What Steve Rogers' MCU Departure Means For Avengers 4 And Beyond

Marvel Studios has been teasing major character deaths in Avengers: Infinity War. The most recent trailer featured epic moments of Doctor Strange, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America in potentially mortal danger. Infinity War is a hugely important movie for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's not the true end of Phase 3; that comes in 2019, with the release of the still-untitled Avengers 4.

But could they really go through with permanently killing heroes like Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America? In a recent interview, Evans reiterated his intentions to leave the Marvel stable following Avengers 4, stating: "You want to get off the train before they push you off, leaving fans to wonder about the ultimate fate of Captain America.

Related: Chris Evans Explains How Captain America Has Changed Over The Years

Is Chris Evans really done playing the star-spangled superhero? If so, what does this mean for the future of the MCU? Will another character take up the mantle? How will The Avengers get by without Captain America? The world of Marvel movies will be very different without Cap. What Does The Departure Of Chris Evans Mean For The MCU?

This Page: Is Captain America 4 Really Evans' Last?

Will Captain America Actually Die In Avengers 4?

If Chris Evans truly leaves Marvel, how will his character exit? The trailer for Infinity War culminates in a stunning moment of Captain America going toe-to-toe with Thanos, using all of his might to hold back the Mad Titan's gauntlet-clad fist. Similar to the other moments in the trailer featuring Doctor Strange falling victim to Ebony Maw's magic spikes, Tony Stark sitting defeated in his broken armor, and Thor being utterly incapacitated by Thanos, the trailer is obviously pushing the possibility that multiple Avengers might actually meet their demise in the film.

Fairly or unfairly, Marvel Studios has a reputation for playing it safe with regards to the mortality of their characters. Nick Fury got shot in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but he survived. War Machine broke his back in Civil War, but he got better, too. Sure, Quicksilver was killed in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but he was more of a rookie than a full-fledged member of the team. Even after the death of Phil Coulson in 2012's The Avengers, he managed to come back to life in ABC's Agents of SHIELD. Will Captain America finally be the first real Avenger to fall in battle, and stay down? Time will tell.

Related: Every Time Thanos Collects An Infinity Stone, Someone Pays a Price

Maybe Marvel will find a way to have their cake and eat it, too, thanks to the Time Stone, introduced in Doctor Strange. Maybe Infinity War will end with Thanos killing Cap and a ton of other heroes, and Avengers 4 will be about the few survivors using the Time Stone to go on a high-stakes time travel adventure to set right what went wrong. This way, Cap can die a violent and dramatic death, and then come back to punch Thanos right in his purple jaw before retiring from The Avengers, allowing Chris Evans a graceful exit from the iconic role. Maybe, since time travel is in play, he'll even be able to get that first dance with Peggy Carter.

Will Cap Be Replaced?

Whether he lives or dies, the current plan is for Steve Rogers to bow out of the MCU. One way or another, Captain America will be gone. How will the MCU go on without its iconic leader? All due respect to Tony Stark, but Steve Rogers is clearly the heart and soul of the team.

Marvel Studios has several options here. First, they could recast. Needless to say, this would be a terrible idea. Recasting a key character this late in the MCU would undermine the very point of a shared universe. Early changes like Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle and Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo were controversial, but they happened early enough in the MCU's life cycle that they were accepted as necessary growing pains for the fledgling franchise. Recasting the inimitable Chris Evans would be a huge mistake for Marvel.

Related: Iron Man's Falling Out With Captain America Plays Into Infinity War

Instead, the MCU should make the most of their shared universe by having Steve Rogers pass the mantle of Captain America to one of his sidekicks. The obvious candidates are Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon and Bucky Barnes, AKA Winter Soldier, or, as of the post-credits scene in Black Panther, White Wolf.

Falcon has been Cap's most trusted friend since the events of The Winter Soldier. He's a master of his unique Stark-branded flying suit, he knows his way around a battlefield, and he's proven himself time and time again to be worthy of the mantle of Captain America. As a result of HYDRA experiments during WWII, Bucky is a physical match for Cap, as shown in their numerous bone-crunching fight scenes in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The arc of the last two Cap solo films has seemingly been Steve's quest to save Bucky. What better way could there be to solidify the erstwhile Winter Soldier's redemption than to make him the new Captain America?

