As ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ draws near, it’s becoming more and more likely that Chris Evans won’t be continuing his role as Captain America in the MCU. But when Steve Rogers stands down from everyone’s favourite patriotic superhero, what will be next? Well, fans have been speculating, and there are a few paths Marvel could take after Chris Evans’ contract expires.
1. Bucky could take over as Cap.
This is the most common and popular theory amongst fans who have read the comics. Bucky has picked up the shield and filled the large boots of Cap in past written arcs. In addition, Bucky has become quite a fan favourite as of late (not that he wasn’t loved already), especially after his large role in the Captain America trilogy.
As such a prominent person in Steve Rogers’ life, it would make sense for him to revive the role of Cap for future films. And of course, Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays Bucky, signed his contract after Chris Evans and is signed on for the foreseeable future
2. Sam could take over as Cap.
Another theory derived from the comics: Falcon takes over as Captain America. Personally, this is my favourite outcome, and although I believe it’s more likely for Bucky to take on the Captain America persona, I still think Sam as Cap could work really well and would give him a lot of complex character development within the MCU. Sam Wilson is Cap’s close friend, so it would make sense for him to actually become Cap, so to speak.
3. Cap and Tony could die, letting new heroes take centre stage in the MCU.
This is is also very likely. Both Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr’s contracts run out soon, and both their characters’ trilogies are over, so to kill them both off in the epic, action-packed extravaganza that ‘Infinity War’ is rumoured to be would make a lot of sense. The MCU is rapidly expanding, and its had the same small selection of heroes at its core for almost a decade. Perhaps Marvel has decided it’s time for a new generation of superheroes to shine? And while I’m not totally against this idea, I feel like it could damage Marvel’s appeal to the casual viewer.
In the end, regardless of what Marvel does with the character of Steve Rogers, I have no doubt it’ll be a brilliant watch.
