Fans everywhere were downcast when Chris Evans seemingly announced he would not play Captain America again on Twitter.
"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," the actor wrote on October 4th.
However, just because we're saying farewell to Evans, it doesn't mean that the superhero won't live to see another day - and take on another form, with one Marvel Universe star claiming that the next person to take on the role may be black or female.
In a recent interview with Larry King, Frank Grillo, who played Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, claimed he'd heard whispers that producers could be looking for diversity with the next Captain.
He said: "I don't know, but there've been rumors that [the next] Captain America could be African American. It could be a woman. You know? So they're looking."
While there's no sure way of knowing what Marvel's plans are, the idea that the next actor could be male or female certainly has precedent, with Peggy Cater becoming Captain America in Saladin Ahmen and Javier Rodriguez’s alternate series, Exiles.
Furthermore, Isaiah Bradley is considered by many to be the first 'Black Captain America' in the comic books, followed by Sam Wilson in 2014.
During his interview, Grillo also revealed that he wasn't surprised that Evans was "done" playing the iconic role. When asked by King, he said: "No, no. That ran its course, and those guys are all getting a bit old. I love him. He’s a great guy. He’s a Boston kid. He’s a lovely, lovely man."
Explaining his stance further in a previous interview, Evans stated that "You want to get off the train before they push you off".
"Well, you know, my contract is over, so that’s as far as I know," he told Entertainment Tonight. "[I’ll miss] everything [about Captain America]. I mean, it’s not just the character, it’s the people – the experience, such good movies, such wonderful memories. I’ll miss a lot."
He continued:
"You want to get off the train before they push you off. I used to have thoughts of wanting to climb to the top of something, or wanting to be somebody. But when you get the thing that you think you want and then you wake up and realize that you still have pockets of sadness, and that your struggle will reinvent itself, you stop chasing after those things and it is liberating, because you realize that right here, right now, is exactly all I need."
While we're sad to see Chris go, we can't wait to see which actor or actress snaps up the role next.
