The pop culture world is going crazy after a leaked Avengers: Doomsday trailer appeared to tease the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in the MCU.
It is well established that Steve retired as Captain America at the end of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, choosing to live a life of his own before passing his vibranium shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).
With his apparent farewell already written into canon, the question now is: how can Steve Rogers return in Avengers: Doomsday?
How Steve Rogers’ Return Could Happen in Avengers: Doomsday?
Long before the leaked trailer seemingly confirmed Steve Rogers’ return to the MCU, rumors had already been circulating that he would be part of the new Avengers movie.
While the cast had been announced earlier, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased that more stars would be joining Doomsday.
In fact, after The Wrap reported in 2024 that Evans would reprise his role in the highly anticipated crossover film, Deadline also confirmed that Hayley Atwell – who portrayed Steve’s love interest, Peggy Carter – would be part of Doomsday as well.
While there are rumors that Evans might appear as a Hydra Captain America variant, a Reddit user suggested that he could instead return as Nomad.
Nomad is essentially Steve Rogers without the Captain America title. In fact, there have long been claims that Steve was already operating as Nomad during Avengers: Infinity War, based on his appearance and actions.
Although Marvel never officially used the name, this interpretation frames him as a version of Captain America without the shield.
If these theories prove true, Evans would appear in Doomsday as Steve Rogers without the shield and without the Captain America title.
In the film, the Avengers may recruit him to travel back in time, encountering Steve as he lives a quiet life with Peggy Carter.
There have also been claims that Evans was originally set to appear as Nomad in a post-credits scene for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but that appearance was reportedly scrapped at the last minute.
What Would Be Steve Rogers’ Role in Avengers: Doomsday?
While Marvel Studios has yet to officially confirm their appearances, several theories suggest that the film may explore Steve and Peggy’s happy ending from Endgame, with Doctor Doom (played by another Avengers returning star Robert Downey Jr.) taking issue with the life they built together.
The leaked trailer reportedly shows the house where Steve and Peggy lived and reveals that Steve now has a son.
Adding fuel to the speculation, Daniel Richtman, widely regarded as a highly reliable MCU insider, claimed that Doomsday would heavily focus on Steve.
He also noted that Marvel Studios allegedly chose to feature him in the first trailer, which is said to be a four-part teaser series, each spotlighting a different character, in order to “establish him as the lead character” of the film.
Anyhow, fans are advised to take these assumptions with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed yet.
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