Chris Evans opens up about Anthony Mackie replacing him as the MCU's Captain America. It has been three years since the actor exited the superhero franchise with Avengers: Endgame. Since then, he has branched out to other projects, but Evans will always remain associated with the Star-Spangled Avenger after a decade of playing the character on screen.
As one of the original MCU Avengers lineup, Evans was a primary player in Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga storyline. On top of playing the character in the well-received Captain America trilogy, he featured heavily in all four Avengers movies. While he survived the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, the defeat of the Mad Titan motivated Steve Rogers to finally retire from his superhero duties. But, before he fully walked away from his public life, he personally chose his successor - Sam Wilson. Despite his initial reluctance to take over the mantle, Falcon ultimately assumed the role of the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, setting him up for future MCU appearances.
Speaking with Kevin Polowy while promoting his latest film, Pixar's Lightyear, Evans is asked about Mackie replacing him as MCU's Captain America. The actor couldn't be any more supportive of his Marvel Studios co-star, saying that no one else is better suited for the job than Mackie. He also expresses his eagerness to see what lies ahead for Sam as he wields the shield. Read his full comment below:
No one better to do it. I mean, he honestly does it justice… I’m so proud of him. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future with it, but if there’s any tear shed, it’s just for the sweet memories I had.
Since exiting the MCU, rumors have occasionally popped up of Evans returning as Captain America in various ways. There were theories about him making a cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or being featured as a variant of the character as the Marvel multiverse expands. All of these have so far proven false, as Evans remains nowhere to be seen in the franchise following the events of Avengers: Endgame. At this point, expect that to continue to be the case moving forward, as the actor busies himself with endeavors outside of the MCU. If anything, Evans has always been supportive of Mackie taking over the role of Captain America, even delivering the major news to his co-star while they were working on Avengers: Endgame.
Evans supporting Mackie's stint as Captain America is very important, considering the fact that his successor has big shoes to fill in terms of taking over the role. For a decade, the Star-Spangled Avenger mantle was synonymous with Steve Rogers, and by extension Evans. Considering the actor played the role brilliantly, it's no wonder that it's his most beloved role, but now Mackie has to establish himself in the part. Frankly, Marvel Studios needs to do a better job in that department, especially with the Captain America 4 movie coming up.
Source: Kevin Polowy/Twitter
