One interesting Avengers: Doomsday theory about the return of Chris Evans’ Captain America has effectively been debunked. At the end of 2026, Marvel Studios will begin the culmination of the Multiverse Saga via Joe and Anthony Russo’s MCU comeback film. The Avengers: Endgame filmmakers were recruited back to the franchise seven years after wrapping up the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame. That said, they aren’t the only ones returning to the universe after several years. In front of the camera, Robert Downey Jr. is coming back playing Doctor Doom, while Evans is simply reprising his role as Steve Rogers. Considering the mystery surrounding his return and the prominence of variants in the Multiverse Saga, however, there have been theories about this version of the character being one.
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Admittedly, Marvel Studios’ decision to recruit some of the biggest creative talents behind the Infinity Saga was initially met with skepticism, understandably, even for long-time fans of the franchise. The argument was that the MCU was desperately clinging to the past instead of moving forward with its new generation of heroes. It wasn’t until the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer was released in CinemaCon 2026 that the public’s perception about the film started to turn things around. There were several noteworthy moments in the promo, but arguably the most-talked-about one was Evans’ comeback as Rogers and his reunion with Thor.
Chris Evans’ Return Effectively Debunked Theories About Being A Variant In Avengers: Doomsday
While Marvel Studios has yet to release the said Avengers: Doomsday trailer, official description of it has made its way online, describing everything that goes down in the promo. For the original Avengers’ reunion, it started with Rogers greeting his Asgardian friend and teammate, “hey pal.” To prove his true identity, the former shield-wielding hero even called Mjölnir to him, which it did, leaving no doubt that he is still worthy of the weapon, as first established during the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame. Beyond the fan-service that this moment brings to fans of the franchise, it also effectively shuts down theories about Evans playing a variant of Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday.
Given how central the idea of alternate realities and timelines in the Multiverse Saga, it’s fair to considering the possibility that Marvel Studios may be featuring variants of familiar characters in Avengers: Doomsday. After Avengers: Endgame introduced the concept, the franchise has used them more frequently in the succeeding years, with films like Deadpool & Wolverine, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and even Disney+’s Loki. With not much known about the background of Evans’ return as Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios can use the concept to preserve the character’s brilliant ending in the 2019 Infinity Saga-capper film.
That said, it doesn’t make sense for a variant of the MCU’s original Captain America to greet Thor with so much fondness if he wasn’t the same one who fought side by side with the God of Thunder for so many years. Aside from that, the fact that he’s still worthy of Mjölnir should be enough to not just convince Odinson, but the public as well, that he is indeed the original version of Steve Rogers in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer.
Why It Doesn’t Make Sense For Avengers: Doomsday To Do A Steve Rogers Variant
Aside from the aforementioned factors, it also doesn’t make sense for Marvel Studios to go down the variant route for Evans’ MCU comeback for a few reasons. Firstly, the actor already did that when he returned as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine. Considering the more serious tone for Avengers: Doomsday, the franchise cannot play it off as a joke like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s film did. Secondly, it totally cancels the excitement and nostalgia factor of seeing Evans back in the MCU. Marvel Studios is already risking a lot by bringing back Infinity Saga actors to wrap up the Multiverse Saga, that Avengers: Doomsday needs to be able to absolutely justify their comeback in terms of the narrative. Evans returning as a variant will be perceived as a total cop-out.
Now, whether Marvel Studios is also featuring a variant of Rogers separate from the main one that was shown reuniting with Thor is an entirely different conversation. Depending on how the MCU utilizes the possibility of Evans’ character encountering another version of himself, like he did in Avengers: Endgame, this could actually work.
Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18, 2026.
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