Avengers: Endgame co-writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely believe a Chris Evans MCU return would ultimately hurt the film. Released this past April, Endgame marked the culmination of the Infinity Saga, reuniting the Original Six Avengers for a final mission together. One of the goals of the film was to give those characters proper sendoffs, concluding their individual arcs after a decade's worth of stories. In Captain America's case, he decided to remain in the past after returning the Infinity Stones to their right places, finally sharing that dance with Peggy Carter.

Steve Rogers returned to 2023 as a peaceful old man to give the Captain America shield to Sam Wilson. This passing of the torch effectively ended Evans' tenure in the MCU, though there are plenty of fans that would enjoy seeing him come back in some capacity. But even though Steve is alive at the current place in the MCU timeline, two of the franchise's key creatives aren't exactly chomping at the bit to bring the character back.

Related: Why Endgame's Captain America Lost to 2012 Steve Rogers

In an interview with Screen Rant, Markus and McFeely were asked about Evans' hypothetical return to the MCU. The screenwriters, who are well-versed with Captain America's corner in the universe, offered their reasoning for why it shouldn't happen:

Christopher Markus: I also don’t want to. I love writing for Cap, I love Evans. But I really feel, much like Tony, we got them to a place where they don't need to do it anymore. I'd hate to gin up something hokey to get them back.

Stephen McFeely: I do worry that if they do stuff like that, it'll ding Endgame in the rearview mirror. This is such an important and such an interesting moment in movies, because a very successful studio just put their tools down.

Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell in Avengers Endgame

The two make very interesting points. Right now, the MCU is in a bit of a transitional phase, having closed the book on the franchise's first era. In the latter stages of the Infinity Saga, Marvel successfully introduced a bevy of new characters like Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel, who can be the faces of the property through Phase 4 and beyond. In addition to all the ongoing sub-series (Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Doctor Strange 2, etc.), the MCU is also bringing in some fresh faces like the Eternals and Shang-Chi. There's no real need to keep Evans around; Marvel as a brand is much bigger than one or two particular characters. History's proven viewers will come to see any MCU film in droves, regardless of who's on the poster. By now, their track record speaks for itself.

There's also the matter of Steve's Endgame ending being one of the most emotionally satisfying moments in the MCU. While there is widespread confusion over the time travel logistics of what took place, many fans are in agreement this was the ideal farewell for the character. Watching Steve dance with Peggy was extremely cathartic, and it's hard to see where the story can go without derailing what came before. The whole point of giving Captain America that ending was to definitively close the book on Evans' run. Since Marvel's set with active characters in the franchise, it'd be best for all involved if they just let Steve Rogers be.

More: Captain America Explained Why He Chose Falcon Before He Time Traveled

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