Inevitably, albeit sooner than expected, the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday leaked online earlier today. In that, Chris Evans reprises his role as Steve Rogers and can be seen returning to his and Peggy Carter's home on a motorbike. He then heads inside and, after looking wistfully at his old Captain America uniform, Steve puts it away and picks up his baby. Yes, he's a father now!
In the closing moments of Avengers: Endgame, Captain America travelled back in time to return Mjolnir and the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in the timeline. However, rather than coming back to the present, he sought out Peggy and got the happy ending he was robbed of when he went into the ice in Captain America: The First Avenger. Somehow, a much older Steve then appeared nearby and gave a reformed version of his shield to Sam Wilson.
Based on what Loki taught us about branching timelines, it shouldn't have been possible for him to hide in the past until the day he decided to head back to the remains of the Avengers Campus as a much older man. If he did, it means two versions of Steve existed on the Sacred Timeline at once, and rumour has it that that's the cause of the Incursions now laying waste to the Multiverse.
Back in 2019, fans repeatedly said they wanted a movie or Disney+ series to reveal what became of Captain America, and that's exactly what they're getting in Avengers: Doomsday. Plus, if Doctor Doom really is seeking revenge for the death of his family in an Incursion, it creates a central conflict that once again pits Evans against Robert Downey Jr. (Captain America: Civil War-style).
It's easy to see why Marvel Studios has decided to head down this route, and Evans could certainly use the boost after several failed attempts to headline action projects like Red One, The Gray Man, and Ghosted. We've also come to terms with the fact that the Multiverse Saga hasn't really panned out in a way that allows us to get a full exploration of Doom's hatred for Mister Fantastic. We still expect that to be a factor, but it's apparent that Steve vs. Doom is going to be the main focus of this next Avengers movie.
Seeing as we're still not sure whether he's alive or dead, this presumably means we'll learn what became of Old Man Rogers, as well as the journey he went on that ended with him giving Sam his shield. It's an exciting prospect, especially as Evans has been sorely missed from the MCU and is an undeniable box office draw in this franchise (so, a win for fans and the bean counters at Disney).
Also of note, it's previously been reported that Avengers: Doomsday will see Evans take on his "Nomad" persona, suggesting Sam Wilson will continue to wield the shield as Captain America. If Doom is stealing the children of his enemies—don't forget The Fantastic Four: First Steps' ominous Franklin Richards scene–it gives Steve a compelling reason to return to the fray and not necessarily as a Star Spangled Avenger, but as a hardened warrior who has traversed the Multiverse seeking out its greatest threat in Doom.
That sounds like a great story arc to us, though it's hard to escape the feeling that Steve's story might be destined to end in tragedy and not the happiness he once hoped to find with the woman he loves.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.
Many thanks to the amazing BossLogic for the banner image above!