While Captain America hasn't been the lead character in an MCU movie since 2016, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brought Sam Wilson's take on the star-spangled hero into the spotlight. That series set the stage for Captain America 4 first and foremost, but it also set up a young new hero in Elijah Richardson's Eli Bradley.
Richardson only played a minor role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside his on-screen grandfather, Carl Lumbley's Isaiah Bradley, appearing in three of the show's six episodes. Even though this only amounted to a few minutes of screen time in total, his role is now set to progress even further in the coming years, as Eli Bradley is a key member of the Young Avengers from Marvel Comics.
The big question now regarding Eli Bradley's return is where it will specifically come, especially with Anthony Mackie's Captain America 4 in the early stages of development for Marvel Studios.
Now, during the press tour for his latest project, the actor behind Eli has offered his own thoughts on the matter at hand...sort of.
Eli Bradley Star Avoids Captain America 4 Question
In a press interview with Comic Book Movie's Josh Wilding for the Stargirl press tour, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Elijah Richardson was asked about a potential return as Eli Bradley in Captain America 4.
When asked if he hopes to suit up as Patriot at some point in the future, specifically for the next solo Captain America movie, Richardson shot the question down by saying "No comment" before coyly smiling at the camera:
His Stargirl costars also chimed in on the idea of an MCU introduction, with Grace VanderWaal saying “Heck yeah!” and Tyrel Williams suggesting the idea of redoing Stargirl "but as superheroes this time.”
When Will Patriot Return to the MCU?
With such a small introduction in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Eli Bradley seems primed for a bigger role in the MCU's future as the franchise continues to expand, regardless of when he actually becomes a superhero. And even with Richardson avoiding the topic this time around, there's no question that he's open to reprising his role whenever he gets the call to suit up as Eli again.
Last year, Richardson shared in an exclusive interview with The Direct how he did his research on the character, particularly with his ties to the Captain America legacy and his place as a Young Avenger. Even though he's keeping his options open regarding where this role goes in future projects, it's clear that he's done his research on the character and is ready for whatever may come next.
As for Captain America 4, the new solo movie is still in the early stages of development; only Anthony Mackie and head writer Malcolm Spellman are officially on board to push it forward. Should Eli Bradley join the party, he'd seemingly be a natural fit, but it will still be some time until any more information is revealed about where the film is going.
All episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Solider are streaming on Disney+.
