With Falcon And The Winter Soldier Heading To Disney's Streaming Service, What's Next For CAPTAIN AMERICA?
We recently learned that The Falcon and Winter Soldier will be teaming up on Disney Play so what does that mean for Captain America's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Read on for details...
Avengers 4 is going to be the end of an era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while it's clear that characters like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and the Eternals will be stepping forward to fill the void left by some longtime fan-favourites, it's hard to imagine everyone hanging up their costumes. So, what about Captain America?
Well, his future is very much in doubt right now.
On the one hand, a heroic sacrifice during this final battle against Thanos makes perfect sense but on the other, the loss of both Chris Evans and Steve Rogers would leave a void impossible to fill. Now, with Bucky and The Falcon heading to Disney's planned streaming service, it seems there may not be another hero ready to wield the shield in his absence!
However, there are a lot of possibilities for what comes next, so to take a look at what we think the future holds in store for Captain America, all you guys have to do is click the "View List" button below.
Chris Evans Extends His Deal
The actor may have taken to social media to bid farewell to the role of Captain America but he later clarified that by saying fans shouldn't read too much into his remarks. While Evans has said for a while now that he's ready to move on from the MCU, there's really no reason for him to turn down a big money contract for a handful of additional appearances.
Robert Downey Jr.'s stint at Iron Man was over once upon a time but Marvel Studios paid him a huge amount of money to stick around for the likes of Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War, so I'm sure Evans would agree to suit up again if it left the door open to him being able to explore his passion for directing.
The Fight To Wield The Shield
Here's a crazy thought. What if the TV series revolving around the Falcon and Bucky is actually a loose adaptation of the "Fallen Son" and "Who Will Wield The Shield?" storylines?
This would allow Marvel to make the new Captain America's arrival really matter as these two - and an unknown foe of some sort - all compete to take Steve Rogers' place. By the time the show ends, this new Cap could make the leap to the big screen...or they might just decide that the world no longer needs a Captain America and Steve's legacy will be left alone.
The only problem here is that it's an idea which relies upon moviegoers subscribing to Disney's streaming service; then again, what sort of Marvel fan won't want to check out these big budget shows?
A Quest To Bring Captain America Back
If Chris Evans wants some time off from playing a superhero, what if he's taken out of Phase 4 altogether without being killed off? This allows Marvel Studios to put the spotlight on some fresh faces while perhaps introducing an element of intrigue about the good Captain's whereabouts.
Perhaps the Red Skull will return and teleport him into the cosmos? A defeated Thanos may even take him prisoner as a final f**k you to Earth's Mightiest Heroes following his fall!
Either way, it would be a cool way to leaving the door open to Captain America's return somewhere down the line and the aforementioned series on Disney Play could even end up fleshing out this storyline as Sam Wilson and Bucky attempt to find their "fallen" friend.
They Just "James Bond" The Role
In the past, Kevin Feige has indicated that characters in the MCU could live on by having different actors take over the roles. While this wouldn't mean a reboot, it would mean that someone like Captain America is handled the exact same way as James Bond!
This might be difficult to adjust to but there's no way the likes of Cap and Iron Man will sit on the shelf forever, while rebooting them would also mean rebooting newer franchises like Black Panther and that makes absolutely no sense. I'm not suggesting that this happen immediately but it would definitely be cool to see Captain America live on even if it means no Chris Evans.
Losing him would be a massive blow but no actor is bigger than these characters and I believe Feige could make it work. There are also a number of strong contenders out there when it comes to who could take over the role and I think fans would ultimately get behind them.
A New Role For Steve Rogers
If Evans has had enough of playing dress up and taking the lead in these movies, what's to say he can't be given a new, somewhat smaller role in the MCU? After he returned from the dead, Steve Rogers allowed Bucky to continue serving as Captain America while he became the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a role which would suit his big screen counterpart down to the ground.
This would mean we'd still get our fill of Steve Rogers and the door would be open to him or someone else wielding the shield.
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this is a role Marvel Studios is planning to give to Iron Man as Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark remains their most prized possession! Still, there are surely quite a few ways that Cap can live on without him necessarily leading The Avengers into battle.
The Dark Avengers
Rumour has it that Marvel is planning to introduce the Dark Avengers but if and when that does happen, I highly doubt the team will be led by Norman Osborn. He still hasn't been added to the MCU and with the future of Marvel's deal with Sony somewhat unclear after Avengers 4, I find it hard to imagine Kevin Feige building a franchise around a character they may be unable to keep.
Despite that small problem, there is a solution and it's one which could have some pretty exciting ramifications for the future of Captain America assuming it's handled the right way!
What if we're introduced to John Walker (a.k.a. US Agent) in this movie, the government's handpicked new Captain America who then goes through something of a redemption story as he transforms from villain to hero? This would mean that Cap is still part of the MCU, albeit with a totally different character beneath the mask (who is not one of the usual suspects).
Things Carry On As Normal
We've come up with a lot of different ideas here about what might happen but what if things just carry on as normal? Avengers 4 ends, Steve Rogers is alive, and Captain America is once again front and centre a few years from now either in his own movie or an Avengers sequel?
It's entirely possible that this could happen and definitely not outside the realm of possibility. Evans could have simply been playing us all this time, making us suspect that Captain America will fall when the opposite will be the case (and if that is what's happened, then bravo because he's had us all fretting for months now).
It's hard to say for sure until we see Avengers 4 but many fans suspected that he would die in Captain America: Civil War and that certainly never came to pass now, did it?
The End Of Captain America
Another rather simple answer to the question posed in the headline above, Marvel could simply decide that with Chris Evans no longer interested in playing Captain America, his story reaches its end and the spotlight is instead turned to the likes of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and whoever else they intend on introducing in Phase 4!
Would it suck that the end of the line for Captain America had finally come? Of course. However, with so many new and existing heroes ready to step up and fill the void, there's really no reason to think that the MCU couldn't survive without him.
Up until now, this shared world hasn't really suffered any major casualties but something tells me Feige will be able to cope with that by delivering a seamless transition into the next wave of Marvel movies which may not feature a Captain America but still include plenty of extraordinary characters.