The Marvel Universe just won’t be the same without our beloved Captain America, but it seems all good things must come to an end at some point. Captain America was one of the founding members of the cinematic Avengers — including Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Hulk — but as more superheroes join the heroic team, others are leaving.
Chris Evans is leaving Marvel after Avengers 4, the actor confirmed in a bittersweet message on Oct. 4. The actor revealed that he’d completed his final contractual obligations on Avengers 4 in a tweet that read:
“Officially wrapped on Avengers 4,” he tweeted. “It was an emotional day to say the least. Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.”
Evans has been dropping hints about leaving the role over the last few years, but he never quite seemed to step away. However, it was no secret that Avengers 4 is the final film in his multi-movie Marvel contract, and Evans even admitted earlier this year that he wanted to step down from the role before the public got tired of seeing him.
“You want to get off the train before they push you off,” Evans told The New York Times.
With Captain America taking his leave from the MCU, many fans are left heartbroken. But they aren’t the only ones. Fellow co-stars and Hollywood stars also expressed a huge outpouring of emotion.
“Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds tweeted, “I’m not crying. I’m weeping. There’s a difference.”
Dwayne Johnson tweeted, “What a run you had brother. Congrats on breathing life into such an iconic character. Keep on keepin’ on.”
But probably the most emotional response to the news came from Evans’ co-star Robert Downey Jr. The man behind Iron Man tweeted, “We all know who the real sheriff in town is @ChrisEvans.”
But more than posting his own tribute to longtime co-star Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. possibly revealed something very crucial about the MCU as a whole. His recent tweet really reveals how high the stakes are for Avengers 4.
Infinity War’s ending was an epic punch that left everyone utterly shocked and speechless, as Thanos’ Josh Brolin succeeded in wiping out half the galaxy with the snap of his finger. It is assumed that in the following Avengers film, the surviving heroes must somehow find a way to revive them, and if anyone knows anything about the curveballs MCU can throw, it’s likely that not everyone’s going to make it out alive.
With so many Avengers have reached the ending to their contract, the opportunity to write them out comes rather naturally with The Russo Brothers’ upcoming movie.
Disney’s MCU has come a long way, changing moviemaking climate in a way that once seemed impossible a decade ago. Over the course of ten years, Marvel was able to craft an interconnected cinematic universe using serialized storytelling, and Avengers 4 will complete a narrative that was ten years in the making.
How do you feel about Captain America hanging up his shield? And what lies in store for the rest of the Avengers?
By: Maytinee Kramer
