It's been known for a long time that Chris Evans' contract with the Marvel Cinematic Universe would end after six movies, which would make his appearance in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War his last one. This isn't surprising since all of the main stars have limited contracts, or at least their contracts don’t last as long as we the fans would prefer. Forever, that is what we prefer!
Robert Downey Jr. for instance, was only slated to appear as Iron Man through Avengers: Age of Ultron. Lucky for us, he extended his contract at least through the unnamed Infinity War movie. Chris Hemsworth's contract as Thor is also coming to an end after the second Infinity War movie. In fact, most of the main lineup is close to an end, at least officially.
So where does that leave Cap? As stated above, Chris Evans had been contracted for six movies. He says his reasoning for not signing up for more (like Samuel L Jackson, who originally signed up for 9) is a general fear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn't be well received. This fear was based on his previous experience in Marvel movies, having portrayed Johnny “Human Torch” Storm in the Fantastic Four movies. The 20th Century Fox produced movies from 2005 and 2007, respectively, were not well-liked by critics or fans.
As of now, Chris isn't dead set one way or another, instead being quoted saying "It's really not up to me. My contract is up. I'm not going to sit here and say, ‘no more." It is important to note going forward, however, just how much he and Captain America are worth. In Captain America: The First Avenger, he earned $300,000 upfront. In the first Avengers film, he earned $2 million. It is rumored he walked away with nearly $7 million for Avengers: Infinity War. Keeping him might merely be out of Marvel (and Disney's) budget, despite what the fans wish to see.
It's not quite time for us to get worried, however. There are teasers all over the internet, from Chris and co-star Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) at the very least that, while Chris Evans may never play Captain America again… Maybe something else is in store!
In the comic books, Captain America turns his back on the government, goes rogue, and goes a bit darker. Taking on a new moniker of Nomad, he continues to be a good-hearted superhero, but one that follows his own orders. Chris and Sebastian hinted that this might be the future of the character (and the actor) when they signed a fans Cap shield with "Nomad," and "I'm with Nomad," respectively.
If this holds true, that means that it isn't Chris that's going away, only Chris as Captain America. I know I, for one, am going to cling to this theory until I'm proven wrong.
