In 2019, Avengers: Endgame delivered what appeared to be, at first glance, a sendoff for Chris Evans' Captain America. After all, at the end of the film, Steve Rogers went back in time to return the Infinity Stones to their proper place, and he stayed there to live a long, happy life with Peggy Carter. When next we saw him, he was an old man, ready to pass along his red, white and blue shield to Sam Wilson. And so the story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America came to an end -- or so we thought.
Now, however, there are reports that Chris Evans will once again suit up as the MCU's Sentinel of Liberty -- not to star in his own solo film, but to appear in other franchises in a manner similar to Robert Downey, Jr.'s return in Captain America: Civil War. Unfortunately, Evans himself has shot down those rumors, but it’s always possible he’s simply feigning ignorance until it's official. So for now, let’s look at the possibilities. If Evans is really coming back, how could he return? Well, it could be connected to the upcoming MCU TV series, Secret Invasion.
At the end of 2020, it was confirmed that Marvel was developing a Secret Invasion television series for the Disney+ streaming service. Based on the 2008 comic-book event of the same name, the series is said to take some departures from the source material. The MCU's Secret Invasion will star Nick Fury and the friendly shape-shifting alien Skrull Talos (himself a fan-favorite from 2019's Captain Marvel) as they embark on a mission to thwart a covert invasion of villainous Skrulls.
In the comics, Secret Invasion was a noteworthy event because it packed a multitude of punches when it revealed several Avengers had been replaced by Skrulls and were merely posing as the superheroes whose faces they'd taken until it was time for them to strike. This created plenty of tension in the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as no one couldn't be sure who they could trust anymore.
The Secret Invasion television series is likely to feature a similar, shocking revelation, and what would be more shocking than discovering the face of the Avengers, Captain America, was spearheading this invasion?
If Evans returns as a young Captain America, there will undoubtedly be a lot of questions, such as how the superhero was rejuvenated and what his place in the MCU could be after he passed his mantle as Captain America on to Sam Wilson. The return of Steve Rogers as a Skrull could properly address all of these questions.
First and foremost, having Steve be a Skrull would easily explain why the character looks young again. Since the Skrulls can change their appearance, all one would have to do is assume the looks of Captain America in his prime. Then, they'd just have to apprehend the real Steve Rogers and keep him sedated, much like the shape-shifting aliens did with other heroes in the comics. Essentially, the answer to how Steve was rejuvenated would be simple: he wouldn't be.
What's more, Steve's return could lead to plenty of interesting questions about the legacy of the shield, and this in turn could result in plenty of friction between himself, Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As a Skrull slowly sowing mistrust, the evil Captain America could be working to break the bond between all three superheroes, and fracture the larger Avengers team as a result.
While Steve Rogers wasn't alive at the time of the Secret Invasion comic-book event, something similar to this theory did happen in the 2010-2012 series, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The second season of the animated series featured an adaptation of Secret Invasion, one that all began with Captain America being taken and replaced by a Skrull. Therefore, since there is already a precedent for it, the MCU could do something similar.
Having Captain America return only to be revealed as a Skrull would deliver a perfect cheer-to-shock whiplash of emotions, and it would give the leader of the invasion a familiar face. Better yet, this could even serve to build up to the real Steve Rogers' proper return, as he suits up again to help turn the tide and defeat the alien invaders once and for all.
Secret Invasion does not yet have a release date. Next up for the MCU is WandaVision. Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, the series stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. The series premieres Jan. 15 on Disney+.