While Iron Man is the soul of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America is the heart. From his very first appearance, Steve Rogers sets the tone by defending the defenseless and putting his life on the line. He struggles now and again, such as in Captain America: Civil War, when he has to choose between Tony Stark and Bucky Barnes after Helmut Zemo reveals the truth of Howard and Maria Stark’s deaths. Still, when push comes to shove, he’s the best hero there is, which is why his departure is so emotional in Avengers: Endgame. He chooses to go back in time, live with Peggy Carter, his first true love, and hand his shield over to Sam Wilson.
Videos by ComicBook.com
With Steve’s story over, it seemed like that was all she wrote for his actor, Chris Evans. He went on to star in other projects, including the upcoming The Materialists and The Gray Man, directed by his friends the Russo Bros. However, Evans still found time to make a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine as Johnny Storm, his character from the Fantastic Four movies. Evans’ Phase 5 appearance made it seem like the door was open for the return of the original Captain America, but the actor says it’s not happening in Avengers: Doomsday.
While promoting The Materialists, Evans sat down with ScreenRant and was asked about the Russos and Robert Downey Jr. reuniting without him. “Yeah, I talk to them all the time,” he said. “It’s where Pedro [Pascal] is right now. I mean, it’s sad to be away. It’s sad to not be back with the band, but I’m sure they’re doing something incredible, and I’m sure it’s going to be that much harder when it comes out and you feel like you weren’t invited to the party.”
There’s a slim chance that Evans is playing coy, not wanting to spoil a big reveal in Doomsday, but it seems like he really isn’t coming back for the fifth Avengers movie. Fortunately, there’s another team-up movie on the horizon that may need him more than Doomsday.
[RELATED – Every Way That Captain America: Brave New World Has Changed the MCU]
Avengers: Secret Wars Is the Perfect Spot for Captain America to “Return”
Doomsday is going to focus on the struggle between the New Avengers, Sam’s Avengers, the X-Men, and Doctor Doom. That’s a lot to tackle, especially because the New Avengers and Sam aren’t on the best of terms right now. They don’t seem to agree on the future of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, so they’ll have to squash their beef before they can turn their attention to Downey Jr.’s villain. With all that going on, there isn’t much room for another major character to join the fray.
The best course of action would be to have Doom take on the MCU’s heroes and realize that he needs reinforcements. At that point, he can travel through the multiverse in Secret Wars and recruit alternate versions of Marvel characters, such as an evil Black Widow. The ace up Doom’s sleeve, though, could be a version of Captain America that found himself working for HYDRA and working to destroy the country he calls home rather than saving it. Secret Wars can see Doom’s evil team go up against whatever remains of the Avengers in an epic showdown.
Having Evans return as an evil Captain America would present the actor with an interesting challenge and ensure that the MCU doesn’t cover old ground. The last few phases of the franchise have struggled to prove that the superhero genre still has room to grow, but Secret Wars is an opportunity to shake things up in a big way, and all it will take is bringing one retired character back into the fold.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
Will you be upset if Chris Evans doesn’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday? What if his absence meant he would play an evil Captain America in Avengers: Secret Wars? Let us know in the comments below!
Most Viewed
-
TOHO Animation
