Chris Evans Is 'Open' To Remain Captain America After Avengers 4

Chris Evans made a lot of Marvel fans nervous last week when he told Esquire that his contract to play Captain America is up after the fourth Avengers movie, but now, the actor has made it clear that he's at least open to continuing on after that.

When Evans first signed on as the first Avenger, Marvel asked him to commit to nine movies, but he negotiated down to six. The fourth Avengers movie will mark seven films for Evans, and, according to the Esquire profile, the actor appears to be ready to put down the shield. Marvel movies take five months to film, plus a month of promotion and reshoots if necessary, preventing Evans from taking on other roles or from moving into directing, something which he has said he is interested in. However, despite the previous report, Evans said that he would consider playing the character again if Marvel asked.

"It's really not up to me," he told Collider while promoting his upcoming movie Gifted. "My contract is up. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'No more.' I think Hugh Jackman has made 47 Wolverine movies, and they somehow keep getting better. It's a character I love, and it's a factory that really knows what they're doing. The system is sound over there. They make great movies. If they weren't kicking out quality, I'd have a different opinion. But, everything Marvel does seems to be cinema gold."

"Like I said, I love the character," he continued. "The only reason it would end is 'cause my contract is up. After Avengers 4, my contract is done. Talk to Marvel. If we engage further, I'd be open to it. I love the character. It's almost like high school. You certainly always look to senior year, and then, all of a sudden, senior year happens and you're like, 'I don't know if I'm ready to go.' It's tough thinking about not playing the guy."

Evans did just sign on to at least one post-Avengers role: the actor will play an Israeli agent in Red Sea Diving Resort, from Homeland's Gideon Raff, so he has at least started to plan for a possible after-Marvel career. In our opinion, the fourth Avengers movie, which marks the end of Marvel's Phase 3, could definitely spell an end for Evans–and for Steve Rogers, who is one of the characters we are pretty sure will die soon. But hey, maybe Evans could come back and direct Bucky or Falcon as the new Captain America one day.