Why Captain America’s MCU Return Shouldn’t Be Set After Endgame

If Marvel really is giving Captain America an MCU comeback, it would be a mistake to have it take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. A bombshell was recently dropped when it was reported that Chris Evans – who was supposedly done with Captain America – is reprising his role as the Sentinel of Liberty. Apparently, his new deal with Marvel Studios includes at least one project, with an option for a second.

It was believed that Avengers: Endgame was the end of Chris Evans’ time as Steve Rogers. The movie wrapped up his story by having him decide to spend the remainder of his years in the past with his first love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). He returned as an elderly man to pass on his shield and title to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who is expected to go on a journey to becoming Steve’s successor in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Though Captain America’s legacy is being continued in the MCU, it looks like the real Star Spangled Avenger will be around in Phase 4 as well. What’s not clear, though, is the specifics of his return. There’s no word on if Cap will be called on by the Avengers to come back from the past, or if he’s revisited through time travel. The latter would be the best option, because Marvel shouldn’t run the risk of ruining his Endgame story. While it may certainly be tempting to go back to one of its most popular heroes, Marvel properly finished his story and delivered a satisfactory conclusion to his entire MCU arc. It wouldn’t be a good move to undo all of that.

The best way to use Steve again is one that won’t change his Endgame ending. Marvel should explore options that don’t include showing what happened to him after he went back to Peggy. Steve’s return could work if Phase 4 uses time travel to revisit a previous period in his life. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania proves that time travel will remain an important plot device in the MCU, so there is a possibility that he’ll be used in this way. If Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) goes on to become the next MCU big bad in a major crossover movie – as many expect him to do – heroes like Captain America could come back into play.

If Marvel takes a page from the Marvel Comics miniseries Avengers Forever, the Avengers could go back in time to retrieve old allies so that they’ll be better prepared to face their enemy. A historical dive into World War II with Captain America would be fun, and could allow for some interesting interactions with his fellow Avengers. Furthermore, a slightly different version of him could pop up in an alternate reality in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Another option is that Marvel shows some of the time-traveling Steve did before reuniting with Peggy. If Marvel goes in one of these directions, it can make sure Cap’s perfect ending stays intact.