WhileChris Evanspotential return to the MCU remains a subject of speculation, there’s actually another franchise out there that would serve him much better. Evans became one of the pillars of the MCU with his iconic performance asSteve Rogers aka Captain America. Due to the impact he’s had on its world over the years, his exit inAvengers: Endgamewas as meaningful as the death of Iron Man.
WithRobert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom, there have been a lot of questions about whether Evans will make a similar comeback. Despite earlier reports suggestinghe would be back forAvengers: Doomsday, Evans has continued to deny it, much to the disappointment of fans.
The MCU is certainly the biggest franchise of Evans' career, and his return would be a massive, crowd-pleasing event. But rather than jump back into the MCU, Evans could consider a return to a different franchise, one that would benefit his career a lot more than returning to the role of the Star-Spangled Avenger.
Why Knives Out Is Chris Evans' Best Non-Marvel Movie
Evans Gives His Best Performance Playing Against Type
FromCaptain America: The Winter SoldiertoAvengers: Endgame,there are plenty of MCU projects that deserve to be ranked amongChris Evans' best movies. However, many fans would also agree that Evans' best movie outside of the MCU, as well as his best performance, was in the first Benoit Blanc mystery,Knives Out.
Rian Johnson’s love letter tothe murder-mystery genrestars Daniel Craig as Blanc, a brilliant private detective who is hired to investigate the mysterious death of the patriarch of a wealthy family. With an all-star cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and Ana de Armas,it is Evans who steals the show as the spoiled Ransom Thrombley.
Coming out months afterAvengers: Endgameconcluded Captain America’s story,Knives Outwas also the best follow-up project Evans could have asked for.
The movie is a brilliant modern take on the kind of story found inAgatha Christie novels, with a lot of humor thrown in to accompany the genuinely gripping mystery. Johnson also clearly loves the genre enough to use the tropes and expectations to create a story filled with clever twists and subversions.
Coming out months afterAvengers: Endgameconcluded Captain America’s story,Knives Outwas also the best follow-up project Evans could have asked for.After playing the ultimate noble hero, it was a lot of fun seeing him play such a hilariously unlikable character as Ransom. Evans clearly enjoys the heel-turn role, delivering a funny, sinister, and entertaining performance.
The demands of being one of the biggest names in the MCU is that the audience only sees you as one character for a long period of time.Knives Outwas a great opportunity for Evans to remind audiences of his talents outside of Captain America while also giving him a hugely entertaining character to play around with.
Chris Evans Needs A Knives Out Return More Than An MCU Comeback
Evans Needs To Turn Around His Post-MCU Career
It is hard to deny that there would be a lot of excitement in seeing Chris Evans return to the MCU. Even hiscameo as Johnny Storm inDeadpool and Wolverinewas a thrill. However, in terms of the best course forward, a return to theKnives Outfranchise would be much better in terms of storytelling and Evans' career.
Just as Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU return has some people nervous,Avengers: Endgamedefied the odds in giving Cap a thoroughly satisfying goodbye, and there is nothing wrong with leaving that untouched.
Following the success ofKnives Out, Rian Johnson launched it into its own franchise that continues to embrace the murder-mystery feel. WithGlass Oniongoing for a much brighter and comedic Benoit Blanc mystery, it is also clear that Johnson is willing to play around with the tone of the franchise.
Evans would benefit from going back to a grounded role instead of returning to a larger-than-life hero like Captain America.Despite the promise ofKnives Out, Evans' post-MCU career struggled with the likes ofGhostedandRed One. This seemed to suggest Evans would be playing it safe with generic genre movies, which was a disappointment.
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As great as some of those MCU movies were, Evans stepping outside of the MCU felt like an opportunity for him to return to some of his earlier, challenging roles, likeSunshineandSnowpiercer. The Materialistearned him strong reviews for a character-driven movie, but he needs to continue on that path.
Meanwhile,Evans' legacy as Captain America is in near-perfect condition, and returning to it would be a big risk. Just as Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU return has some people nervous,Avengers: Endgamedefied the odds in giving Cap a thoroughly satisfying goodbye, and there is nothing wrong with leaving that untouched.
How Chris Evans' Ransom Can Return In A Future Knives Out Movie
While seeing Chris Evans back in aKnives Outmovie would be great,unlike the MCU, it is not a franchise that is easy to return to. To date, Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is the only returning character intheKnives Outmovies, while Noah Segan appeared inKnives OutandGlass Onionbut as two different side characters.
Rian Johnson is approaching theKnives Outmovies in a similar way to Agatha Christie’s novels, with each movie serving less as a sequel to a larger franchise and more as another story in the series of adventures of Blanc. This means a new star-studded cast is assembled for each new movie, includingthe upcomingWake Up Dead Man.
Of course, that does not necessarily mean that Evans' Ransom cannot return. At the end ofKnives Out, Ransom is revealed as the killer and heads to prison, leaving Marta (Ana de Armas) as the victor and Blanc having outsmarted his nemesis. However, Ransom does have influence, and it is possible to beat the charge in a trial.
Having Ransom return to seek revenge on Blanc could be a great direction to take the story and would give Evans the opportunity to fully embrace his villainous role. Butan even better approach would be if it is Ransom who needs to hire Blanc to help with a new mystery with a new set of characters at play.
Wake Up Dead Man, the thirdKnives Outmovie, is being released on Netflix on July 06, 2025.
WhileKnives Out and Glass Onionsaw Blanc paired with the most sympathetic character in the movie, having him paired with someone he has a natural antagonist relationship with could be very interesting. It would allow for more moments of Evans and Craig playing off each other while reluctantly working together.
The third Benoit Blanc mystery,Wake Up Dead Man, features another incredible cast, including some of Evans' MCU costars, like Jeremy Renner and Josh Brolin. While there is no indication of a way Evans could return in that movie, it might give a glimpse at the possibilities for theKnives Outfranchise going forward.
