With the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse now wide open, the next Avengers movie is set to feature a variety of characters. However, what’s got everyone buzzing is the news that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU, this time as the villain Doctor Doom. That news has opened up endless possibilities – and even the idea of bringing back characters who have died before is on the table. That’s why, even before the Avengers: Doomsday cast was announced, one of the actors fans were hoping to see back in the fold was Chris Evans. It’s hard to deny that he’s built such a huge legacy as Captain America (even if he’s since passed the shield to Sam Wilson), and not bringing him back (in any form) would be a big miss for Marvel Studios.
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However, even though there have been reports saying Evans will return, it’s important to keep in mind that the actor has already said he’s retired from the superhero world, and is probably not going to come back for any reason. On the other hand, every fan knows that when it comes to Marvel, anything is possible – we’ve lost track of how many times the MCU cast has had to lie to keep a secret. So while nothing’s confirmed (but it could be), there are some pretty good chances Evans could return in a way that makes sense and completely blow minds – sending fans into a frenzy.
HYDRA Supreme
This is one of the most popular theories currently on the internet. After all, if Doctor Doom is the main antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday, it makes sense that Hydra Supreme could also show up, right? We still don’t know exactly what the plot of the film will be and how it might connect with Avengers: Secret Wars in detail (especially since Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released between the two). However, the idea of Hydra’s Captain America making his way into the cinematic universe has been a long-standing speculation, even if it always seemed a bit challenging to pull off – but now, it feels more possible than ever.
A twisted, evil version of Steve Rogers would add an incredibly interesting layer to the plot, especially because the character has always been such an emblematic figure of goodness and justice. It would also be amazing fan service, since we’d get to see Evans reprise the role of a character that defined his career (even if it’s just a variant). The chance to have him act alongside Doom would also be one of the most significant moments in history, as it would have all the nostalgic appeal of seeing Evans and Downey side by side again, only on the dark side of things this time. Would the MCU really want to let that go?
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HYDRA Stomper/Iron Man
We’ve already seen Evans return to the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine, which rocked movie audiences, even if he wasn’t Captain America. Taking that into account, it’s safe to say that he could definitely return once again as something different. There’s a bolder option here: since we’d be looking at a parallel reality, why not cast him as a Steve who “followed in the footsteps” of Tony Stark and became Iron Man, like in What If…? Even casting Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter (who appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) is something that could very likely happen in Avengers: Doomsday.
This is a suggestion that would have Evans play the Hydra Stomper, who, unable to serve on the battlefield due to an injury before becoming Captain America, is equipped with mechanized armor designed by Howard Stark. Eventually captured by the Red Room, he would be brainwashed and become another alternative version of the character, later working for Hydra. In other words, it would be just like Winter Soldier all over again. Whether this is an idea that Marvel Studios would find interesting for the future of the MCU is still up in the air, but it’s also possible to just leave him with an iron suit and create some new backstory for him.
Beyonder
Another theory that’s gaining more and more traction to bring Evans back into the MCU is having him play The Beyonder. Sometimes it doesn’t even take much effort to figure out where it would be ideal to use him, especially when there’s a new and even more interesting character to see with his face. With the whole context of Doom wanting to dominate the multiverse, Beyonder would be a central figure in the creation of Battleworld, transporting everyone there to force heroes and villains to fight each other in an experiment to observe human behavior and the dynamic between good and evil. Besides, having Evans (and his Steve Rogers character) become The Beyonder would make a lot of sense in explaining the mess that was created with the time-travel issue in Avengers: Endgame. Given that The Beyonder is a cosmic entity, he could very well alter the timeline without needing to create a new, altered one.
Interestingly, according to the comics lore, The Beyonder takes on Steve Rogers’ form and descends to Earth. Can you imagine how surreal it would be for the character to do this in the guise of Captain America? The impact of this could create a very intriguing tension, as the audience would immediately associate Evans with Steve, only to be totally caught off guard by the twist that he has ascended to a god-like state, with a whole new perspective and moral sense. Also, seeing how Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) reacts to Steve being in The Beyonder’s shoes would be really cool.
Avengers: Doomsday hits the big screen on May 1, 2026.
