Per a report from ComicBook, Evans discussed the possibility of picking up Captain America’s shield once again during a panel at C2E2 in Chicago over the weekend. Rumors were circulating about Steve Rogers making his return, or at the very least a cameo appearance, in Captain America: New World Order, which has Anthony Mackie taking the lead role. The actor put those rumors to rest by telling fans that now is not the right time for him to play Steve Rogers again.

“It’s tough, because look, I love that role deeply,” Evans said. “He means so much to me, and I really do. I think there’s more Steve Rogers stories to tell, sure. But at the same time, I’m very, very precious with it. I’d become, you know, it’s like this little shiny thing that I have that I love so much, and I just don’t want to mess up in any way, and I was a part of something that was so special for the special period of time and in a way, it landed really well.”

Evans made his last appearance in Avengers: Endgame where, after things got back to normal following the Blip, Steve Rogers goes back to his time using Bruce Banner’s time machine and returns to the present as an elderly man five seconds later, passing his mantle down to Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie). That scene kicked off the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Wilson, who initially kept the Falcon name, joins Bucky Barnes to stop anti-patriots who believed life was better during the Blip.

Captain America: New World Order releases in theaters May 3, 2024.