Captain America: 6 ‘Possible’ Replacements If Chris Evans Leaves After ‘Avengers 4’
Chris Evans has already commemorated his wrap on Avengers 4 via Twitter on Thursday, hinting his exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It was an emotional day to say the least,” Evans wrote. “Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.”
If Evans leaves MCU, his eight-year run as Captain America will come to an end. Avengers 4 will be an additional film for the actor who was earlier expected to leave after Infinity War.
During a recent interview with Variety, Evans stated that it’s “tough to say” if Avengers 4 will be his last film with Marvel.
“Part of you almost kind of thinks: Well, if we end on the right note… and I think it really kind of does. The scripts they have are really beautiful and really well written,” he said, adding of Marvel and the two-part Avengers, “they do such a good job.”
“It’s really sweet and lovely and just special, and everyone really has a nice tight plot and story arc. Part of you almost doesn’t want to mess that up. … I guess it depends. It’s hard to know where your head’s gonna be at in a few years.”
With that, here are a few replacements if Evans leaves MCU:
1. Bucky Barnes
Barnes is an old friend of Cap’s and has been speculated as the new Captain America after Steve Rogers. He has had a history with Rogers, and being a close friend to him and possessing similar abilities, Bucky will be the perfect replacement for Steve Rogers.
2. Sam Wilson/Falcon
Sam Wilson is also a character whom Rogers trusts. He was Cap’s right-hand man during the Civil War, and he’s brave, loyal and righteous. The role is played by Anthony Mackie and when the actor asked during a convention if he will ever take the mantle from Evans, he replied, “I feel like Chris Evans is the perfect Captain America,” he said. “I can’t think of another actor who would be able to play that role as well as he does — and I love the idea of me, Chris and Sebastian and Scarlett [Johansson, who plays Black Widow] just living forever in the Captain America franchise. It’s just fun.”
3. Patriot
Another candidate is a Marvel character yet to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe called Elijah Bradley, aka Patriot. Patriot also went through the same transformation as Rogers and he even served as a member of the Young Avengers.
His story might require a bit of reshaping to fit it into cinema, but bringing him in sounds really interesting, especially if MCU ever wishes to explore the controversial “Truth: Red, White & Black” storyline.
4. A New Face
Marvel can even recast and continue, even if it actually sounds impossible and unimaginable to think of anyone except Rogers.
A new ace might come as a cold water splash for all Captain America fans so the possibility of this ever happening sounds really faint.
5. A New MCU
Whatever one says, Avengers 4 will end an era for the MCU. As stated by Feige earlier, Avengers 4 will serve as a period to the whole timeline, ie. “everything before Avengers 4 and everything after that.”
He also told EW that all characters who died in Infinity War will remain dead, meaning that we will need a new Cap if Evans decides to leave by the end of Avengers 4.
6. Contract Extension
Marvel can choose to hold Evans for longer past Avengers 4, provided he lives, even if his role is minimised comparatively. With new faces like Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange beginning to make an impact, Evans will be under much less pressure to carry all the weight by himself.
The same goes for Robert Downey Jr. whose contract ends with Avengers 4, similar to that of Evans.
