It was long rumored, but now it's official: Chris Evans is returning to the MCU as Steve Rogers for Avengers: Doomsday. In the years since his retirement in 2019's Endgame, Sam Wilson, formerly Falcon, took up the mantle of Captain America during the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He then went on to star in his own feature film, Captain America: Brave New World. Rogers' role in Doomsday has sparked a slight backlash online, with some perceiving his return to the franchise as disrespectful to Sam Wilson, who has just come into his own as the Sentinel of Liberty.
According to a new rumor, however, there will be no overshadowing for the MCU's current Cap. The Cosmic Circus' Alex Perez took to X to state that, despite Steve Rogers being in Avengers: Doomsday, he will not be the movie's Captain America. Instead, Sam Wilson will continue on in that role:
"I'm glad that this is all here together because I'll take the chance to make something clear. Avengers: Doomsday will feature Captain America. And his name is Sam Wilson, portrayed by Anthony Mackie. Chris Evans will return as Steve Rogers. But not donning the mantle of Cap."
It makes sense. After all, in Steve Rogers' Doomsday teaser, he is shown putting his costume away in a case, perhaps serving as a metaphor for the fact that his days carrying the title are over. This information was corroborated by journalist Jeff Sneider, who stated on X:
"Like I said a year ago, he's not exactly returning as Cap. Even the teaser says, 'Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday.' Doesn't position him as Cap. 'The original Nomad is an alt identity that Steve Rogers adopts after he abandons the Captain America costume & title.'
For those unaware, "Nomad" was the identity Steve Rogers took up for a brief period in the '70s (starting in 1974's Captain America #180), after he became disillusioned by the government and decided to forge a new path in his crime-fighting career.
If this information is accurate, it's exciting to know Marvel is keeping the spotlight on Sam Wilson as the MCU's sole Captain America. Speaking to Variety, Mackie revealed a touching story about how his Cap was already inspiring young Marvel fans who'd watched his iteration of the character's debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: "A friend of mine is a teacher down in Homestead, Florida, and she works with special-needs kids." According to the actor, the teacher saw a student doing pull-ups, which prompted the following interaction:
"She's like, 'What are you doing? You're gonna hurt yourself.' And the kid tells her, 'Well, Captain America looks like me now, so I need to get in shape, if he needs my help.' And I thought that was the coolest thing. For this kid to see a six-hour series and get enough strength within himself to think that he needs to be prepared and ready, that made all of the work that we had to do to put it together worthwhile for me."
It is also important to note that, should Chris Evans don the mantle of Captain America in the MCU once again, he would not need to sideline Sam Wilson. In the comics, Wilson and Rogers have been operating as Cap concurrently for a while now, both having their own titles and adventures as their respective versions of the Sentinels of Liberty. Think of it like Peter Parker and Miles Morales serving as Spider-Man, or X-23 and Logan both being Wolverine.
As such, it would be exciting to see Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans play Captain America in the MCU at the same time. Evans made the role a beloved international icon, so he will likely get to step back into his military boots at some point in the future, perhaps even in Secret Wars.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026.
What do you think about this clarification regarding the Captain America mantle? Do you think Chris Evans will eventually become Captain America once again alongside Sam Wilson? Let me know in the comments!