- Former Marvel star Chris Evans has reportedly signed on to appear in Avengers: Doomsday
- If true, Evans will be reunited with fellow MCU alum Robert Downey Jr in the Marvel Phase 6 movie
- It’s unclear if Evans will play a version of Captain America or a different character
Marvel is reportedly bringing back another of its iconic stars in Chris Evans for Avengers: Doomsday.
According to The Wrap, Evans, who famously played Steve Rogers/Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from 2011 to 2019, has boarded the comic giant’s next team-up movie. If true, Evans will be the second big-name actor who’ll return to the franchise he seemingly walked away from after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Robert Downey Jr, who also ended his time as Tony Stark/Iron Man after that film, was already confirmed to return in Avengers 5 after he was named the MCU’s next Big Bad in Doctor Victor von Doom at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 in July.
Evans’ apparent role is shrouded in secrecy but, if he has been cast in the Marvel Phase 6 film, he won’t be replacing Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, aka the MCU’s new Captain America. Per Deadline, Wilson is also slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.
Avengers 5 won’t be the first time that Evans has returned to the MCU. The A-lister also made a crowd-pleasing cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine earlier this year – Evans getting his “flame on” to reprise his role as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch from Fox’s first two Fantastic Four movies, which were released in 2005 and 2007.
Regardless, Evans’ apparent hiring has sparked plenty of online chatter, and there are three big questions I have about his potential return:
1. Who will Chris Evans play in Avengers: Doomsday?
Hugely satisfying as that Deadpool and Wolverine cameo was, Evans’ return in Avengers 5 feels even more significant, especially if he ends up having a big role to play in the first of two Avengers films that’ll wrap up the Multiverse Saga.
Indeed, the immediate question that comes to mind is who he’ll be playing. The obvious answer is Captain America but, with Mackie’s Wilson now wielding the legendary shield, it’s likely that Evans will step on Mackie’s toes by reprising his role as the Rogers who appeared throughout the Infinity Saga.
That said, Evans could return as Old Man Steve Rogers, who passed the shield onto Wilson after his time-traveling antics at the end of Avengers: Endgame. There’s also the possibility that he could play an alternate universe version of the super soldier like Steven Rogers, a Captain America variant who secretly worked for Hydra. Forcing ‘Hydra Cap’ and Wilson’s Cap 2.0 to team up would certainly add a new, spicy dimension to this dynamic, especially if Wilson is conflicted about working alongside a bad version of Rogers to try and stop Doom.
Of course, Marvel could employ Evans as a completely different character. Sure, he could return again as The Human Torch, but that’s already been done. So, if Evans doesn’t return as a different Cap, it’s more likely he’s been hired to play someone out of left field.
2. Why is Chris Evans returning to the MCU?
To get bums on seats. 2024 has been a good one for Marvel, with Disney Plus shows like Agatha All Along and X-Men 97 enjoying critical and commercial acclaim, and Deadpool and Wolverine earning over $1 billion globally. It’s no secret, though, that the comic titan has struggled to not only replicate the Infinity Saga’s success with its Multiverse Saga, but also endured plenty of problems since Endgame launched in theaters. I’ve covered those issues extensively over the past two years, so I won’t do so again here.
Given the headaches it’s suffered over the past few years, it’s no surprise that Marvel is reteaming with Downey Jr, Evans, and Joe and Anthony Russo – the latter pair also returning to direct Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The Russo brothers have helmed some of the highest-grossing and most acclaimed MCU films ever. Downey Jr and Evans, meanwhile, require no introduction to audiences. In Marvel’s eyes, then, reuniting with this quartet is a sure fire way to get fans onside and ensure the next two Avengers movies are money makers.
Does it reek of desperation on Marvel’s part? Perhaps. Whether you agree with the aforementioned group’s return or not, though, they’ll get people to spend their cash. For a business perspective, that’s all that matters to Marvel and parent company Disney.
3. Is Scarlett Johansson next in line for a shock MCU return?
Alright, this one is a bit of fun on my part but, with Evans and Downey Jr already signing on for Avengers 5, Johansson is the final member of the Avengers’ original line-up who isn’t set to appear.
Sure, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner haven’t officially joined the cast as Thor, Bruce Banner/Hulk, and Clint Barton/Hawkeye yet, either. However, with the Multiverse Saga serving up nostalgia aplenty by bringing back numerous Marvel legacy characters, including Evans’ The Human Torch and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, I’d be stunned if that trio aren’t part of proceedings.
Johansson’s possible return is trickier. Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow died in Avengers: Endgame, so she definitely won’t show up. Like Evans, though, Johansson could play an alternate reality version of Romanoff and her super-spy alias. However, that would effectively ruin the sacrifice she made in Avengers 4 and surely enrage some sections of the MCU’s fanbase. File this one away as ‘incredibly unlikely’ to happen, then.