With Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson now serving as the MCU's new Captain America, many fans are wondering whether Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is still alive.
Evans has been completely absent from the MCU since the end of the Infinity Saga, passing the Captain America torch to Mackie in the final scene of Avengers: Endgame. But now, the big question is what exactly happened to the first Avenger, particularly with him being over 100 years old in his last appearance.
Before Mackie’s run in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige commented on where Rogers is right now, teasing that the OG Avenger being alive was a "fair presumption" but not guaranteed.
But even with Sam Wilson embracing his new role as the Star-Spangled Man, Rogers' place in the world remains a hot topic considering how long he's been a key piece of the Marvel Studios story.
Is Chris Evans' Captain America Dead?
In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, MCU star Anthony Mackie gave fans an update on whether Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is still alive after the Infinity Saga.
When Kimmel asked Mackie point blank about Rogers' status, Mackie made it clear that he thinks the original Cap is still alive due to the fact that nobody saw him die:
Jimmy Kimmel: "Is Steve Rogers dead? Steve Rogers, the original Captain America?"
Anthony Mackie: "Is he dead?"
Kimmel: "Yeah, is he dead? Because we didn’t see him die on camera."
Mackie: "That mean he ain’t dead!"
Kimmel: "Ok!"
Mackie then joked around about Kimmel wanting to kill off Steve Rogers and called that idea "age discrimination," revealing that he saw Evans a couple of weeks ago and confirming that "he looked pretty good:"
Mackie: "Why you trying to kill Steve?! That’s age discrimination, ain’t nothing wrong with an old Cap!"
Kimmel: "You know what I’m really doing? I’m just fishing for answers that I know you’re not allowed to give."
Mackie: "Oh, ok! I’m like….old Cap get like discount breakfast at iHop. All of us wanna be old Cap."
Kimmel: "Old Cap is ok, then? Old Cap is alive?"
Mackie: "Yeah! I think so! I didn’t see him die! I don’t know, I saw Chris two weeks ago, and he looked pretty good."
This isn't the first nod to Rogers being alive in the MCU, as the post-credits scene from Episode 1 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also suggested that he was still living during Bruce Banner's conversation with Jennifer Walters about Cap's virginity.
Will Chris Evans Ever Return to the MCU?
Steve Rogers being alive doesn't seem to be too much of a surprise considering he still has Super Soldier Serum running through his veins, even despite his advanced age in the MCU.
But while Mackie seems fairly confident that Rogers is still hanging around somewhere, the chances of Chris Evans actually returning to the role seem fairly slim, especially four years after his last MCU appearance. Mackie himself has even expressed doubt about Evans coming back, commenting that the original MCU star is currently "enjoying life...like an old retired dude."
Even though Evans admitted to being open to a potential comeback, it would have to make sense for him in terms of story development in order to not take away from the conclusion he got in Avengers: Endgame.
On top of that, when rumors hinted at his return in 2024's Captain America: New World Order, Evans himself noted that he hasn't heard that report as he dashed many fans' hopes for a confirmed comeback.
For now, fans can at least rest easy with the fact that Steve Rogers is almost certainly alive in the MCU, watching over the new wave of Avengers as they move forward into their next mission.
All of Evans' appearances in the MCU, outside of Spider-Man: Homecoming, are available to stream on Disney+.
