Chris Evans spoiled Anthony Mackie being the next Captain America by the end of Avengers: Endgame. The Joe and Anthony Russo-directed flick was the culmination of everything that has transpired in the MCU’s The Infinity Saga. It also marked the departure of some of the franchise’s cornerstone heroes, including the Star Spangled Avenger.
After Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their allies successfully defeated Thanos (Josh Brolin) and ensured the safety of the primary MCU timeline, there was one more mission left to do: return all the Infinity Stones to their original locations which Steve accomplished. When he returned, however, he’s significantly older as it’s revealed that he returned to the late ’40s and reunited with Peggy (Hayley Atwell). The only reason for his return to 2023 is to officially choose Sam as the shield’s new owner, essentially making him the next Captain America.
In a film heavily guarded prior to its worldwide release, this particular moment was obviously kept from most of the cast, except Evans who was given a portion of the script depicting the said moment in Endgame. Excited with what the future lies for Sam as the next Captain America, Evans asked Mackie what he thought about the scene when the two were hanging out, not knowing Mackie hadn’t read it yet. Nonetheless, Evans said that it was a precious moment that they shared as he recalled the whole incident during his latest guest appearance in The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Watch the clip below:
For his part, it doesn’t seem like Mackie’s disappointed to find out Sam’s big story turn the way it did. The actor shared the same story a few months ago, and although their separate recollection of how the events panned out are pretty much in-sync with each other, it’s still nice to see how it went down from Evans’ perspective. As he admitted in his latest interview, it’s difficult to leave his MCU persona having played the gig for almost a decade. But it’s clear that Evans is genuinely happy that he’s passing on the mantle of Captain America to someone he has known for a long time, hence why he seems so sure that Mackie’s deserving to be the next bearer of the title.
Sadly, not everyone is as enthusiastic as Evans and Mackie are for the future of Captain America in the MCU after Avengers: Endgame. There are people who quickly questioned why Sam was chosen and not Bucky considering that like Steve, he’s enhanced with the Super Soldier serum. Admittedly, that’s a fair question. Considering that both Sam and Bucky have wielded the shied in the pages of the comics, Marvel Studios could’ve easily gone with the latter as the next Star Spangled Avenger. But Sam being a normal human being poses a more interesting premise in his upcoming journey as Captain America - something that will be tackled more in the upcoming Disney+ series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier which is now in production.
More: Why Captain America Isn’t Eating During The Avengers’ Shawarma Scene
Source: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
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