Every Upcoming MCU Property Captain America Could Return In

Where in the MCU could Captain America turn up next? Since Chris Evans made his 2011 debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers has been an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Redeeming himself after an ill-fated stint in the Fantastic Four, Evans turned a scrawny kid from 1940s Brooklyn into the epitome of a modern day superhero, balancing humor ("I understood that reference"), drama (don't pretend you didn't cry at Peggy's funeral), and iconic superhero moments (the Mjolnir catch). Rogers also fronted arguably the strongest MCU effort to date with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and, alongside Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, has provided the backbone of Marvel's unprecedented movie success.

But America's ass is now having a well-deserved sit down following Steve Rogers' official retirement in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Fresh from defeating Thanos and restoring the billions of lives lost in the snap, Cap coyly offers to travel back through time and drop the Infinity Stones off at their correct time periods. Once his final mission was completed, Steve took a sharp left in the Quantum Realm, found Peggy Carter in the past and settled down for a happy life together. Old Man Steve reunites with his pals in 2019 and explains what happened, sparing Sam and Bucky the details, of course.

While Avengers: Endgame appeared to draw a line under Captain America's MCU tenure, recent reports claim that Chris Evans is in the process of signing a new deal to appear in several upcoming Marvel Studios projects. It's not yet clear whether Evans will be back as his older, wrinklier self, or as the classic, fitter version of Captain America. Evans' return won't necessarily come via the big screen either, with the MCU increasingly shifting towards Disney+. Here are all of the confirmed MCU projects that Steve Rogers could make a comeback in, taking into account both the timeline and where his presence makes the most thematic sense.

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

Essentially a Captain America legacy series, Steve Rogers' most obvious MCU re-entry point is The Falcon & The Winter Soldier on Disney+. After Avengers: Endgame saw Rogers pass down his famous shield, Falcon and Bucky will bicker their way to victory against Baron Zemo in this new adventure, but Sam Wilson's status as the "new Cap" is far from assured. As well as Falcon harboring his own doubts about shouldering such a huge responsibility, the U.S. government has decided to install John Walker as the pretender to Rogers' crown, putting the Captain America name back into their hands. With Walker and Wilson engaged in a tug of war over the right to succeed Steve Rogers, the man himself may have his say. The older, retired Captain America could take on Walker personally, or may simply reassure Falcon that he's the right man for the job. Since it's Sam and Bucky he appears to after disappearing into the past, it makes sense that Rogers would be watching over his best friends, especially now that Peggy has passed away. It sure beats propping up the bingo halls.

Black Widow

Black Widow is an "upcoming" MCU movie purely because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent delays forced upon every major studio. Since work on Natasha Romanoff's solo debut is complete (and has been for a while) Black Widow won't be one of the projects Evans is reportedly jumping onto in 2021. Nevertheless, Captain America's presence remains a distinct possibility, and Black Widow is an unreleased MCU property, so deserves to be included here. Black Widow is set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. At some point during this period, Romanoff and Rogers team up to form the Secret Avengers, meaning Black Widow could finally provide insight into how this underground crime-fighting group were formed. Evans has long been rumored to feature in Black Widow, and Scarlett Johansson's assassin could reunite with her patriotic pal once the business in Russia is complete, perhaps as part of a post-credits scene leading into Avengers: Infinity War.

Loki

Another MCU veteran afforded a starring platform on Disney+ is Tom Hiddleston's Loki. As a result of the Avengers' time travelling in Avengers: Endgame, the 2012 edition of Loki was able to teleport free by snatching the Tesseract. Loki picks up that thread, with Asgard's favorite (adopted) son thrown across the galaxy. Displaced from time, Loki falls foul of the TVA (Time Variance Authority) and begins a whirlwind, reality-bending escapade through time and space. Loki's trailer hints that the Disney+ TV show will once again revisit the Battle of New York, potentially allowing more pesky Avengers to stand in Loki's way. Having never been particularly fond of Thor's brother, the 2012 Avengers-era Steve Rogers could do battle with the God of Mischief one more time, and Chris Evans can return to the MCU without needing to don his old-timer make-up.

