Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are two old friends living out of their own time, making the bond they share unique among Captain America’s various connections in the MCU. In fact, when Chris Evans spoke at last weekend’s ACE Comic Con, the Avengers 4 star implied that their relationship is among the closest things that this hundred-year-old hero still has to a home.
The statement came in response to a fan asking how Steve felt after seeing Bucky die for a second time. Though Evans was careful about saying too much, the spoiler-conscious actor did take this as an opportunity to reflect on the saga-defining pair.
“I think that’s one of the more precious relationships for Steve Rogers, you know,” Evans said. “It’s one of the few relationships that’s been able to transfer into modern day. It’s one of the few relationships that he can identify as anything we would call home. I don’t know how far I can go into that response. Yeah, I’m going to have to maybe leave it there.”
The Winter Soldier was the first character we saw turn to dust at the genocidal climax of Avengers: Infinity War, though it’s been frequently speculated that not only will Sebastian Stan’s character be brought back for the sequel, but he may even inherit the Captain America title from Steve.
This idea is based on the popular prediction that the hero will be bowing out of the franchise after Avengers 4, an idea that Evans himself seemed to back up with a heartfelt tweet he posted earlier this month, in which the star reflected on his eight-year run in the role. At this latest panel, however, the actor downplayed the idea that his message hinted at his departure, though this recent statement will probably do little to dissuade the theories that next year’s release has a tragic ending in store for Steve.
Time will tell what fate Marvel Studios has planned for Cap, but for what it’s worth, Evans has assured us that Avengers 4 will not disappoint when it hits theaters on May 3rd, 2019.