Other than Iron Man, it is Captain America who has the biggest fan base in the MCU as people have just loved the story arcs that Marvel have portrayed with Cap at the center of it all. He has been the leader that people have idolized and the Earth’s mightiest heroes have followed. He has always had the knack of doing the right thing. He wants to fight for what is right, and most importantly, for the greater good of humanity. So, perhaps a big sacrifice from him in Avengers 4 is an inevitable scenario.
Throughout his lifetime, Cap has not been able to stay away from war, apart from the time that he spent before getting infused with the Super Soldier Serum. As Ultron said, Steve is “God’s righteous man who pretends that he could live without a war.” Well, the fights usually end up finding him instead of being the other way around. So he has actually made his peace with that. He has found his home fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves and their freedom. So, one could also say that he has a certain liking to it.
So, a theory given by Redditor MrDietzsch actually caters to more of a fanboy wish. People are assuming that Cap is going to make the most ultimate sacrifice by giving his life in order to save the lives of others. But what if his great sacrifice comes from giving away his ability to fight. Leaving the one thing that he loves and finds peace in. Here’s what this insane theory of the Redditor reads:
“In the comic books we have seen Cap lose his Super Soldier Serum and become a weak and grumpy old man and I think that would be a perfect scenario for the story moving forward.
What if Cap’s sacrifice comes in the way of losing his powers and therefore losing what is arguably the thing he loves the most, which is his ability to fight for those who can’t and protect freedom…
I could see Cap sacrificing himself, and us fans reaching for the box of tissues, but in the end it would be revealed that Steve Rogers gave up what he loved the most and is now a frail old man… That would be a rather depressing end for such an iconic Hero but it leaves the door open for a future return of Steve Rogers as Cap.”
This would not only be the most surprising twist for Captain America fans, but it would actually keep the option for Chris Evans’ future return open. Evans has admitted that he is done with the MCU after Avengers 4 but of Steve is left alive somehow, then we could see a potential for him to return sometime in the future. The theory continues:
“If Steve Rogers aged 65/70 years in a matter of hours, or days, we could agree that he merely has to resemble the person he was and therefore the character can be recast with a 70+ year old actor (and additional make up to make him look even older).
Captain America 4 could be a story about how Sam Wilson takes up the mantle of Captain America, and old man Steve Rogers becomes the new Director of Shield and mentors Sam from behind the scenes.”
Captain America has been the best solo Superhero franchise for Marvel in terms of the quality of the story, critical acclaim and the Box Office returns. So a Captain America 4 similar to Iron Man 4 could be a remarkable idea!
But then there would be an argument that one of the two big guns of the MCU has to die in Avengers 4. Comparing between Iron Man and Captain America, the fan base would answer that Cap is more expendable than Iron Man. Also, Marvel is looking to pass the mantle from these guys to the likes of Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange, so both of them coming out alive from Avengers 4 is a possibility that may be highly unlikely.
We have to admit that it is really hard to imagine an MCU without Captain America or Iron Man. Then again, Feige has admitted that moving forward, the MCU is going to be nothing like we’ve ever seen before. So, expect the unexpected.
Avengers 4 hits the theatres on May 3, 2019.
