The next Captain America sequel is moving forward after securing its director, but do not count on seeing Chris Evans back in the lead role. Recently, it was reported that Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) had been tapped to helm the upcoming feature. A tweet by THR added that it was unclear if Evans would be back as the first Captain America in Captain America 4, and this caught the attention of Evans. Keeping his response short and sweet, Evans clapped back, "Sam Wilson is Captain America."
Perhaps some fans were still holding out hope that Evans would be back to headline another film, but given what's happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's already seemed clear that the plan is to move forward with Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson serving as the new Captain America. Evan's Steve Rogers character was given an ending to his story in Avengers: Endgame, and in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam was bestowed the shield and the moniker, setting up a future story that will likely play out in Captain America 4.
The filmmakers have also spoken about their plans to introduce a twist to the Captain America movie series by following a new hero in the central role. Previously, producer Nate Moore explained how there's a lot of story potential by having Sam Wilson stepping into that role. Moore compares the concept to Rocky in that it's the story of an underdog looking to rise to the occasion in a big way.
"I think, he's not Steve Rogers and I think that's a good thing," Moore said, via ComicBook.com. "Because to me, this new Cap is Rocky. He's going to be the underdog in any situation. He's not a Super Soldier. He's not a hundred years old. He doesn't have the Avengers. What happens with this guy who announces publicly kind of, without the support, 'I'm the new Captain America.' What happens next? I think is fascinating because he's a guy. He's a guy with wings and a shield, but he is a guy."
Captain America 4 Picks Up With Sam Wilson as the Star-Spangled Superhero
The screenplay for Captain America 4 comes from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator and head writer Malcolm Spellman, who's co-writing with staff writer Dalan Musson. While the plot is not entirely clear, it seems well established that Sam Wilson serves as the movie's central character. But that does not necessarily mean we will never see Steve Rogers again in some capacity, even if it's not likely. Evans has suggested that it would take a "near-perfect recipe" to convince him to return as he's so happy with how his character's story ended as it currently stands.
"No, I don't think so," Evans said of reprising the role. "I mean it was a really unbelievable ride and the character's just so dear to me and I'm just so precious with it. To return to the role, I mean the truth is, the role isn't even mine anymore. The role is Anthony Mackie's. So, you know, even if there was a different incarnation, not as Captain America, but you know for Steve Rogers, even that would feel… I'd be very cautious, just because I love that chapter of my life professionally, personally."
He added, "I love what those movies accomplished and to revisit it and potentially have some weird extension to that legacy would be upsetting if it didn't land. So it would require a near-perfect recipe and it may just not be in the cards."
No start date has been revealed for the production of Captain America 4 and a release date hasn't yet been announced.