Spider-Man 3

Tom Holland as Spider-Man with Shield in Captain America Civil War

Compared to other Spider-Man 3 rumors currently doing the rounds (of which Kevin Feige has confirmed at least some are true), Chris Evans popping up in Peter Parker's next solo movie would be relatively tame. If reports are to be believed, the MCU's third Spidey effort will bring back the likes of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Alfred Molina, Kirsten Dunst and Jamie Foxx in a mass crossing-over of the Marvel and Sony worlds. Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange will also be on hand, presumably to facilitate the multiverse madness. If 2002 Peter Parker can somehow appear in the MCU, bringing back Chris Evans' Captain America (whether the young or old variety) is no great shakes. With the MCU still reeling from Tony Stark's death, starring alongside Tom Holland would represent logical character progression for Rogers. Peter Parker viewed Stark as a mentor and father figure, and Spider-Man: Far From Home was all about Holland's superhero getting over that trauma. Following Stark's demise, the old Steve Rogers could assume his late friend's role, imparting some guidance of his own onto Spidey. Or perhaps giving him a slap for that shield incident in Civil War.

Armor Wars

In addition to lending Peter Parker a hand, Armor Wars provides another opportunity for Steve Rogers to protect Iron Man's legacy. While details about this forthcoming Disney+ release remain scarce, the basic premise will be Don Cheadle's Rhodey desperately trying to keep Tony Stark's lethal creations out of the wrong hands following the playboy genius philanthropist's death. Rhodey will struggle to safeguard Tony's high-tech armor alone, and could perhaps call upon Steve Rogers for aid. Rogers and Stark were infamously at loggerheads during Captain America: Civil War, and with the arrival of Thanos, never really had a chance to bury the hatchet. By joining Armor Wars, Captain America can continue the will of his fallen frenemy by safeguarding the armor that Stark hoped would protect the citizens of Earth.

Secret Invasion

Among the latest raft of confirmed MCU projects was Secret Invasion, a Disney+ series based on the Marvel comic event of the same name. Starring Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn's Talos, Secret Invasion continues the Skrull storyline from Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, in which the alien shape-shifters arrive on Earth and blend in by impersonating the natives. Fury and Talos are allies in the MCU, and have established SWORD as a continuation of SHIELD, striving to protect Earth from sentient weapons (as per the acronym). When Fury begins searching for hidden Skrulls in Secret Invasion, Steve Rogers is one name the former SHIELD director could call upon for aid - after all, it was Fury who thawed Captain America out of his icy tomb and made him one of the earliest Avengers recruits. Rogers may not be as spry as he once was, but the retired superhero could still help out an old friend as the Earth faces an invasion of shape-shifters.

Black Panther 2

Black Panther, Steve Rogers, Black Widow, and Bucky Barnes prepare to defend Wakanda during Infinity War

Despite a shaky start, Steve Rogers now enjoys a close relationship with Wakanda in the MCU. Not only did he turn to T'Challa when needing a safe place for Bucky to recuperate, but it was the isolated African nation who built Cap a brand new shield and stood by him when Thanos landed in Avengers: Infinity War. With Steve now having passed on his shield Sam Wilson, the retiree might seek a quiet life in Wakanda, living his twilight years in relative solitude and simultaneously setting up an appearance in Black Panther 2. While Marvel has confirmed the sequel will go ahead, it's not yet clear what form Black Panther 2 will take after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020.

Deadpool 3

Deadpool stands in front of a overturned car in Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool universe revels in a meta, fourth wall-breaking lawlessness that routinely defies the barriers of franchise and fiction. Nothing is "off the table" as far as Wade Wilson is concerned, and after Kevin Feige confirmed Deadpool 3 would be set within the existing MCU, any figure from the franchise's past or present could make a cameo, receiving a verbal beat-down from Mr. Pool for their trouble. That rumors of Chris Evans' return began so soon after Feige's Deadpool 3 comments is probably just a coincidence, but with Steve Rogers' MCU story ending on the perfect note, it could be the comedic raucousness of Deadpool that tempts Captain America back home.

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