While it wasn't a huge surprise after months of rumours (and a 2021 report about his MCU return in the trades), Chris Evans' comeback as Steve Rogers in the first Avengers: Doomsday teaser was still incredibly exciting.
The sneak peek, which you can rewatch below, showed Steve arriving home on a motorcycle before packing away his Captain America uniform and picking up his and Peggy Carter's baby. The implication was that Avengers: Doomsday will finally explore what happened after he and Agent Carter reunited at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Talking to Empire Magazine, Joe Russo reiterated that there's more to each of the movie's teasers than meets the eye. "Each one of those trailers is narrative information. It’s all part of a larger story," the filmmaker teased. "So I would argue that Doomsday has already started for you."
"Look, the movie is very complex," Joe continued. "We thought one of the best ways to celebrate what the movie is was to give characters their own space and highlight some moments."
It's been rumoured that the consequences of Captain America's actions—and the impact they had on the Multiverse—will be felt in a big way in Avengers: Doomsday.
That may make Steve a target for Doctor Doom, though the Russos will also need to address what became of Avengers: Endgame's Old Man Rogers (and how he ended up on that bench in the first place).
Explaining the decision to bring Cap back, Anthony Russo said, "We have a special affinity with the character. We can’t see this narrative without his central role in it, basically. The special place he holds among the ensemble, he sort of retains that moving forward."
While we wouldn't necessarily say this makes Steve the lead of Avengers: Doomsday, he's clearly going to be a major part of this movie's story. Where that leaves the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, remains to be seen; the former Falcon will, however, be leading his own team of Avengers.
According to one leak at the end of 2025, Steve will be heading into battle as Nomad, not Captain America. And instead of wielding the shield, he'll have Mjolnir!
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, and India Rose Hemsworth all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum. The trades have pointed to Ryan Reynolds and Hayley Atwell also appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to help.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.