Mackie's Chris Evans Comments Are Good For Captain America's Future

Anthony Mackie has suggested that Chris Evans will not return in Captain America: New World Order, which is good for Captain America’s future in the MCU. In Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers (Evans) traveled back in time to return the Infinity Stones, returning as an old man after living a full life. Due to this, he passed on his shield and title as Captain America to his friend and fellow Avenger, Sam Wilson (Mackie).

Taking place 6 months later, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored Wilson’s struggle to take up the mantle of Captain America. Initially, Wilson did not fill the position, continuing to fight as the Falcon while the United States Department of Defense chose to give Captain America’s name and shield to veteran John Walker. After Walker failed to live up to Rogers’ legacy, Wilson finally embraced his new role, becoming the next Captain America. With Wilson’s new title in place, Mackie is set to star as the titular hero in Captain America: New World Order.

However, there are still rumors that Evans could return to portray Captain America again, especially since Steve Rogers was still alive at the end of Avengers: Endgame. In an interview about Captain America 4, Mackie avoided giving away any details about the upcoming Marvel movie. When asked about Evans’ potential return though, Mackie commented, "Chris is so far gone from Marvel. Like, Marvel is not even in his radius. He's so far gone. He's enjoying life. He's like an old retired dude." While this does not directly answer questions about Captain America’s future, it does suggest that Evans will not reprise his role in Captain America: New World Order. This is good for the MCU because it avoids disrupting Steve Rogers’ character arc and helps Marvel move forward with a new version of Captain America.

Why Chris Evans Shouldn't Return As Captain America (& Will He?)

Sam Wilson dressed in the Captain America suit in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Although Chris Evans’ performance made Steve Rogers a beloved MCU character, Evans’ return is unnecessary for Rogers’ character. Throughout his time in the MCU, Rogers tried to make the most selfless decisions and continue fighting, reaching the point of wondering if he even could live a normal life. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Rogers used time travel to reunite with his love, Peggy Carter, and only returned after he had grown old with her. As old Steve Rogers passed down his shield to Sam Wilson, he showed that he had found peace and completed his character arc in the MCU. Due to this, Evans should not reprise his role because there is no need for his character to return in Captain America: New World Order. Additionally, Rogers is too old to be an active superhero now, making Evans’ return unlikely.

In contrast, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sam Wilson, can still grow and help the MCU move forward in Phase 5. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier dealt with Steve Rogers’ legacy, Wilson provides a future for Captain America in the MCU. Since he only accepted his role as Captain America at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel can continue to explore Wilson’s character and the new significance behind the title of Captain America. In this way, the MCU would be better off focusing on Mackie’s Captain America than on past versions. This is especially important since, as Mackie pointed out in his interview, Evans has become increasingly busy with other projects, such as The Gray Man and Lightyear. Based on this full schedule, Evans is unlikely to return to the MCU even if Marvel was considering featuring Steve Rogers again. Although few details are currently known about Captain America: New World Order, Anthony Mackie’s comments imply that the next Captain America movie will not include Chris Evans, helping the MCU move forward.

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