Chris Evans continues to deny that he will reprise the role of Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday, despite the trades reporting that both he and Hayley Atwell have closed deals to return. Now, the actor has shared his thoughts on Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU comeback as Doctor Doom.
It was at last July's San Diego Comic-Con when we first learned of plans for the Iron Man star to play the Multiverse Saga's new big bad. The news continues to divide fans, but Evans joins a growing list of MCU vets enthusiastic about seeing what he brings to the table.
"I mean, I can't wait to see what he does," the Steve Rogers actor told Screen Rant. "I'm sure it's going to be incredible. When I first heard it, I was like, 'Huh?' But it's almost like cheese and the crust. You're like, 'There's nothing more we can do with this pizza,' and then you're like, 'Oh, damn. You know? What else? What if we did this? Whoa.'"
Evans seems mighty impressed that Marvel Studios has figured out a way to bring Downey back into the fold, so if he's offered the chance to play a villainous Variant of Captain America, we have to believe he'd be on board with the idea.
There have been rumblings about Doctor Doom leading an "evil Avengers," with HYDRA Cap (a version of Captain America who was secretly loyal to, you guessed it, HYDRA) likely among them. If so, that's got to be who Evans is playing in the next Avengers movies.
Later in the interview, Evans was asked who in Hollywood helped him see the value in himself. "I might even say Downey. I made movies for 10 years prior to jumping onto the Marvel train. He was the one who kind of talked me into it. I didn't want to take the role. I said no a few times and he was the one that kind of gave the knowledge."
He added, "I said no a few times. I know. Just didn't want to do it. I was scared, I was intimidated. I didn't know. It was a big commitment and I was kind of thinking about leaving acting in general. I don't know."
Marvel Studios is expected to assemble the original six Avengers in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars, but doing so might be easier said than done. Scarlett Johansson has repeatedly said she's done playing Black Widow, while Jeremy Renner clashed with Disney over a lowball offer for Hawkeye season 2.
Throw in Evans' apparent reluctance, and we may need to make do with Doctor Doom, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and Chris Hemsworth's returning God of Thunder.
Avengers: Doomsday stars 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, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make the Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
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, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a script by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Captain America and Avengers franchises.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.