Chris Evans' movie career after his departure from the Avengers: Doomsday.
On December 9, Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, all of whom had a similar career trajectory following Avengers: Endgame.
Chris Evans' Post-Endgame Movies Have Been A Mixed Bag
Chris Evans Has Had 8 Main Movie Roles After Avengers: Endgame
Chris Evans' movie career following his departure from the MCU in Avengers: Endgame has followed an unusual and unpredictable trajectory, though it has mostly consisted of poorly-received box office disappointments. This is hard to reconcile, as Chris Evans is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, with his eight-year career as Captain America making him a household name. However, following Endgame, Evans' only true successful projects have been 2019's Knives Out and 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, which only featured him for a matter of minutes.
Chris Evan's Post-Endgame Movie |
Release Date |
RT Critics |
RT Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
The Red Sea Diving Resort |
July 31, 2019 |
28% |
77% |
Knives Out |
November 27, 2019 |
97% |
92% |
Lightyear |
June 17, 2022 |
74% |
84% |
The Gray Man |
July 15, 2022 |
45% |
90% |
Ghosted |
April 21, 2023 |
25% |
55% |
Pain Hustlers |
October 20, 2023 |
23% |
65% |
Deadpool & Wolverine |
July 26, 2024 |
78% |
94% |
Red One |
November 15, 2024 |
31% |
90% |
Chris Evans' only well-received projects after Endgame have been Knives Out, Deadpool & Wolverine and 2022's Lightyear, though the latter became a huge box office bomb in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, The Red Sea Diving Resort, Ghosted, Pain Hustlers and the recent Red One were panned by critics, while The Gray Man received a mixed response. This overwhelmingly negative reception to Chris Evans' post-Avengers: Endgame work has been shocking, but may have led him right back into the arms of Marvel Studios.
Chris Evans' Most Well-Received Post-Endgame Role Was In Deadpool & Wolverine
Chris Evans Reprised His Classic Role Of Johnny Storm In Deadpool & Wolverine
Chris Evans' performance as the villain in Rian Johnson's 2019 murder mystery Knives Out was very well-received, but it would be easy to argue that Evans' most well-received appearance following Avengers: Endgame was in Deadpool & Wolverine. The MCU Phase 5 sequel starred Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as returning mutant heroes, and provided the opportunity for several classic Marvel heroes to return. This included Jennifer Garner's Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm's Human Torch from 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four duology.
Deadpool & Wolverine's Fantastic MCU Actor Cameo Explained
Deadpool & Wolverine featured actors from Fox's Marvel movies and some other surprises, with the film's best return coming from a fantastic MCU star.
Even though Chris Evans was only featured in Deadpool & Wolverine for a few moments before Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova relieved Johnny Storm of his skin, his return to the MCU as the Human Torch received huge praise. It seemed an unobtainable dream for many who wanted to see Evans return as Johnny Storm, but seeing him back in action after 17 years was thrilling. This only added to the evidence that Chris Evans excels within the MCU, seemingly in any role given to him, so Deadpool & Wolverine perhaps made his more-recent return confirmation inevitable.
Chris Evans' Post-Endgame Roles Made His Avengers Return Inevitable
Chris Evans' Role In Avengers: Doomsday Hasn't Been Revealed
Chris Evans had few major hits prior to ing the MCU as Captain America, and has seen dwindling returns in the years since his departure in 2019, so his new return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday seems to be the most sensible choice for the actor. As Steve Rogers, Evans has been involved with some of the most successful and highest-grossing movies of all time, but didn't really use this as leverage to better his position following his departure from the MCU. He could now do this after 2026's Avengers: Doomsday.
With the Russo brothers returning to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Robert Downey Jr. set to star as the film's primary villain, Doctor Doom, the Phase 6 crossover movie is gearing up to match or beat the success of Infinity War and Endgame. The casts of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts*, as well as Anthony Mackie, have also been confirmed to be returning for Doomsday, so Evans will be among esteemed company. Hopefully, Evans' return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday will kick off a new era of career success for the actor.
RDJ And The Russo Brothers Have Also Struggled Post-Endgame
Robert Downey Jr. & The Russo Brothers Also Left Marvel Studios After Endgame
Chris Evans isn't the only star who became involved with lackluster projects following the high of Avengers: Endgame, as returning directors the Russo brothers and returning actor Robert Downey Jr. also fell victim to this pattern. Downey Jr. went from Endgame into 2020's disappointing Dolittle, but then bounced back with the hugely successful Oppenheimer in 2023, which even earned him his first Academy Award for Best ing Actor. The Russo brothers have directed Cherry, The Gray Man and TV series Citadel in the years since Endgame, all of which received mixed reviews.
The Russo brothers previously directed 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame, four of the most successful and popular movies in the MCU's history.
It seems that these creatives perhaps consider Marvel Studios a safe space and a sure bet, as they all have years of experience working with Marvel, and are hugely popular among the MCU's immense fanbase. The Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. were confirmed to be returning to the MCU during 2024's SDCC, and their returns paved the way for Chris Evans to inevitably also come back. There are currently few details concerning Chris Evans' return in Avengers: Doomsday, but however he returns, this will be a hugely exciting development both for the MCU and his own career.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Thor
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
