Evans is returning (and everyone knows), it would completely shift the conversation surrounding Brave New World. The film is already struggling with low presale numbers and lackluster fan interest, and the mere possibility of Evans suiting up again has sparked more discussion than anything related to Mackie’s film.
Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL
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Marvel Studios made a big deal about transitioning the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson in Endgame, and Brave New World is supposed to be the culmination of that transition. But if audiences know Steve Rogers is coming back, it undermines everything Marvel has been trying to build with Mackie’s version of the character.
Why invest in a new Captain America when the original might be back just two years later?
Some have speculated that Evans is playing along with Marvel’s strategy to keep Brave New World afloat, holding off on confirming his return so as not to steal the spotlight from Mackie’s first solo outing. If Evans were to admit he’s returning, it could deal yet another blow to a movie that’s already facing an uphill battle.
Marvel’s Big Gamble on ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Whether Chris Evans is being honest or not, there’s no denying that Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be a major Marvel event. Directed by the Russo Brothers, the film is already confirmed to feature Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU, this time as the villainous Doctor Doom. If Marvel is truly bringing back the biggest stars from Endgame, it would be hard to believe that Evans wouldn’t at least be in discussions to return in some capacity.
Robert Downey Jr. revealed to be Doctor Doom at Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con via OnTheRedCarpet YouTube
Mackie himself expressed uncertainty about how the film will juggle its massive cast.
“What you don’t want is Infinity War and Endgame 2.0,” he said. “The Russos, they’re so smart, and they have such a hold on this universe and the history and the comic books that I know they have an idea. I mean, they better have an idea. I don’t know how you put all those people onscreen together and make it work.”
Mackie’s Future as Captain America in Question?
Mackie, for his part, is fully expecting to be a central figure in the next Avengers films.
“I give it a solid 10 years,” he said when discussing his future as Captain America. “You have the two Avengers movies, you have hopefully another Captain America, and then random plug-and-plays: Oh, Spider-Man! Oh, Fantastic Four! What are you doing here? But you never know. I mean, I don’t want to be a 60-year-old Captain America.”
Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL
His comments suggest that Marvel has long-term plans for his version of the character, but those plans could be thrown into chaos if Steve Rogers makes a return. Fans who never fully embraced Sam Wilson as Captain America would likely rally behind Evans’ return, making it even harder for Brave New World to gain traction.
The Bottom Line
Right now, Evans is saying all the right things to keep the focus on Mackie’s movie, but whether or not he’s telling the truth remains to be seen.
Chris Evans as Captain America in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Marvel Studios
Marvel has a long history of misleading fans to preserve surprises, and with Avengers: Doomsday shaping up to be one of the biggest MCU films since Endgame, it would be shocking if Steve Rogers wasn’t at least considered for a comeback.
Do you want to see Chris Evans return to Marvel? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
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He’d be better off not tainting his legacy any further than Endgame already did.
Captain BLM will fail. I didn’t like the previous movie, Captain America Winter Soldier. It seemed lame, to me, especially Scarlet’s “strong female” character. I couldn’t get into it at all. The CGI was both impressive, and yet distanced me from the action. Virtually every female character is “strong” and insufferable. Gone is the magic of old-skool movie making.
There is a certain anti-male, anti-white, anti-straight feel to Marvel movies that is cringey and rather pathetic.
A marvel movie is like looking at a shiny AI image that looks off.