Chris Evans has officially joined the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, though we still don't know who he'll play. Captain America seems the obvious suggestion but with the Multiverse at play, that's not guaranteed (after all, Evans recently returned to the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine as the Human Torch).
Hayley Atwell is also set to appear in the movie, leaving many fans convinced that they'll be plucked out of that "happy ending" timeline we saw at the end of Avengers: Endgame to help protect the Multiverse.
While that's a compelling possibility, there's also been some chatter about Evans' character being allied with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Now, @MyTimeToShineH brings word that we're getting "HydraCap" in the next Avengers movie.
While this is just a rumour for now, it makes sense on several levels. For starters, bringing Evans back as the heroic Captain America would somewhat overshadow Sam Wilson, a character who will be cemented as the new Cap in next month's Captain America: Brave New World.
Then, there's the simple fact that the Multiverse opens the door to exciting possibilities like this. Even more interesting than the prospect of the villainous HYDRA Supreme Captain America standing alongside Doom is seeing Earth-616's Avengers forced to work alongside a twisted version of their fallen friend.
Nick Spencer's controversial Captain America comic book run revealed that Steve had secretly been a loyal HYDRA agent since childhood. Fans were incensed, and an apparent retcon followed which revealed the Cosmic Cube had been used to rewrite reality.
Eventually, Hydra Cap and the regular Steve became two separate characters, making it easier for fans to accept that a doppelganger had done all the awful things the hero stands against.
"It was so great," Evans previously said of his Deadpool & Wolverine cameo. "I loved that role: I have a lot of love in my heart for Johnny Storm and so getting that call from Ryan... I mean I would do anything for Ryan, but getting to yell flame on again was just special. I really loved every second."
He also hinted at exploring new sides of Captain America when he addressed a possible return to that character by saying, "Oh man, I don't know. I think... you know, those were wonderful, wonderful times and it's probably the dearest role to my heart but... you know, it might be better just to let those times be those times."
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released in May 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive in May 2027.