Who plays Captain America currently?

Thanks to Disney Pixar's Lightyear, its star, Chris Evans, has started coming back into the media spotlight. As one would guess, in doing so, the topic of Steve Rogers has come back up. After all, it's basically the go-to subject whenever the actor steps into an interview. It's hard to blame anyone though—fans want to know how he feels about the role all this time later, and his thoughts on what's happened since he's been gone.

During one of those press encounters, the actor commented on Anthony Mackie taking over his mantle for the first time since it happened back in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Disney+ finale. Evans noted how there is "no one better to do it," and that "[he] can't wait to see what they do in the future with [him]."

But does the actor miss being in the red, white, and blue? Even though he did seem pretty okay with having lost some weight since leaving the role behind, he has made an effort to relay how much he enjoyed his time as a founding Avengers.

So, when it comes to the entire experience, what part does he miss the most?

Chris Evans Misses the Man With a Plan

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Captain America actor Chris Evans talked about what he misses about playing the iconic hero for ten years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Evans revealed that he "really, really miss(es)" playing the Star-Spangled Man and that "the people" he worked alongside to bring his nine MCU appearances (cast members, filmmakers, and Marvel creatives) are what he misses most about being Captain America:

“You know, it’s different. It’s different. For ten years, you always have a movie around the corner. For ten years… it’s always, you finish one and your life is scheduled by, ‘Okay, six months, we have press. Six more months, we start up on the next movie.’ To kind of have open waters, there’s parts of it that are nice and there are parts of it that I really, really miss, because it was a role that meant a lot to me. And I love those people and, you know, it’ll be the best ten years of my professional life without any question forever.”

In a previous discussion with Yahoo Sports UK in 2018, Evans noted how "[he'll miss] everything [about Captain America]:"

“Well, you know, my contract is over, so that’s as far as I know,” Evans said of the rumors he’s soon to be done with the First Avenger... [I’ll miss] everything [about Captain America],” he said. “I mean, it’s not just the character, it’s the people – the experience, such good movies, such wonderful memories. I’ll miss a lot.”

While talking with Backstage in 2020, the actor admitted that while he may miss his time as the star-spangled man with a plan, "there's no denying that it is very exciting to just have complete freedom to pursue whatever [his] creative appetite wants:"

“I absolutely loved my time with Marvel; I already miss it... but there’s no denying that it is very exciting to just have complete freedom to pursue whatever my creative appetite wants.”

So, is Evans Due for an Encore?

Thankfully, in other recent interviews, Chris Evans noted how he is up for returning in the future, as "[it] seems to be something people would like to see," but that doing so "would be a tall order... [and it] would have to be perfect." The same sentiment towards being open for a return can be gleaned from his positive quotes as seen above—it was clearly a great experience for him, so one would imagine that if the circumstances lined up, then he'd absolutely return.

The character has been absent from the MCU for three years now. Audiences worldwide even have a new Captain America thanks to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.

Some may argue that bringing back Steve Rogers now would undermine Sam's big moment, and the worry could be justified if not handled well. But, it could also work—there are more than one Spider-Men out there in the comics, after all.

While reports indicate that there are plans for Evans to return at some point, there aren't any details to go along with them. It would seem Marvel Studios is in no rush to get the actor back on screen.

Chances are good that Marvel Studios may side with worrying about Steve Roger's return taking away from Sam, meaning fans probably shouldn't expect to see him play a role in the upcoming Captain America 4. It might be best to leave the spotlight on Anthony Mackie a little longer.

So what opportunities exist outside of that? Well, there's the long-rumored Secret Wars project from the Russo Brothers, which could be what the next Avengers film becomes. The premise alone, a patchwork world of alternate realities mushed together, allows for the creatives to do literally anything they want without hurting the story and legacy of any characters. Certainly seems like a great place to have Evans hold the shield once more.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+, and Captain America 4 does not yet have a release window.

