Chris Evans explains the reason he returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. Evans is one of the most important stars in the MCU, with his several appearances as Captain America leading to some of the franchise’s best movies. While the actor last played Steve Rogers in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Evans has now returned to the MCU in another role during the movie and in Deadpool & Wolverine‘s post-credits scene.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Chris Evans revealed that it was Ryan Reynolds who convinced him to appear as the Fantastic Four’s Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine. According to Evans, Reynolds sent him a text asking if he would be up to play the Human Torch again, to which the Captain America star said, “‘Oh my God! Of course.’” Evans’ MCU return was the most shocking of the Deadpool & Wolverine cameos, with the actor saying that he returned because “Ryan’s humor makes just about everything work.” Check out the full quote below:

“I was so excited. Ryan’s a buddy. He just shot me a text saying, ‘Listen, might be a long shot, but would you have any interest in reprising something from 20 years ago?’ I said, ‘Oh my God! Of course.’

Honestly, Ryan might be the only guy that I would’ve done it for because he’s just got the Midas touch. His self-awareness makes him almost invincible. He makes the joke before the audience gets a chance to make the joke, so if you’re going to revisit a character, and you have to find a way to make it work, Ryan’s humor makes just about everything work, so you feel an automatic sense of safety.”

Chris Evans Talks In Depth About Deadpool & Wolverine, Plus A Possible Captain America Return

Avengers: Secret Wars Would Be Perfect For A Captain America Return

Evans revealed that he had an easy time filming his return as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine. According to the actor, he only had a couple of days of filming as the Human Torch. Evans also compared the experience of donning the blue Fantastic Four costume now and in the team’s 2000s movies. The MCU actor thinks Deadpool & Wolverine offered a better experience, as the suit in the Fantastic Four films “had to be very precise” and pristine. Now, as Johnny was in the Void and on the run, the suit could be more freeing for the actor.

Evans holds “nothing but fond memories” from his time working on the Fantastic Four movies. According to the actor, 2005’s Fantastic Four opened a new door for his career, bringing it to a higher level that would eventually culminate in his MCU casting to play Captain America. Of his Fantastic Four cast, Evans said, “I loved working with the people that were on that film. I loved the role.” The importance the Fantastic Four movies had to the actor’s career, his happy memories of working on them, and Reynolds spearheading Deadpool & Wolverine all contributed to his MCU return.

Now that Evans has returned to the MCU as Johnny Storm, the attention has turned toward a possible Captain America comeback. However, when asked if he thinks the time is right to bring Cap back, Evans shot it down, saying, “No. No, not really.” That said, Evans is excited about the MCU’s new Captain America, his friend Anthony Mackie. The star revealed that he stays in touch with his Marvel co-stars, saying, “We text all the time. I can’t wait to see that movie.” Despite not being as Captain America, Chris Evans’ Deadpool & Wolverine return is just as exciting.

4Why Chris Evans’ Deadpool & Wolverine Return Was Perfect

The Ideal Fit For The Film

For several years, Evans got to show he excelled as the mild-mannered Steve Rogers in the MCU. Captain America was someone others looked up to, with the character inspiring both civilians and heroes alike. Deadpool & Wolverine brought back that aspect of the character, with Wade Wilson saluting Cap when images of Evans’ MCU hero from multiple movies played on the TVA’s monitors. That led to a hilarious moment with the reveal that Evans was actually playing the Human Torch, not Captain America, and ultimately, the best possible role for him in the movie.

While Deadpool loves Steve Rogers in the comics, and it would have been exciting to see them meet in the MCU, Evans’ Johnny Storm was a much better fit for Deadpool & Wolverine‘s tone, story, and the actor’s new chapter after Marvel. Evans’ Human Torch was the best part of his Fantastic Four films, with the actor making him incredibly charismatic and sarcastic. That made him the perfect fit for the raunchy and violent Deadpool & Wolverine, which was proven by the film’s post-credits scene, where Evans’ Johnny Storm went on a hilarious rant Captain America could never reproduce.

Evans’ Johnny Storm also comes from the Fox Marvel era, and given how Deadpool & Wolverine‘s surprise characters were pretty much all from the Fox Marvel movies, Captain America would have felt out of place. As the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot will be released next year, it only felt right to have one of Fox’s Fantastic Four stars in the movie to say goodbye to that universe. Evans’ Johnny Storm also allowed the actor to show his full range in the MCU, with a performance more akin to his standout Knives Out character, bringing back Evans’ impeccable comedic timing.

How Chris Evans Could Still Return In The MCU After Deadpool & Wolverine

There Are A Few Exciting Ways

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Johnny Storm is very much dead, but Evans could still return in the Multiverse Saga as a different Human Torch from the multiverse. Given how his suit looked different from the 2000s Fantastic Four films, there is a chance that this version of Johnny was a variant of Evans’ original Human Torch. That would make those who disliked the character’s gruesome death happy, allowing the rest of the original Fox Fantastic Four cast to return in Avengers 5, Secret Wars, or another major multiverse event.

Evans could also return as the hero everyone wants him to, with the actor reprising his role as Steve Rogers before the end of the Multiverse Saga. The comics once featured an older Steve becoming young again and donning his Captain America suit, which is a likely path for the MCU to follow. This way, Evans could play the same Captain America people know and love. With rumors that the MCU could go through a soft reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars, that film seems like the perfect place to have all of the MCU’s biggest stars for one last adventure.

The multiverse also allows Evans to return as several different versions of Captain America. Perhaps the best of them would be “Captain Hydra.” In the comics, there is a version of Steve Rogers who was turned into a villain and ruled the world with an iron fist as Hydra’s Supreme Leader. Other versions of Captain America Evans could play include the one from the Ultimate comics, which was very violent and unlike the MCU’s Steve Rogers, and Soldier Supreme, which merged Cap and Doctor Strange together for a fun variant that Chris Evans would certainly make very popular.