It would appear that the days of having Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are numbered, at least according to Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. We always knew that the actors we've come to know and love in these roles wouldn't hang around forever, but that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier. As such, even though this was heavily expected, moving on from Evans is going to be a hard pill for fans to swallow.
Warning: this post contains massive spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. The Russo brothers have (still) been making the press rounds as of late in honor of Avengers: Endgame. Now that the movie has been out for a couple of weeks, the more spoiler-heavy conversations have started to take place. During a recent interview, the two were asked about Chris Evans being done with the MCU, given that Steve Rogers' story wrapped up rather nicely in the movie. Here's what Joe Russo had to say about it.
"I think Chris, Chris is a very emotional person. I think, maybe it's evident if you follow him on Twitter, because he does put his heart into what he says, but I feel like he has to close the door on things and emotionally move onto the next thing. I think for now he's emotionally moved on, yes."
Anthony Russo added that "there are no plans" to have Chris Evans return as of right now. Setting aside the logistics regarding the actor's contract with Marvel Studios, fans had reason to hope, perhaps, we'd see more of Evans as Captain America, in some way or another, down the road. Steve Rogers decided to live out his life with Peggy Carter in the past after returning the Infinity Stones to their respectful places in history. He returned to present day 2023 in the MCU timeline an old man at peace. Steve got his happy ending. It was a perfect conclusion to his arc in this universe.
That said, he's not dead. We could conceivably see what adventures Cap got into during all those years with Peggy. However, Chris Evans has spent a long time with his shield and perhaps it's just time for him to move on and explore other projects. That much was hinted at, since Steve gifted Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, with his shield, essentially crowning him the new Captain America.
Related: Why Avengers: Endgame Directors Are Almost Disappointed by Their Box Office Success
Taking that into account, in some ways, it would feel a bit wrong to bring Chris Evans back. Avengers: Endgame, in as much as we're ever likely to get with the MCU, served as closure to this 22-movie arc. Captain America was a big part of that arc. But his story is done and it's time to follow other heroes and other stories during the next phase of this sprawling franchise. Then again, who's to say Evans wouldn't show up for a cameo as old man Rogers down the line or something like that? Feel free to check out the full interview with the Russo brothers on the latest episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
