Chris Evans’ Highest-Grossing Role After Endgame Is Yet Another Marvel Movie

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Despite Chris Evans no longer playing Captain America since 2019, his highest-earning movie since then remains an MCU production. This suggests that Evans may have retired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) when Steve Rogers bid farewell in Avengers: Endgame following a long life with Peggy Carter. However, the recurring appearance of Multiverse Saga characters within the MCU (a concept initially presented in Avengers: Endgame) has led many to question the finality of Steve Rogers’ departure. This speculation intensifies as Robert Downey Jr. is set to rejoin the MCU as Doctor Doom.

Regardless of the circumstances, Chris Evans gives off an impression that he is contentedly retired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), consistently dismissing rumors about his potential return in future MCU productions. It’s no wonder these speculations are widespread since Chris Evans’ portrayal of Steve Rogers in the MCU is highly admired and acclaimed. Moreover, there might be a strong motivation for Evans to rejoin the franchise, considering that his roles in the MCU have historically been his most financially successful ventures.

Chris Evans’ Highest-Grossing Post-Endgame Role Was In Another MCU Movie

Chris Evans Portrayed Johnny Storm In Deadpool & Wolverine

Since the premiere of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, Chris Evans has appeared in ten different films, demonstrating that his success within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not limited to just one character. Notable roles he’s taken on since hanging up the shield include Ransom in “Knives Out” (2019) and Buzz Lightyear in “Lightyear” (2022). However, the worldwide earnings of these films don’t come close to matching those of his latest MCU movies, with the last three earning over $1 billion each.

Chris Evans’ Post-Endgame Movies
Movie Worldwide Box Office (via The Numbers)
Red One (2024) $185,884,173
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) $1,338,071,348
Pain Hustlers (2023) N/A
Ghosted (2023) N/A
The Gray Man (2022) $451,178
Lightyear (2022) $218,878,024
Don’t Look Up (2021) $1,172,913
Free Guy (2021) $323,078,841
Knives Out (2019) $312,898,746
The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019) N/A

Five years after Chris Evans played the role of Captain America in Avengers: Endgame, he made a guest appearance as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine. Despite the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine’s global box office earnings of $1.3 billion were less than half of Avengers: Endgame’s record-breaking $2.7 billion, it still outperformed all films released in between, with Evans’ highest-grossing non-MCU film, Free Guy, earning only $323 million worldwide. It is interesting to note that even the 2005 release of Fantastic Four, where he first appeared as Johnny Storm, garnered a total of $333 million globally.

Why Chris Evans’ Post-Endgame Movies Haven’t Been Big Box Office Hits

Half Of Chris Evans’ Movies Went Straight To Streamers

The earnings from Chris Evans’ films post-Endgame suggest that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) remains financially successful, despite the Multiverse Saga hosting some of its least profitable movies. However, it is important to note that the success of Deadpool and Wolverine is an extremely high benchmark to surpass. In fact, Chris Evans’ second-highest-grossing film after Avengers: Endgame still underperformed compared to Captain America: The First Avenger, which is one of the MCU’s lowest-grossing movies. Only by passing the worldwide box office totals of Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk, and The Marvels was Chris Evans’ film able to rank higher in the MCU’s earning hierarchy. Here are some explanations as to why Chris Evans’ films fail to meet the usual MCU standards.

Five Of Chris Evans’ Movies Were Released On Streaming Platforms

In contrast to movies like “The Red Sea Diving Resort” and “Pain Hustlers,” which were exclusively released on streaming platforms and received mostly negative reviews from critics, films such as “Ghosted” (on Apple TV+) and “Don’t Look Up” (on Netflix) initially had limited theatrical releases before being moved to these streaming services. Despite their high viewership on streaming platforms, these movies did not generate significant revenue at global box offices.

Chris Evans’ Highest-Grossing Non-MCU Movies Were Original Properties

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) enjoys a long-standing reputation and generally appeals to a wide audience due to its family-friendly approach, films like “Free Guy” and “Knives Out” don’t usually garner the same box office numbers. However, surprisingly, both of these movies turned out to be financial triumphs, even though they didn’t match the earnings of Chris Evans’ lowest-grossing MCU film, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” which made $370 million worldwide during the initial phase of the MCU. Unfortunately, it’s hard to determine how well “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” would have performed relative to its prequel, as it was only in theaters for a week.

Lightyear Fell Short Of Expectations

Despite receiving positive reviews from both critics and viewers, the movie “Lightyear” ended up being one of Pixar’s least profitable films due to several factors. In 2022, audiences were used to Disney Pixar movies being available on Disney+ almost immediately, but this wasn’t the case for “Lightyear”. The film also had to compete with heavy hitters such as “Jurassic World Dominion”, “Top Gun: Maverick”, and “Minions: The Rise of Gru”, all of which were released around the same time. Furthermore, it was a bit confusing for fans of Toy Story as it wasn’t a direct prequel or sequel, but rather a spin-off film-within-a-film.

Red One Was A Straight-Up Flop

In a surprising turn of events, Chris Evans’ latest Christmas film featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the main star failed to meet expectations, earning just $186 million against an estimated budget of over $200 million. Despite high anticipation for the movie during the holiday season and a promising ensemble cast, the film was met with generally negative reviews from critics, which may have hindered its potential success. The movie, titled “Red One,” garnered a highly commendable 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, but this admiration did not seem to translate into theater tickets sales in the year 2024.

Does Chris Evans Need The MCU?

Chris Evans Seems To Be Happy Taking Roles He Wants

If Chris Evans has a strong desire to earn as much money as possible in the near future, it’s plausible that he could reconsider returning for roles like Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. Given that none of his recent films have matched the extraordinary box office success of his latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, it seems likely that he would seize the opportunity to be part of another billion-dollar film. However, his recent acting decisions might reveal a different intention altogether.

The success Chris Evans has achieved in the MCU has undeniably boosted his stardom, making him a highly sought-after actor in Hollywood. Despite rumors of him leaving the MCU, it seems that Evans isn’t overly focused on landing roles in guaranteed box office hits. Instead, he appears to prioritize enjoyment and creative exploration, as evidenced by his upcoming movie, “Honey Don’t!”, directed by Ethan Cohen, where he portrays the enigmatic Reverend Drew Devlin. This film seems to align with Evans’ preference for having fun and focusing on a broader range of roles.

Additionally, Chris Evans has openly declared himself as “contentedly retired” from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but may return if a compelling reason arises. However, it’s uncertain whether he would reappear as Captain America in “Avengers: Doomsday” or “Avengers: Secret Wars,” despite their potential success. So, for now, fans of Chris Evans can merely speculate about his possible return to the MCU.

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2025-06-06 02:29