Captain America's potential return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe inadvertently makes him more like Iron Man. Recently, news broke out that Marvel Studios is at the very least in the middle of contract negotiations to bring back Chris Evans into the superhero franchise. While the actor seemingly denies the claims and Kevin Feige or anyone else from his team have remained mum about the matter, conversations are already ongoing about what this possible scenario could mean to MCU Phase 4 and beyond.

As heartfelt as Steve's final fate in Avengers: Endgame was, reuniting with Peggy Carter and finally living the personal life he deserved, it did leave the door open for his potential return. While the initial report didn't specify where the Super Soldier could pop up, it claims that he might be up for two additional outings in the MCU. Assuming that this is the case and that this version of Captain America is the original one — whether that's old or young Steve, this effectively creates a parallel between him and Iron Man when it comes to how they perceived their roles as superheroes.

Related: Iron Man and Captain America Traded Stories in Avengers: Endgame

Tony Stark was known for being obsessed with his work — to the point that everything else became secondary to him, including personal relations. Since his near-death experience during the Battle of New York in The Avengers and the realization that there was a looming extraterrestrial threat waiting to attack, he'd been preparing for the inevitable attack. So even when he promised Pepper Potts that he's finally retiring Iron Man after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, he just couldn't let go. This led to their brief separation as revealed in Captain America: Civil War. Steve coming out of retirement, potentially to offer guidance or any kind of help to his contemporaries gives the same idea — he's unable to truly let go of his role as the Avengers' leader and live a simple life.

Old Steve Rogers looking up in Avengers Endgame

Given how a similar narrative has already played out in the MCU in Iron Man, it's curious how Marvel Studios is planning to handle Steve's inevitable exit from the franchise. As director Joe Russo implied, there's really one sensible ending for the Avengers — death; it emphasizes how committed they are to the cause as seen with both Iron Man and Black Widow who sacrificed their lives for the greater good. While Steve could hang around and play a mentor figure to his predecessors (the same way Tony did for Spider-Man), he will eventually have to leave the franchise again. This poses a new challenge for Marvel Studios. Granted that he can just simply leave and join Peggy again in the past, but it's also possible that this is his last hurrah and it could ultimately result in his death.

Suffice to say, it's an understatement to say that Marvel Studios' rumored plans of bringing back Steve Rogers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe pose a massive risk. Endgame did nail his unique ending and continuing his story beyond that for the sake of wanting Evans again in the franchise could prove to be catastrophic. That doesn't mean that they can't do it right, and given the franchise's track record, there's also a chance that they could make this all work.

More: Age of Ultron Explains How Tony Healed His Titan Injuries in Endgame

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