Marvel’s Sebastian Stan: “You Never Really Know If Goodbye in the MCU Is Goodbye”

Avengers: Endgame star Sebastian Stan says "Captain America will never be the same" without star Chris Evans, whose Steve Rogers grew old and retired in the closing minutes of the Infinity Saga-closing Endgame. The lifelong best friends exchanged goodbyes before Steve time-traveled to the past to live a quiet life with long lost love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), later returning to present-day 2023 to hand the star-spangled shield of Captain Americato right-hand man Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Bucky's final scene with Steve, a lead in to coming Disney+ mini-series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, was "very emotional."

"Because it was one of those things where — and that's why I think the movie is emotional, because you do feel like you've been a part of this now for 10 years, in one way, shape or form. You were some place in your life when you saw that movie," Stan said of the 11-year-running Marvel Cinematic Universe at Fandemic Tour Houston. "We're getting older, these characters are getting older with you, so there's all of this stuff that kind of comes to that scene. So it's no longer just a scene, it has all these other things in it. So I think that comes from years and years of it."

And of the knowing moment where Steve has reached the end of the line, "It was the same for that scene."

"You never really know if 'goodbye' in the MCU is goodbye. It never really feels like it. It takes time to kind of [process]. But it's strange," Stan added. "I mean, we'll see. It will never be… Captain America will never be the same without Chris Evans, it just won't. I mean, that's just the truth. It doesn't mean that Captain America is over, it just means that particular situation will never be the same."

Next, grudging partners Bucky and Sam will have to uphold Steve Rogers' ideals in a world without Captain America — for now.

"Now we're in this thing now where, literally, I suppose, Anthony and myself, and Sam and Bucky, are going to have to figure out how to incorporate life without that big guy, right? We're gonna do our best," Stan said. "We'll see."

The mantle of Captain America won't immediately be passed to Sam, who is still operating as the high-flying Falcon.

At Disney's D23 Expo in August, where Marvel Studios unveiled more plans for its Phase 4-set series on Disney+, Mackie clarified he's not the new Captain America — at least not yet.

"I am the Falcon. I will always be the Falcon," he told Variety. "The moniker will stay the same."

Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo previously confirmed Evans has retired the role of Captain America, saying the star has "emotionally moved on."

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres exclusively on Disney+ in Fall 2020.