Ever since he hung up his Captain America shield in Avengers: Endgame, there have been rumours that Chris Evans is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Steve Rogers once again. It’s a suggestion he’s repeatedly denied, claiming that he’s “happily retired.” But this is one rumour he’ll likely need to continue batting away, its persistence driven by one key thing: in comic books, no one really dies.
Death and rebirth is a significant recurring event in the world of comics, and the original Captain America is no stranger to it. The assassination of Steve Rogers in the wake of Marvel’s 2007 Civil War storyline was a major moment in modern comic book history, and it resulted in another recurring comic book event – the passing of the mantle. In this case, it was Bucky Barnes who became Marvel’s new Captain America. But the position, much like Steve’s death, would prove to be temporary. Of course there was a way to bring Rogers back from the dead, a way to explain away the fatal bullet. And so Steve Rogers was put back in his “rightful” place.
Several years later, Marvel (sort of) did it again. Steve’s super-soldier serum was neutralized, turning him into a feeble old man incapable of carrying the shield (not to mention beating up bad guys). And this time it was Sam Wilson, AKA The Falcon, who stepped up to become the new Captain America. It’s this storyline that paved the road towards the MCU’s Falcon, Anthony Mackie, becoming the titular star of Captain America: Brave New World.
But, just a few years after Wilson became the all-new Captain America in the pages of Marvel comics, Steve’s aging was overturned and he returned to his shield-slinging duties once more. When you consider this story – and similar storylines for the likes of Batman, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern, among others – then it’s understandable why the rumours around Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers persist. The original always comes back. So, is Anthony Mackie’s red, white, and blue position in danger, or is he the MCU’s permanent Captain America?
“I hope so!” Mackie told us as part of a recent interview ahead of Brave New World. “I don’t know. I think when you look at Sam Wilson, I guess the life or the span of him being Captain America goes with how well the movie does. So go see the movie!”
While Mackie seemingly knows nothing of his character’s fate, he stands a better chance of holding onto the shield longer than Sebastian Stan ever would have. While the comics eventually saw Bucky’s tenure as Captain America come to an end, Steve Rogers’ most recent comeback saw Steve and Sam agree to work together and share the Captain America mantle. They both have a shield. They both wear the flag. They are both Captain America. And so even if Chris Evans does return in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday or 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Mackie has a good chance of holding onto that important title.
But there is something else to consider. The MCU is not Marvel comics. Since it began all the way back in 2008, one of the more significant differences between the MCU and its printed parent is a greater sense of permanence. When a villain dies in the movies, they (usually) stay dead. We’re likely not seeing the return of Maliketh, Kaecilius, or Ego any time soon. And so it really does seem like Steve Rogers has said his final goodbye.
“We’re aware that, for some people, it’s hard to let go of Steve Rogers,” says Nate Moore, a veteran MCU producer and one of the guiding hands behind Captain America: Brave New World. “We love Steve Rogers, he’s so fantastic. But I think that by the end of this movie, audiences are going to feel that Sam Wilson is Captain America, full stop.”
When asked if Anthony Mackie is the MCU’s permanent Captain America, Moore simply says: “He is. He is. And we’re so happy to have him.”
That’s pretty clear cut: from the final episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier onwards, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is the MCU’s Captain America until the day the character’s storyline comes to an end. He has not been built to be replaced. This sense of permanence gives the MCU a subtly different flavour to its parent medium: the stakes are higher. There’s no coming back from the very worst. Natasha Romanoff is dead. Thanos is gone. Tony Stark is no more. And Steve Rogers is… well, he’s just too old for this shit.
“When Tony Stark dies, that’s a big deal,” says Julius Onah, director of Captain America: Brave New World. “As a storyteller, you’re just looking for the best dramatic playground for your actors to bring these characters to life. So it was a real treat for me to be able to [work with Sam’s role] in the MCU.”
“It’s going to be exciting to see how he leads the Avengers going forward,” Onah says, referring to the most important job anyone holding the title Captain America has to take on.
By installing a sense of permanence in the films, Marvel aims to avoid the somewhat cyclical nature of the comic medium. The studio doesn’t just want more of the same. “I do think [permanent change] does make the MCU feel different than it did in phase one through three,” says Moore. “Sam is Captain America, not Steve Rogers. He’s a different person. And I think if you ask Sam who would be on the Avengers, it might be a different collection of people than Steve [would suggest]. So the way Sam might go about it could be completely different.
“But I think those questions are the questions we have fun with too,” he adds. “Because we want to explore every avenue – much like our fans do – and make sure if and when the time is right for the Avengers to come back, it’s an Avengers that feels different, but also is worthy of the Avengers name.”
With so many original Avengers now out of action, it will be interesting to see how the MCU’s next major event differs from the Infinity War/Endgame years – broadly considered to be the peak of Marvel Studios’ output. But the one thing that we do know is that Anthony Mackie will be front and centre, leading the Avengers as the one and only Captain America. Because Marvel has never purposefully obscured the truth and later pulled some kind of casting stunt, has it?
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.
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