Despite what you may think, Chris Evans isn't ready to hang up his shield just yet. The Captain America actor is currently filming Avengers: Infinity War, the first of a two-part Marvel saga set to hit theaters in May 2018. It'll be his sixth time playing the first Avenger onscreen, and with his seventh and potentially final appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe already booked for the Infinity War follow-up, we wouldn't blame Evans for wanting to move on from Cap.

In fact, he's even suggested such, telling Variety in 2014 that he wanted to focus on directing once his Marvel contract was up after the fourth Avengers film.

But not so fast: Evans might not be ready to leave the MCU behind him. In a recent interview with Collider, the actor said he loves the character and that if Marvel wanted him back, he'd "be open to it."

"I think Hugh Jackman has made 47 Wolverine movies, and they somehow keep getting better," he said. "It's a character I love, and [Marvel is] a factory that really knows what they're doing.

"The only reason it would end is 'cause my contract is up," Evans added. "After Avengers 4, my contract is done. Talk to Marvel. If we engage further, I'd be open to it."

OK. So it's not so much a question of whether he wants to keep wearing Cap's patriotic cowl and shield as it is a question of whether Marvel will want to renegotiate to make it happen. After all, Evans is worth a lot more now than he was in 2010 when he originally signed his six-picture deal — and with a crop of effervescent new heroes in the pipeline, Marvel has clearly been planning for ol' Cap's retirement. Still, Evans's portrayal of the comic-book hero has been commercially and critically successful, so it's not a done deal either way. One thing is certain: The ball is in Marvel's court.