Captain Marvel

Perhaps a replacement Cap isn't the answer. There are hundreds of heroes in the Marvel Universe, and maybe the MCU shouldn't focus on making new versions of Captain America, but instead allow other characters to ascend to prominence and become the new torchbearers for Phase 4 and beyond.

One of the most mysterious projects in the MCU is Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larsen as Carol Danvers. Originally intended to play a role in Infinity War, it now seems as though Captain Marvel won't make her MCU debut until her solo film hits theaters in March 2019 (barring a surprise appearance, of course).

Related: Marvel Already Has The Perfect Line-Up For After Avengers 4

Depending on how the character is received by fans and critics, maybe it's for the best if she takes charge of The Avengers in Phase 4. It's too early to get a bead on her character, but if she's a capable military leader with a keen eye for tactics and a willingness to walk to difficult path of righteousness like Fury and Cap before her, then she may prove to be an able leader for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Whatever the case may be, Marvel is certainly playing their cards close to their chest. If Chris Evans leaves the MCU, will his role be filled by Bucky, Falcon, or Captain Marvel? Or will the absence of Captain America be a key plot threat as the MCU moves on in the wake of whatever happens in Avengers 4?

What Does This Mean For The Captain America Franchise?

The big sticking point here is whether or not Chris Evans is really, truly, honestly finished with Steve Rogers. Robert Downey Jr. was reportedly finished with Tony Stark after Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron, but he wound up playing a key role in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. A proper Iron Man 4 may or may not ever come to fruition, but if Tony Stark remains such an integral part of the MCU, do audiences even need a full-fledged sequel? As an inhabitant of a shared cinematic universe, Iron Man can appear in any film, as long as Disney doesn't mind paying his substantial fee.

Could Chris Evans simply be playing the age-old game of "public contract negotiation?" When Chris Evans signed on to play Captain America, he agreed to a six-film contract, encompassing three Cap movies and three Avengers movies, not including cameo appearances. When Avengers 3 was expanded to two films, he agreed to extend his contract to include Avengers 4, which marks the end of his deal with Marvel Studios.

Related: Everything From The SDCC Infinity War Trailer Marvel Still Hasn't Revealed

Does he want to renew his deal to play Captain America? Does Disney/Marvel want him back? Considering the enduring popularity of the character and the massive financial success of Captain America: Civil War, it's hard to imagine Marvel being content with just watching Chris Evans walk away from the role. It's also easy to see Evans wanting to make money on par with Robert Downey Jr., who pulled in $50 million for Iron Man 3 and $40 million (plus a back-end deal) for Civil War. Meanwhile, Evans made a healthy $6.9 million for Age of Ultron and likely even more than that for Civil War, which is nothing to scoff at, but it's certainly not RDJ money.

If Chris Evans retires from the role and passes the title of Captain America to either Bucky or Falcon, and they star in a film of their own, would that film be considered Captain America 4? Marvel Studios has had tremendous success with sequels; with the exception of Age of Ultron and Iron Man 2, every MCU sequel has out-grossed its predecessor. If Bucky or Falcon take on the mantle of Captain America, would their film be considered a sequel or a spin-off? Marvel needs to know the answer to this question when making financial decisions. Can they make as much money with Anthony Mackie or Sebastian Stan star as Captain America 2.0, or would it be more fiscally responsible to try and keep Chris Evans around with a substantial salary increase?

Mega-producer Kevin Feige has promised that the status quo will be uprooted by the events of Infinity War and its 2019 sequel, but how different will Phase 4 really be? Can Marvel afford to say goodbye to Chris Evans? Or should they offer him an obscenely gigantic pile of money to stick around?

Maybe Chris Evans is being 100% honest when he says he's ready to say goodbye to Captain America. He's been playing the character since 2011, and Avengers: Infinity War marks his sixth appearance as the iconic hero (not including cameos). Evans said it's better to "get off the train before they push you off." If he's truly done telling stories with Cap, then no amount of money can change his mind. And if Cap is giving a proper ending in Avengers 4, should they even try?

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