Chris Evans held the important responsibility of playing the MCU's Captain America for more than a decade before passing off the shield in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. This historic moment came in the movie's final scene as Evans' Steve Rogers gave the mantle to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, setting up a new era for Captain America in Phase 4 and beyond.

Mackie then had the opportunity to truly evolve into his own version of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although it proved to be anything but an easy journey for the long-standing MCU hero. Sam Wilson only really embraced the shield and status in the final two episodes, trying to follow in Steve Rogers' footsteps and be the hero that the world needed during a difficult time.

While Evans is currently retired from the MCU, he remains an important presence in and around the franchise, especially as the Captain America legacy continues to build over the coming years.

And now, more than three years after he last suited up as the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, Evans has spoken for the first time on how it felt for him to see his friend, Mackie, step into the red, white, and blue spotlight.

Chris Evans on Anthony Mackie's Captain America

Yahoo! Entertainment's Kevin Polowy spoke with former MCU star Chris Evans about Anthony Mackie's new take on Captain America during a promotional interview for Disney's Lightyear.

When asked if he'd shed any tears over Mackie's new role, Evans expressed genuine pride in his co-star's work as he said there was "no one better to do it." He remains excited to see what Captain America's future holds and reflected on how many good memories he has with the franchise:

“No one better to do it. I mean, he honestly does it justice… I’m so proud of him. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future with it, but if there’s any tear shed, it’s just for the sweet memories I had.”

As for what actually happened to Evans' character after he was last seen in Avengers: Endgame, even some of the top creatives at Marvel Studios don't know. Malcolm Spellman, who was head writer on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and is penning the fourth Captain America movie, previously revealed that "Marvel won't tell [him]" what Steve is currently up to.

Even though Chris Evans seems hesitant to return to the MCU anytime, there was a chance that Steve Rogers could have appeared in a previously released Disney+ series. Spellman also teased that there were talks of Cap making a cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though quickly retracted those words soon after.

Evans' Pride for Mackie Shines Through

Even though Chris Evans appears content to leave his MCU days in the rear-view mirror for the foreseeable future, it's still special to see how impressed he is with Anthony Mackie taking over the Captain America title.

The two actors appeared in five MCU movies together between 2014 and 2019, growing as friends in real life, while Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson grew as teammates and friends amongst the Avengers. While there were plenty of debates over who should get the shield between Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes after Endgame, Evans sees the brilliance in Mackie's work as the Captain America mantle remains prominent.

Currently, Mackie is set to take his role as Captain America to new heights with Captain America 4, which is in the early stages of development under The Falcon and the Winter Soldier head writer Malcolm Spellman. It's still largely a mystery what this sequel will bring to the table, but Evans appears as excited as anybody to see what Mackie has to offer with his first headlining effort in an MCU movie.

All of Evans and Mackie's appearances as Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are available to stream on Disney+.

Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Mike Marsland/WireImage

Look at me, Chris Evans isn’t going to be Captain America anymore. He has already passed the butt-on of America’s Ass to Anthony Mackie, it’s canon. The Hollywood Reporter announced the movie details yesterday for Captain America 4 and speculated that Evans may reprise his role as Captain America. But Evans quickly shot down that rumor by replying to their tweet with, “Sam Wilson is Captain America.” While Evans can still (possibly) come back as Steve Rogers, he is not Captain America anymore. He is, however, open to reprising his role as the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four films, if the fans are still itching for him to come back to the MCU. Anthony Mackie played Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, in the Disney+ series Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the show found Wilson accepting the role of Captain America from Rogers (Chris Evans).

Sam Wilson is Captain America

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) July 9, 2022

Predating the Evans madness, Marvel announced that Julius Onah, who directed The Cloverfield Paradox and Luce, will be directing the fourth Captain America film starring Mackie. Falcon series creator Malcolm Spellman and writer Dalan Musson are writing the script for the film, however specific details have yet to be released. But don’t expect Chris Evans to be holding the shield any time soon.

Chris Evans Is Not the Captain Now