Because of the Eternals, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has a way of getting his youth back and suiting up as Captain America again. In Avengers: Endgame, Steve used time travel to live a full life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). As a result, the character now has the appearance of an elderly man in the present-day Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What Marvel did with Captain America in Avengers: Endgame was expected to be a definitive ending for the character. Plus, it looked like Marvel was moving on, with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) going on a journey to becoming his successor in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, it’s no longer clear what Marvel’s plans for him are. It was recently reported that Chris Evans and Marvel were in the process of finalizing a deal that would involve the actor reprising his Captain America role in one or two undisclosed MCU projects. Evans has downplayed this news, and for now the report remains unconfirmed.

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Some believe that if Cap were to come back in Phase 4, it would be through time travel or the multiverse, but it’s at least possible that Marvel will instead pick up where it left off with his character. The introduction of the Eternals will provide the MCU with a way of restoring Steve’s youth. In Marvel Comics, the Eternals are capable of transmutation, which means they can reshape matter. That includes turning humans into animals and altering the physical properties of objects. One Eternal in particular, Sersi, is so skilled with this ability that she can change a person’s biological age. In fact, she once did this to Captain America himself. At Steve’s request, Sersi reverted him back to his teenage self for a mission that required him to blend in with other youngsters for just a few hours. Steve noted in the comic that what she did wasn’t a disguise; she remade the molecules in his body so that he genuinely was a teenager.

The transmutation ability, which was actually introduced into the MCU ahead of Eternals via WandaVision, is likely to be incorporated into the upcoming film. All Eternals can use this in the comics, but it’s especially important to Sersi. Once Gemma Chan’s Sersi is shown to possess this power, Marvel will have the means to make Steve young again. As for why she or Steve would be motivated to make such a decision, it could be that that in a movie like The Avengers 5, Steve Rogers will determine that he needs to be Captain America again in order to help them with Kang the Conqueror, or some other powerful villain. It’s unlikely Cap would ask for something like this unless it was absolutely necessary.

Of course, Marvel may be hesitant to undo Captain America’s Avengers: Endgame ending. It was considered by many to be the perfect way to tie up his story, and revisiting Steve in any meaningful way would risk ruining that. Plus, bringing Steve back as Captain America full-time would complicate its plans The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a show which centers on Captain America’s legacy and who his successor will be. Everything that happens in the series would feel pointless if the mantle returns to the original hero. Perhaps the only way Steve getting his youth back from Sersi would work in Phase 4 is if it’s only a temporary transformation.

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