Despite frequently confirming his retirement from the role after the groundbreaking Avengers: Endgame, it appears Chris Evans is ready to wield a shield again as Deadline reports that the 39-year-old star is nearing a deal with Marvel Studios to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain America.
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While he may be returning to the role, sources do state that it’s unlikely to be another installment in the titular hero’s solo franchise, but rather will be a supporting appearance in a separate Marvel project with an option for a return in a second film. Said path is akin to the one Robert Downey Jr. took with his role as Iron Man, having his solo franchise conclude after its third installment and instead carrying on the portrayal in the Avengers sequels, Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
It’s interesting to see Evans showing a willingness to return to his true comic book breakout hit role after Endgame, with the star stating in numerous interviews in the months leading up to and after its release it would be his final outing as the hero and that it would be risky to attempt to bring him back again. The conclusion to Marvel’s Infinity Saga saw Evans travel back in time to return the various stones to their places in time and choose to stay in the past with love interest Peggy Carter, appearing in the future as an old man who gifts his shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, passing the torch of the moniker on to the hero currently known as Falcon.
Sources report that reps from Marvel reached out to Evans in recent months about the possibility of returning to the role and as talks continued over weeks with the Knives Out star, he began to come around to the studio’s idea for the character and began talking numbers with them.
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With a number of projects, both known and unknown, currently in development at Marvel Studios for the big and small screens, and even Kevin Feige’s recent comments that the cancelled Netflix characters are game to cross over on the big screen, the possibilities are endless for when and where fans can expect to see Evans return.
