Captain America: New World Order could bring Chris Evans back to the MCU in several ways, including old Steve Rogers scenes, flashbacks, and more.
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is the new lead of Captain America: New World Order, but here is how Chris Evans can return. The events of Avengers: Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier set up a new Marvel Cinematic Universe future for the Captain America mantle. Steve Rogers passed the title and shield to Sam Wilson after growing old with Peggy Carter in the multiverse. Captain America: New World Order will pick up after the events of Sam’s Disney+ show, where he learned to accept the responsibility that comes with being Captain America and following in Steve’s footsteps.
The former MCU star has been nothing but supportive of the idea that Anthony Mackie is becoming Captain America, so Evans and Marvel Studios could opt to keep Steve Rogers out of the movie to avoid potentially overshadowing Sam. There is currently no indication that he will return in Captain America 4, but that has not hindered interest in seeing Chris Evans’ Captain America again. There are several potential ways Marvel could explain an appearance by Steve Rogers in the Phase 5 movie. Here are a few options for how Chris Evans can return in Captain America 4 as Steve Rogers.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAYClose
5Chris Evans Could Return As Old Steve In Captain America 4
Chris Evans’ return in Captain America: New World Order could come through more scenes as old Steve Rogers. Avengers: Endgame made the surprise decision to dramatically age up Steve Rogers after he returned the Infinity Stones and reunited with Peggy Carter. The presence of old Steve effectively explained why Chris Evans would not continue playing Captain America, but it also kept the door open for a potential return. Captain America 4 could see old Steve return to help offer Sam Wilson some advice and guidance or just to show the two friends catching up.
If this is how Chris Evans returns in Captain America 4, Phase 5 will provide a definitive answer to his fate. There have been plenty of questions about if Steve Rogers died after Avengers: Endgame. Marvel even floated the theory in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that Steve went to the moon. Old Steve’s presence would at the very least confirm that the MCU did not kill Chris Evans’ superhero off-screen. Marvel could also be saving the moment when Steve Rogers dies for Captain America: New World Order, which would definitively bring the character’s story to a close as Sam takes his place.
4Steve Rogers Can Secretly Rebuild SHIELD In New World Order
Another option for how Captain America 4 can bring back Chris Evans is by revealing that Steve Rogers has started rebuilding SHIELD. The once important government organization run by Nick Fury has not been part of the MCU since it came crumbling down in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Even though Steve is an old man and not an active superhero, his desire to protect the world and inability to turn away from helping could lead him to the decision that SHIELD is needed again. With Nick Fury off in space, Steve Rogers could take it upon himself to rebuild the organization with people he knows he can trust.
Steve Rogers leading SHIELD in Captain America: New World Order would be an opportunity for the MCU to mirror the comics. He’s been the director of SHIELD before and would be a chance for Marvel Studios and Chris Evans to find a way to keep working together. Evans’ MCU return could follow a similar plan to how the franchise has used Samuel L. Jackson, allowing him to appear in multiple projects for small roles without needing to headline a movie. It is also the most natural way for Steve Rogers to still play a role in the franchise and bring SHIELD back after attempting to introduce various replacements.
3Chris Evans Could Return For Captain America Flashback Scene
Flashbacks are one of the easiest ways to explain how Chris Evans’ Captain America: New World Order return happens. Steve Rogers was a huge part of Sam Wilson’s life in the years leading up to him becoming Captain America. The franchise has shown plenty of adventures with them together, but there are even more that the MCU movies did not include. Since Captain America 4‘s villain The Leader has strong ties to the MCU’s past, Chris Evans could appear for a flashback that shows Steve and Sam were on his trail long before the Phase 5 events.
Captain America flashback scenes in Captain America: New World Order could also be used to finally explore Steve and Sam’s time together on the run between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. They worked together with Black Widow and Scarlet Witch as part of the Secret Avengers. A flashback featuring the team would then not only be a way to have Chris Evans appear in Captain America 4 but also Scarlett Johansson and Elizabeth Olsen too potentially.
2Captain America 4 Can Include A Multiverse Steve Rogers
Since Captain America: New World Order is part of the Multiverse Saga, the chance of a multiverse Steve Rogers being used to bring back Chris Evans is worth considering. There is no expectation that Captain America 4‘s story will connect to the multiverse at this time. However, the MCU could deliver a surprise as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty approaches. It is possible that a multiverse Steve Rogers could appear in the movie as a chance to warn the Earth-616 Avengers about the rise of incursions and the Council of Kangs.
This would be an opportunity for Evans to play a new version of Captain America and keep the main MCU Steve Rogers’ story intact. He could play anyone from a Nomad version of Steve Rogers to the Hydra-aligned Steve known as Hydra Supreme. Not only would this be a way for Marvel Studios to have Chris Evans be in Captain America 4, but it could also help get audiences comfortable with the idea of variants of the original Avengers beginning to pop up. That could set up a multiverse version of the team appearing in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars.
1Chris Evans Could Appear As A Different Multiverse Character
There is also the possibility, albeit a small one, that Chris Evans will return in Captain America 4 as a different multiverse character. The MCU multiverse rules allow variants to look different or show how someone’s life could have gone very differently. If Chris Evans wants to return to Marvel but not mess with Steve Rogers’ story in any way, he could opt to return through the multiverse as a different character entirely. This could include Evans getting another opportunity to play Johnny Storm a.k.a. Human Torch.
Before playing Captain America in the MCU, one of Evans’ biggest roles was playing Human Torch in two Fantastic Four movies for Fox. Although the movies did not earn high praise, the casting decisions, including Evans as Human Torch, are seen as a strength. Chris Evans expressed interest in playing Human Torch again in a 2022 interview with EW, noting he’d rather get another shot at that character than play Steve again. A multiverse Human Torch appearing in Captain America: New World Order would be an unexpected way to get Chris Evans to return.
