Avengers: Doomsday Chris Evans Return Theory Broken

Avengers: Doomsday is officially bringing back Chris Evans as Steve Rogers seven years after his final appearance in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. As exciting as his long-awaited return may be, fans just learned that their dream MCU project starring Evans is officially dead.

Chris Evans won't be returning for a secret MCU project following Steve Rogers as he returns the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Before his casting in Avengers: Doomsday, many rumors suggested that Evans would return for a secret project depicting Steve's final adventure before finally going back in time to be with Peggy Carter. Instead, Avengers: Doomsday will pick up the superhero's story several years into his idyllic life with Peggy, after the couple has had a son together.

At first, the rumors of Evans returning for another Steve Rogers solo project were little more than fan-led fantasies. Many MCU fans wanted to fill in the decades-long gaps between the beginning of Steve's mission to return the Infinity Stones and his return as an old man. This would potentially involve Steve travelling to exotic locations like Asgard and the Sanctum Sanctorum to return each Infinity Stone to its rightful place in the timeline. He would even encounter his old foe, the Red Skull, who guarded the Soul Stone on Vormir.

Eventually, the rumors of this Steve Rogers solo project became much more real when leaks from Marvel Studios suggested that the studio was interested in bringing Evans back for a secret follow-up to Avengers: Endgame. Insider leaks must always be taken with a grain of salt, but fans at least had a glimmer of hope that they would finally get to see Steve on his final mission through time and space. Some reports even suggested that this mission could take the form of a six-episode Disney+ series, with one Infinity Stone returned in each episode, culminating with a final confrontation between Captain America and the Red Skull.

Unfortunately for fans who were still holding out hope for this Disney+ series, Evans' return in Avengers: Doomsday officially rules such a project out. While it is still possible that audiences will see glimpses of his mission in flashback sequences, Avengers: Doomsday is much more focused on yet another mission to draw Steve Rogers out of retirement. Instead of seeing Steve on a mission through time to return the Infinity Stones, audiences will see the former Captain America on a journey through the multiverse to defeat the villainous Doctor Doom.

What to Expect From Steve Rogers' Return in Avengers: Doomsday

There are still numerous questions about Steve's return in Avengers: Doomsday. While audiences will have to wait until the film hits theaters for the real answers, there are some major things to expect from Evans' iconic character as he returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe one last time.

Chief among these is that Steve Rogers won't be Captain America when he returns in Doomsday. Although this version of Steve has not yet bequeathed his shield and mantle to Sam Wilson, he has officially retired from the role of Captain America, as seen in the first teaser trailer announcing his return. Moreover, Marvel has spent the last several years establishing Sam Wilson as Captain America in projects like Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Captain America: Brave New World. As such, it wouldn't make sense to give Steve the mantle again in place of Sam. It seems much more likely that Steve will adopt a new moniker upon his return, perhaps that of Nomad, a lesser-known alter-ego of his comic book counterpart.

The first Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer also shows that Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter have a son. This emphasizes a larger theme running through the Multiverse Saga, as each of the core Avengers settles down and starts a family. Over the last several years, all the surviving members of the original Avengers have become parents. This will undoubtedly come into play during the events of Avengers: Doomsday, raising the stakes as Earth's Mightiest Heroes fight to protect the ones they love back home.

Avengers: Doomsday (and possibly Avengers: Secret Wars) will most likely be the last time that audiences ever see Evans in the role of Steve Rogers. Before announcing his return, the actor was adamant that he would never play Rogers again. While he was coaxed out of retirement one last time, MCU fans shouldn't hold out hope that it could ever happen a second time. The Multiverse Saga is expected to end an era for the MCU, rebooting parts of the franchise for a new chapter. This will result in several recast characters, most likely including icons like Iron Man and Captain America. When Steve Rogers next returns to the MCU, it will most likely be with a different actor.

While fans may have wanted to see Steve Rogers's time-travelling mission to return the Infinity Stones, Avengers: Doomsday is offering something much better. Not only will the film most likely reveal key details about Steve's mission, but it will also do something new and different for the character. The problem with Steve's rumored spinoff is that the ending of that story has already been revealed. Instead, Marvel is bringing Steve back for an entirely new adventure where anything could happen. Done correctly, it will be the perfect sendoff for this iteration of the character.

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on Dec. 18, 2026.