Chris Evans’ return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe might not be a sure thing after all, as the actor has finally responded to widespread reports that he will appear in “Avengers: Doomsday.” After a dismal run of middling films and forgettable streaming series, 2024 seemed like it might have been Marvel’s last chance to fix the MCU before it was too late. Whether the company succeeded depends on how you felt about the one live-action movie to arrive last year, the box office-obliterating blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and whether Marvel’s promises of big things to come piqued your interest.
One of those big things is, of course, the return of Robert Downey Jr., who, rather than reprising the role of Iron Man, will be playing supervillain Victor Von Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday.” Reactions to this news ranged from genuine excitement to fans accusing Marvel Studios of seeming desperate. Regardless, when news then emerged that Captain America actor Chris Evans would also be returning to the MCU with “Avengers: Doomsday,” it seemed as though Marvel really was pulling out all the stops to ensure their blockbuster franchise maintained its dominance with the upcoming “Avengers” films.
At the time Evans’ return was reported in December 2024, it wasn’t clear whether the actor would once again play Captain America or, like his erstwhile colleague Downey Jr., a new character entirely. Now, Evans has cast doubt upon the whole thing, claiming that reports of his return have been greatly exaggerated.
Chris Evans claims to be ‘happily retired’
At the end of “Avengers: Endgame,” Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers passed on the mantle of Captain America to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who will now appear as the superhero in next month’s “Captain America: Brave New World.” It remains to be seen whether Mackie playing Cap and Harrison Ford playing Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk will be enough to propel that film to the heights Marvel Studios no doubt hopes for, but considering the extensive reshoots that film has undergone, the movie’s prospects seem dodgy at best.
At least with the news of Evans’ return in “Avengers: Doomsday,” fans could look forward to the original Cap coming back regardless of how Mackie’s solo outing fared. Unfortunately, it seems that outcome is far from certain. Esquire spoke to Mackie ahead of “Brave New World” debuting in theaters, and it just so happened that news of Evans coming back broke during their interview. Asked about the development, Mackie said:
“I didn’t know! I talked to Chris a few weeks ago and it wasn’t on the table then. At least, he didn’t tell me it was on the table, because I asked him. I was like, ‘You know, they said they’re bringing everyone back for the movie. Are you coming back?’ ”
Mackie claimed Evans told him that he was “happily retired” — something which the former Captain America star subsequently confirmed to Esquire. Asked by the outlet about the whole affair, Evans contradicted reports of his return, saying, “That’s not true, though. This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years — ever since ‘Endgame’. I’ve just stopped responding to it.” The actor reportedly repeated what Mackie had said, too, claiming to be “happily retired” (at least from the MCU — Evans is starring in “Past Lives” director Celine Song’s new movie “Materialists” later this year). But this wouldn’t be the first time a Marvel star has denied rumors of their return.
Chris Evans’ MCU return is still on the table
While Chris Evans does his best to downplay reports of his return, you really can’t trust anything you hear at this point. Back when Andrew Garfield was set to reprise the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” he famously lied through his teeth about it in multiple interviews. If Marvel really is bringing back Evans, they’ve already shown much of their hand with the announcement of Robert Downey Jr.’s return, and keeping Evans’ own return hovering in the realm of rumor will no doubt provide “Doomsday” with an air of intrigue not dissimilar to when fans went to see “No Way Home” just to see whether Garfield and Tobey Maguire did actually show up.
Neither Anthony Mackie nor Evans said much else about it to Esquire, with the former simply praising the Russo Brothers, the directors of the upcoming “Avengers” installments, as “so smart,” adding “I know they have an idea. I mean, they better have an idea. I don’t know how you put all those people on-screen together and make it work.”
Whether “all those people” really will include Evans or not remains to be seen, but Marvel Studios is clearly doing its best to right the ship after a string of disastrous movies and TV shows. The trailer for the upcoming “Daredevil: Born Again” resurrects Marvel’s bloodiest superhero in a show that evidently hasn’t been toned down in terms of its violence, representing a first for an MCU product (well, second if you count the cartoonish ultra-violence of “Daredevil & Wolverine”). The fact that only one live-action movie arrived in 2024 also speaks to the fact that Marvel is clearly changing course, and with Robert Downey Jr.’s return in “Doomsday,” nothing is seemingly off the table at this point.
All of which is to say that despite what Evans says, his return is still very much a possibility. The actor portrayed Captain America in the MCU for almost a decade, beginning with 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” and wrapping up with 2019’s “Endgame.” After Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, he is arguably the most beloved member of the MCU roster, so bringing him back would make a lot of sense for Marvel Studios, who are keen to curry favor with a wavering fanbase. What’s more, Evans’ post-MCU career hasn’t exactly been a triumph. (“Ghosted”? C’mon, Chris.) With that in mind, it would make at least some sense for the man to don the suit and shield once again. For now, we await further details.