Chris Evans Says He’s ‘Happily Retired’ From Marvel

It seems like the Avengers will have to move on without Chris Evans. After nearly a decade portraying Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans has confirmed he will not be returning for the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday. In an interview with Esquire, he stated that he’s happily retired from the superhero role.

This revelation came on the same day that Deadline reported on Evans supposedly reprising his role for the new Avengers installment. Anthony Mackie, who will take up the Captain America mantle as Sam Wilson, was unaware of Evans’ reported return when he was interviewed. He expressed surprise, saying he had spoken with Evans just a few weeks earlier, and the topic hadn’t been discussed.

“I had no idea!” Mackie exclaimed. “I asked Chris if he was coming back because I had heard rumors that everyone was being brought back for the movie. He told me, ‘Oh, I’m happily retired.’”

Mackie revealed that he learned about Evans’ return alongside everyone else through media reports. “My manager showed me the article and said, ‘Looks like Chris is coming back,’” he noted, emphasizing that he had yet to see a script for the movie.

While Mackie shared Evans’ words, the actor himself confirmed during the same Esquire interview that he is not taking part in Avengers: Doomsday. When questioned about the circulating reports, Evans responded firmly, “That’s not true. This kind of thing happens every couple of years since Endgame. I’ve stopped responding to it. I’m happily retired!”

Could Evans be misleading fans? It’s certainly possible. Marvel actors have been known to divert attention from their actual roles in upcoming projects. For instance, Andrew Garfield famously denied his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home for nearly a year before revealing he did reprise his role.

Throughout Avengers: Endgame, Evan’s character, Steve Rogers, passes on the shield and the legacy of Captain America to Sam Wilson. By the conclusion of the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Wilson officially adopts the Captain America persona, indicating a transition into a new chapter for the character.

With Mackie now stepping into the spotlight, he leads his first solo film, Captain America: Brave New World, hitting theaters on February 14, 2025.