Thanks to Disney Pixar's Lightyear, its star, Chris Evans, has started coming back into the media spotlight. As one would guess, in doing so, the topic of Steve Rogers has come back up. After all, it's basically the go-to subject whenever the actor steps into an interview. It's hard to blame anyone though—fans want to know how he feels about the role all this time later, and his thoughts on what's happened since he's been gone.
During one of those press encounters, the actor commented on Anthony Mackie taking over his mantle for the first time since it happened back in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Disney+ finale. Evans noted how there is "no one better to do it," and that "[he] can't wait to see what they do in the future with [him]."
But does the actor miss being in the red, white, and blue? Even though he did seem pretty okay with having lost some weight since leaving the role behind, he has made an effort to relay how much he enjoyed his time as a founding Avengers.
So, when it comes to the entire experience, what part does he miss the most?
Chris Evans Misses the Man With a Plan
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Captain America actor Chris Evans talked about what he misses about playing the iconic hero for ten years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Evans revealed that he "really, really miss(es)" playing the Star-Spangled Man and that "the people" he worked alongside to bring his nine MCU appearances (cast members, filmmakers, and Marvel creatives) are what he misses most about being Captain America:
“You know, it’s different. It’s different. For ten years, you always have a movie around the corner. For ten years… it’s always, you finish one and your life is scheduled by, ‘Okay, six months, we have press. Six more months, we start up on the next movie.’ To kind of have open waters, there’s parts of it that are nice and there are parts of it that I really, really miss, because it was a role that meant a lot to me. And I love those people and, you know, it’ll be the best ten years of my professional life without any question forever.”
In a previous discussion with Yahoo Sports UK in 2018, Evans noted how "[he'll miss] everything [about Captain America]:"
“Well, you know, my contract is over, so that’s as far as I know,” Evans said of the rumors he’s soon to be done with the First Avenger... [I’ll miss] everything [about Captain America],” he said. “I mean, it’s not just the character, it’s the people – the experience, such good movies, such wonderful memories. I’ll miss a lot.”
While talking with Backstage in 2020, the actor admitted that while he may miss his time as the star-spangled man with a plan, "there's no denying that it is very exciting to just have complete freedom to pursue whatever [his] creative appetite wants:"
“I absolutely loved my time with Marvel; I already miss it... but there’s no denying that it is very exciting to just have complete freedom to pursue whatever my creative appetite wants.”
So, is Evans Due for an Encore?
Thankfully, in other recent interviews, Chris Evans noted how he is up for returning in the future, as "[it] seems to be something people would like to see," but that doing so "would be a tall order... [and it] would have to be perfect." The same sentiment towards being open for a return can be gleaned from his positive quotes as seen above—it was clearly a great experience for him, so one would imagine that if the circumstances lined up, then he'd absolutely return.
The character has been absent from the MCU for three years now. Audiences worldwide even have a new Captain America thanks to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.
Some may argue that bringing back Steve Rogers now would undermine Sam's big moment, and the worry could be justified if not handled well. But, it could also work—there are more than one Spider-Men out there in the comics, after all.
While reports indicate that there are plans for Evans to return at some point, there aren't any details to go along with them. It would seem Marvel Studios is in no rush to get the actor back on screen.
Chances are good that Marvel Studios may side with worrying about Steve Roger's return taking away from Sam, meaning fans probably shouldn't expect to see him play a role in the upcoming Captain America 4. It might be best to leave the spotlight on Anthony Mackie a little longer.
So what opportunities exist outside of that? Well, there's the long-rumored Secret Wars project from the Russo Brothers, which could be what the next Avengers film becomes. The premise alone, a patchwork world of alternate realities mushed together, allows for the creatives to do literally anything they want without hurting the story and legacy of any characters. Certainly seems like a great place to have Evans hold the shield once more.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+, and Captain America 4 does not yet have a release window.
