Avengers: Doomsday is making a big mistake with the return of Chris Evans

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The upcoming movie, Avengers: Doomsday, is expected to have several surprises, but the return of Chris Evans as Captain America wasn’t a huge shock. Rumors about his involvement began circulating a year ago, along with speculation about many other Marvel actors. Despite these rumors, Evans had previously stated in interviews that he wouldn’t be returning to the role.

It seems Captain America isn’t always truthful, even though he still avoids using profanity. The first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday – shown before screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash – features Chris Evans back with the Captain America shield, and also reveals an unexpected new character.

Recent reports show Steve Rogers, riding his motorcycle, returning to the house where he and Peggy Carter shared a poignant moment in the 2019 film Avengers Endgame. Inside, he briefly displays his old Captain America costume before carefully storing it away. More surprisingly, the scene then reveals Rogers cradling a baby, suggesting a new chapter in his life.

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Then, the message “Steve Rogers will return for Avengers: Doomsday” appears on the screen – as you’d expect from Marvel. This is followed by the start of a year-long countdown to the film’s release on December 18, 2026.

Chris Evans isn’t the only familiar face coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You could practically recap the returning cast by rewatching the portal scene from Avengers: Endgame – it includes stars like Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, alongside newer additions such as Pedro Pascal and Florence Pugh. Plus, expect to see some X-Men legends like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen join the fun.

Given how much anticipation there is for footage from Avengers: Doomsday, why highlight Chris Evans specifically? It’s fair to say his portrayal of Captain America was incredibly popular with fans. Alongside Robert Downey Jr., Evans really defined Marvel’s image during the most successful period for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A lot has happened since then. Avengers: Endgame marked a fitting and hugely popular conclusion to that chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring a final, epic battle and heartfelt goodbyes to beloved characters like Captain America and Iron Man.

In the end, the elderly Steve Rogers passed on his shield to Sam Wilson, choosing to remain in the past and finally live a peaceful life with Peggy Carter after returning the Infinity Stones. It was a touching conclusion for a well-loved character, and importantly, it felt like a true and final goodbye.

Five years later, it seems Marvel is planning to reverse a significant story decision. This happens often with adaptations of comic books – characters who die often return, making death feel less impactful. However, changing Captain America’s story in this way is especially concerning.

Fans are understandably upset about the idea of Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom, especially after his character’s death in Endgame. It feels like Marvel is simply using familiar faces to recapture past success, without respecting the established conclusions of their characters’ stories.

Hearing this really reminded me of that awesome, but chilling, line from Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. He basically told the Avengers they couldn’t handle their own mistakes, and look where it got them – right back to him! It was such a powerful moment, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

The decision to bring back Evans suggests Marvel is losing faith in its current storyline. It feels like a desperate attempt to recapture past success and draw audiences, ultimately diminishing the emotional weight of previous films.

It’s also disrespectful to the current Marvel actors and the characters they portray. Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has faced challenges since Endgame, there’s still a lot of potential with talented performers like Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, plus popular newcomers such as Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Simu Liu as Shang-Chi.

This also makes us wonder about the future of Anthony Mackie’s Captain America. The comics often show multiple Captain Americas working together, so it’s possible to include him. However, considering Mackie’s only solo film so far felt more like a continuation of The Incredible Hulk, it doesn’t seem right to push Sam Wilson aside or make him share the spotlight so quickly.

It’s still unclear exactly how big Chris Evans’ role will be in Avengers: Doomsday. While promotion has focused on Steve Rogers and a new storyline involving his child, it’s possible he’ll appear less than expected. However, that seems unlikely given the current marketing.

With all the alternate universes popping up in Marvel movies lately, this Steve Rogers might not be the one we’re familiar with, even though his house looks like the one from Avengers: Endgame. The addition of the X-Men and a different version of the Fantastic Four hints that this is probably the case.

If time travel is involved, we might be seeing an earlier version of Captain America who still gets to retire happily after the events of Avengers: Doomsday. The filmmakers, the Russo brothers, could potentially rewrite the story to make it seem like this outcome was planned all along.

Despite this, the constant focus on past heroes suggests the Marvel Cinematic Universe is struggling and doesn’t fully trust its new actors, even the ones playing the Fantastic Four. If Avengers: Doomsday keeps prioritizing surprise appearances from familiar faces over strong storytelling, the film’s title might unfortunately prove to be very fitting.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released on 18 December 2026.

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2025-12-19 17:50