Chris Evans discusses the one demand that would have to be met before he could return to his iconic role as Captain America in the MCU.
Lightyear star and Marvel Cinematic Universe icon Chris Evans opened up about the one thing he would need in order to reprise his role as Captain America.
During an interview with Phase Zero, Evans was asked about rumors that he may return to the MCU as Steve Rogers sooner than later, possibly to return the Infinity Stones. Evans replied, “Yeah, that seems to be something people would like to see.” He continued, “I don’t want to disappoint anybody, but I just don’t know if, you know… It was such a good run, and I am so happy with it, you know. It’s so precious to me. It would have to be perfect.”
Chris Evans opens up about returning as Captain America!
"It would be a tall order." #Lightyear pic.twitter.com/ZsbAGANXGr
— Phase Zero – MCU (@PhaseZeroCB) June 10, 2022
Evans first appeared as the Star-Spangled Avenger in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger alongside Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan and Hugo Weaving. He would go on to reprise the role of Captain America for eight other feature-films in the MCU over the course of as many years, plus an uncredited cameo in 2015’s Ant-Man. On the subject of ever returning to the role, Evans added, “It just would be scary to, you know, rattle something that is, again, so, so dear to me. You know, that role means so much to me. So to revisit it, it would be a tall order.”
In his last appearance in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Evans’ Steve Rogers and the Avengers traveled through time to steal the Infinity Stones that still existed in the past as part of their master plan to defeat the Mad Titan, Thanos. After successfully saving half of the universe, Rogers returned to the past to return the Stones to their rightful places on the timeline. Upon completing his mission, Steve chose to stay in the past and live out the life he never had the chance to previously.
Since then, the mantle of Captain America in the MCU has made its way into the hands of Sam Wilson, who has been portrayed by Anthony Mackie since the character’s live-action debut in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Though the shield was passed on to Mackie’s Sam Wilson by Steve in Endgame, he didn’t officially step into the role of Captain America until Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Evans is now set to star in Disney Pixar’s Lightyear, a spin-off of the Toy Story franchise which follows the “real” adventures behind its titular Space Ranger. Director Angus MacLane has previously stated that the film isn’t necessarily connected to the Toy Story series in any meaningful way, saying, “I said, ‘Maybe there was a movie starring Buzz Lightyear, and that’s what Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear action figure. Why don’t we just make that movie — and make it awesome?” Early reactions to the film so far have largely praised Evans’ performance as the character made famous by Tim Allen in 1995’s Toy Story.
Fans can find all of Evans’ adventures as the MCU’s Captain America streaming now on Disney+. Lightyear premieres in theaters on June 17.