The release of Captain America: Brave New World has breathed new life into the question of why the MCU has replaced Steve Rogers as the titular hero, Captain America. The Captain America mantle has been inexorably linked to Steve Rogers throughout his MCU career, which began in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. This movie stipulated the qualities deemed necessary to embody the initially symbolic role, with Dr. Abraham Erskine selecting Steve Rogers as the preferred candidate to receive his perfected super soldier serum after witnessing Steve Rogers’ litany of virtues.
Receiving the super soldier serum in a process labeled Project Rebirth allowed the previously diminutive Rogers to measure up to other powerful superheroes physiologically. Nevertheless, it has always been Steve Rogers’ righteous personality that made him the universally beloved leader of the Avengers. He would continue to lead this iconic team and “do what’s right” until 2019 when Steve Rogers relinquished the mantle and bestowed it and his iconic vibranium shield to Sam Wilson, another military veteran who spent much of his post-deployment life counseling veterans with PTSD.
Why Is Steve Rogers No Longer Captain America In The MCU?
Steve Rogers Decided To Retire From Heroics
One of Steve Rogers’ most defining characteristics is his selflessness, repeatedly making the “sacrifice play” throughout his MCU tenure. This has seen Steve lay his life on the line on many occasions, often as he faces insurmountable odds, and culminated in Avengers: Endgame with Steve Rogers refusing to back down from a fruitless fight with Thanos and his legions before backup would arrive in the form of a superhero army. Following their victory, Steve would be tasked with restoring timelines by single-handedly returning the Infinity Stones to their rightful places in time.
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Following more than a decade (in-universe) of demonstrating his selflessness, Steve Rogers would then make the fateful decision to capitalize on the Avengers’ time travel capabilities to do something for himself: travel back to the 1940s and live a calm and happy life with Peggy Carter. Moments after being sent through time, Rogers would reappear in the modern day as an old man, revealing that he had lived quietly with Peggy for decades until that point. This amounted to Steve Rogers retiring from his heroic role, bequeathing his shield and mantle to Sam Wilson.
Why Sam Wilson Is Captain America, And Not Bucky
Sam Wilson Embodies The Symbolism Of Captain America More Than Bucky
The importance of Captain America as a symbol was never lost on Steve Rogers, and he was aware that the world would still need Captain America despite his fateful choice. His decision to make Sam Wilson the new Captain America exemplifies this symbolism, with his decision to overlook Bucky Barnes as his successor demonstrating the true importance of Captain America as an upholder of certain values more than a superhero that can hold his own in a fight against supervillains. Steve saw these values in Sam Wilson.
His troubled past has helped to turn Bucky into a more reclusive figure, which isn’t conducive to leading the Avengers.
Sam Wilson is introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a veteran who spends his post-deployment counseling other veterans with PTSD. In this role, Wilson is an empathetic leader whose main goal is to help and unite those in need. As a veteran and a public superhero who has fought to protect others, Sam Wilson is the perfect successor to carry the Captain America mantle and the symbolism that comes with it.
While Bucky Barnes has also proven his heroism following his Winter Soldier programming, he is far less primed to take on such a noble role. While his shady past – no matter how unwitting – could work against his future image as an illustrious superhero, he’s also less well-suited to the wider implications of the Captain America mantle. His troubled past has helped to turn Bucky into a more reclusive figure, which isn’t conducive to leading the Avengers. Instead, Bucky is far better suited to his new Thunderbolts* role, continuing to fight for the needy in a more clandestine capacity.
Would Chris Evans Ever Return As Captain America?
Captain America: Brave New World was Sam Wilson’s first cinematic foray as the new Captain America and saw him toying with the idea of founding a new iteration of the Avengers. Captain America: Brave New World‘s pending box office results notwithstanding, this seemingly draws a more definitive line beneath Chris Evans’ time as Captain America as the MCU continues to spotlight his successor. Nevertheless, Chris Evans has expressed an interest in returning to the role in an interview with GQ in 2023, stating:
“I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life.”
In the context of the Multiverse Saga, it certainly seems plausible that the MCU could reintroduce Steve Rogers as a Captain America variant from another universe. This was seemingly vindicated when rumors began circulating that Chris Evans was cast in Avengers: Doomsday, leading many to assume that he’d return as a variant for that movie. Chris Evans then responded to these rumors, telling Esquire in January:
That’s not true, though. This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years—ever since Endgame. I’ve just stopped responding to it… Yeah, no—happily retired!
Chris Evans Returned as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, making this his most recent MCU appearance.
Taking Chris Evans at his word would suggest that there are no plans to have him return as Steve Rogers – though it isn’t as if the statements of MCU actors are the most trustworthy. Andrew Garfield, for instance, repeatedly refuted rumors that he would be starring in Spider-Man: No Way Home in the lead-up to its release. This means it is still possible that Chris Evans would reprise his Captain America role in one of the climactic movies of the Multiverse Saga. Short of any official confirmation, however, this remains pure speculation.
Captain America
Summary
The Captain America franchise is a crucial pillar of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), chronicling the journey of Steve Rogers, a frail young man transformed into the super-soldier Captain America during World War II. The franchise follows his battles against HYDRA, his adaptation to modern times, and his leadership in the Avengers. The trilogy is praised for its political intrigue, character development, and significant contributions to the overarching MCU narrative.
