While we wait for official Avengers 4 news from the notoriously tight-lipped crew at
Marvel, here's a look at why Captain America is crucial to the outcome of the war against
Thanos and whether he'll still be standing when those end credits roll.
The biggest news to break regarding Captain America since the epic final moments of Infinity
War came to us in the form of a quick goodbye note tweeted by none other than Chris Evans
himself.
In only a few heartfelt words, Evans let the whole world know that he would be putting
down his shield for good.
The tweet, which amassed several hundred thousand likes within hours, read:
"Officially wrapped on Avengers 4.
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."
Maybe we'll see a cameo or two down the road, but, for all intents and purposes, it does
seem like this is the end for Steve Rogers.
Infinity War may have been one of the wildest rides in cinema history, but Captain America's
role in it was actually fairly minor.
Sure, we got a fun "re-emergence" sequence for Cap in the fight at the train station
in Edinburgh, and his attempt to rally a crew of heroes together to defend the world against
bad guys was a crucial part of the plot.
But even if Captain America ultimately received a decent amount of screen time, it did feel
a bit like he was being used to move the story forward more than anything else.
“Earth just lost her best defender.
So we’re here to fight.
And if you want to stand in our way, we’ll fight you too.”
The truth is, Captain America ended up having a muted role in Infinity War.
The story had him stranded in the middle of a sidebar conflict in Wakanda, while Iron
Man took front and center on Titan.
It stands to reason that this will set Steve Rogers up to be a crucial element in the next
chapter, where we'll almost certainly see more of Cap's storyline unfold.
Captain America: Civil War ended on a pretty low note, and many fans were hoping for some
onscreen reconciliation between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in Infinity War.
In the end, the two didn't even share a scene.
“The Avengers broke up.
We’re toast.
Broke up?
Like a band?
like the Beatles?”
That's not to say that the folks behind the scenes didn't try to fit it in.
Writer Stephen McFeely explained that in the original drafts of the script, they had Steve
and Tony in the same room together.
Ultimately, however, he said:
"As many times as we wrote those scenes, it became clear that this movie needed to be
propulsive and be about Thanos and what he represented to the Avengers."
It may not have fit into Infinity War’s plot, but there's no way these two aren't
sharing some screen time in Avengers 4.
Their long-anticipated reconciliation will no doubt be a pivotal scene and one that,
sadly, paves the way for Cap's demise.
Because once that breach is healed, Cap's character arc will be nearly complete.
Just like a few of the other key players in the MCU, Captain America's story arc is in
desperate need of closure.
We've watched him rise up to lead the Avengers before entering into a self-imposed exile,
only to resurface for Infinity War but the character is still in need of a final act
to bring his story to an end.
The Russo brothers have been quiet about what might happen after the third Avengers, only
suggesting that Infinity War was, quote:
"...the next chapter, so to speak, in his specific story.
And there's been no talk about where we go beyond that yet."
That comment could quite easily be used to infer that after Infinity War there just isn't
much more left for Steve Rogers to do in the MCU.
One way or another, he needs some closure.
“Family, stability the guy who wanted that went into the ice 75 years ago.
I think someone else came out.”
The truth is, Steve Rogers doesn't really have to die in Avengers 4 for his story arc
to wrap up, for Chris Evans to move on, and for the universe to be saved.
The only thing that seems inevitable is that the character won't be with us on a regular
basis during Phase 4 of the MCU.
How could this happen without a heart-wrenching death scene?
Rogers just needs to pass the Captain America torch on to a successor, which could just
as easily take place after an epic comeback victory against the Mad Titan.
There's a lot to be said for quitting while you’re ahead and how much further ahead
do you get than defeating Thanos?
There's no shortage of rumors floating about regarding who could replace Steve Rogers as
Captain America.
Whether it's Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson or even a complete wildcard, chances are the mantle
of Captain America will be passed on.
The question is, will Steve Rogers live to see the passing of the torch... or will it
be wrenched from his grasp by Thanos' hands?