Chris Evans has been rumored to reprise the role of Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, and there are several MCU projects that he could return in.
There are six upcoming MCU projects which could see the return of Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. Chris Evans debuted as Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, a young soldier who became Captain America after being chosen for Dr. Abraham Erskine’s super-soldier program, granting him superhuman abilities. In the present-day MCU, Rogers had a successful career as an original member of the Avengers, and while his story was nicely wrapped up in Avengers: Endgame, which featured Rogers passing the shield onto Sam Wilson, rumors have been circulating of Evans’ return to the MCU in the Multiverse Saga.
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers set out to return the Infinity Stones to their original timelines, but then chose to retire in the past and live a peaceful life with Peggy Carter. Returning to the present as an old man, Rogers encouraged Sam Wilson to become Captain America, and hasn’t been seen in the MCU since, though it’s possible that this version of Rogers is still alive. The Multiverse Saga introduced the idea of variants to the MCU, versions of individuals from other realities, which could mean that several fallen heroes could return in future projects, creating the perfect opportunity for Chris Evans’ triumphant return.
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Secret Invasion
Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion is set to debut on Disney+ in 2023, bringing Nick Fury back to Earth to investigate a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. This is prime territory for several MCU characters to cameo, especially since Secret Invasion has been labeled as a crossover series. Skrulls can take the form of anybody down to the DNA, meaning many existing characters could return as Skrulls in disguise, adding to the paranoia themes of the upcoming series. This could open the door for Chris Evans’ return to the MCU, though his potential appearance as a Skrull in Secret Invasion would likely be brief.
Secret Invasion has also been revealed to be (at least partly) set during the five-year Blip that took place in Avengers: Endgame. This was a monumental moment in Earth’s history that needs to be explored further, but is also key to Chris Evans’ potential MCU return as Steve Rogers survived Thanos’ snap and was still an active hero during the Blip. It’s possible that, upon returning to Earth, Nick Fury could approach the former Avengers and get caught up on the events of Avengers: Infinity War. This means that a younger version of Steve Rogers could appear in Secret Invasion, still reeling from the Avengers’ tragic loss to Thanos.
Captain America: New World Order
Perhaps the most convincing project that Steve Rogers could make an appearance in would be Phase 5’s Captain America: New World Order, Sam Wilson’s big-screen debut as the MCU’s new Captain America. Even though New World Order is set within the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, it’s unlikely that too many variants will be seen in the upcoming film, as Sam Wilson’s Captain America is a much more grounded hero, However, assuming he’s still alive following his appearance at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: New World Order would be the perfect place for the older version of Steve Rogers to show his face.
If the original Captain America is still alive in the MCU, Sam Wilson will know about it, and would potentially seek guidance from the former Captain America on how to be the most optimal hero. A moment such as this would be akin to Rogers visiting an older Peggy Carter during Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with Rogers perhaps acting as the voice of reason should Wilson find himself in a tough spot. There’d be no better person for Wilson to seek help from than his Captain America predecessor, and this could also help to explain Rogers’ current whereabouts in the MCU, as he hasn’t been seen since Avengers: Endgame.
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Thunderbolts
While Captain America: New World Order could see Sam Wilson seeking guidance from his Captain America predecessor, Thunderbolts might shift the focus onto Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ childhood friend and super-soldier ally. Bucky will lead the Thunderbolts for their inaugural mission, even though Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the mastermind behind the team, so he might track down the older version of Rogers seeking advice on how to be an effective leader. The friendship between Bucky and Rogers has been at the crux of their MCU stories, so it would be great to see this continue in Thunderbolts.
Steve Rogers was able to make order out of chaos as the leader of the original Avengers team, and the Thunderbolts seem to be just as misfit as the MCU’s premiere superhero group. This means that the older and wiser Rogers might be the perfect sounding board for Bucky Barnes on his journey to leader. Nobody truly knows Bucky and understands his pain and trauma as well as Rogers, so while Bucky could seek help from the MCU’s new Captain America, it’s more likely he’ll gravitate towards his old friend. Chris Evans could even appear in flashback sequences, potentially filling in gaps in Bucky’s MCU backstory during Thunderbolts.
Deadpool 3
While Deadpool 3 might seem like the most unlikely place for Chris Evans to reprise his MCU role, the fact that the upcoming mutant adventure will explore the multiverse could open the door for many MCU cameos. Currently, Deadpool 3 is the only project confirmed to be permanently bringing a character from Fox’s X-Men franchise into the MCU, so it will need to work extra hard to cement the character within the existing franchise. The best way to do this would be to bring back several iconic MCU characters, bring them face-to-face with the Merc-with-a-Mouth, and let the jokes flow.
There’s no doubt that Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson will make a relentless amount of jokes concerning the MCU in Deadpool 3, especially now that any previous MCU story is free-rein for the charismatic mutant. The exploration of the multiverse in Deadpool 3 means that variants of legendary MCU characters can appear, which means another reality’s version of Steve Rogers could be introduced. It’s even possible that Deadpool could pay a visit to the older Steve Rogers currently residing in the background of the MCU, perhaps sharing horror stories of what they went through in their respective realities, which would be a fun cameo for Evans in the Phase 6 film.
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Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is set to be the first Avengers film since Endgame at the end of the Infinity Saga, meaning there are high expectations for the Phase 6 project. It’s likely that The Kang Dynasty will introduce audiences to the MCU’s New Avengers for the first time, coming together to battle a barrage of variants of Kang the Conqueror, paying off several warnings in previous projects such as Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This could be a great place to bring Chris Evans back to the MCU as Steve Rogers, perhaps as a multiversal Captain America, arriving in the 616-universe to join the fight against Kang.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania saw Kang the Conqueror gloat about defeating many versions of the Avengers throughout the multiverse, meaning somewhere out there will be versions of Captain America who have potentially survived Kang’s attacks. This would potentially lead to a more hardened and serious variant of Steve Rogers appearing in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, someone weathered by years of turmoil at the hands of Kang the Conqueror. A figure of this disposition could be pivotal to the formation of the MCU’s New Avengers team, providing the right motivation they need to come together, just as the original Avengers needed in The Avengers.
Avengers: Secret Wars
As the film expected to bring closure to the Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Secret Wars has been rumored to involve many returning superheroes from the MCU and other Marvel franchises outside the MCU, including the Fox X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, Sony’s Spider-Man franchises, and potentially even Marvel Television’s series. This is fertile ground for a great number of long-gone MCU characters to return, with the two primary candidates being Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. Secret Wars would present the perfect opportunity to finally end the stories of these iconic MCU heroes.
In Marvel Comics, the Secret Wars event features characters from many different realities being brought together on Battleworld after a catastrophic incursion, and the MCU seems to be heading in a similar direction after incursion teases in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This means that multiversal variants of some of the most beloved MCU characters can make appearances in Avengers: Secret Wars alongside Marvel Studios’ current roster of heroes. Steve Rogers’ Captain America’s return to the MCU is highly-anticipated and practically inevitable, it’s simply a question of when.
