The news has come out that "Avengers 4" will see Chris Evans play the role of Captain America --for the last time. Fans are buzzing about what this means for the character, the mantle and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
And for good reason.
Evans' Captain America has been as much a face of MCU as Robert Downey Junior's Iron Man. His departure, however it's handled, will produce echoes that will ring for decades. With the triumphant run of "Black Panther" and the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War" film, Marvel has established themselves as the "emperor's supreme" of all comic book movie studios.
Their success has also given us the greatest American hero to come from a comic book to date. And it's not Superman.
There's no question about it: on paper, Superman obliterates Captain America in a one-on-one bout. There's no real debate. Superman wins. Comparing their heroism and idealism, the debate could go either way. Both are American icons, standing as models of what we could be.
What makes them heroes isn't the spandex or the superpowers, but their morality and feats of character. And this is where the MCU Captain America reigns supreme over the latest iteration of Superman to hit the silver screen.
From "The First Avenger" all the way to "Civil War," Evans has delivered a performance worthy of respect. Captain's loyalty to his friends, his courage in the face of impending danger, steadfast determination and resolve to see things through, have all resonated clearly throughout the MCU.
His virtue has become the butt of jokes in the films, but it can't be ignored. At times, he's portrayed as old-fashioned, clinging to a morality of a world from decades past, but his heart has never faltered. Even at his worst, Captain America is still the best of what we can be.
Meanwhile, the Man of Steel has been reduced to a brooding, insecure hyper-brute in his cinematic universe. Regardless of the writer, Superman has always embodied the best traits of humanity, amplified to an infinite degree.
His acts of heroism often teetered on the edge of impossible, even by comic book standards. But that was his thing. He was the super man, an icon that stood above any adversary, any obstacle and showed readers that they too, could be super.
But that's not the Superman we currently see.
That's the Captain America in modern-day studio portrayals.
So, when Chris Evans hangs up the tights and Vibranium shield for good, he'll have left behind a legacy worth hanging his costume on. Everyone involved in the MCU has crafted a character that embodies heart and virtue.
In an age saturated with super individuals, Captain America rose as a hero.
