Marvel fans were left a peculiar mixture of excited, confused, and surprised by the news that Captain America
himself, Chris Evans
, will return to the MCU in the 2026 sequel, Avengers: Doomsday
. Since the news broke, fans have taken to social media to share their feelings of, well, excitement, confusion, and surprise, over his unexpected comeback, and many have the same theory regarding how it will all play out.
Evans will now return to the MCU alongside Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., who will play Doctor Doom in another casting decision that is equally baffling. We know that Downey Jr. will leave behind the heroism of Tony Stark in favor of Dr. Victor von Doom…so will Evans do the same? Many fans believe that the Evans reveal confirms that Avengers: Doomsday will introduce evil versions of former heroes, with Captain America now sporting a new suit as Captain Hydra. Which would surely be heartbreaking for Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who has now taken on the Captain America mantle.

X/Twitter user @SnapDecisions53 speculates that, “Doomsday and Secret Wars is going to be off the charts..guessing Hydra Cap will be who Chris Evans is playing and he will probably be God Emperor Dooms second in command..the heroes will have to fight the two men they respected most..brilliant,” while @Marvelnewszz takes things even further and posits that “Avengers Secret Wars will feature ultimate showdown as Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman’s heroic might against the villainous duo of Doctor Doom and Chris Evans’ Captain Hydra in a battle that will shake the very foundations of the Marvel Multiverse.”
Does Chris Evans & Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Undermine ‘Avengers: Endgame’?

The Captain Hydra comic book arc was cheekily referenced in Avengers: Endgame, with Evans’ Steve Rogers pretending to be loyal to the nefarious group in order to stay undercover. But will Avengers: Doomsday introduce a full-fledged evil Cap? Some are very much on board with the idea, with @sg1329 saying, “If Chris Evans is returning to the MCU in avengers doomsday then I want him to be CAPTAIN HYDRA. Would be cool with the whole RDJ as Doom.” Others, though, are not so enamored, with @giselleb1234 using an eye roll emoji to show their disdain alongside the message, “Watch Chris Evans play hydra Captain America in avengers: doomsday.”

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Marvel Rumor Suggests Robert Downey Jr. is Just the First Version of Doctor Doom

Will the MCU include another version of Doctor Doom?

Not only are some MCU fans simply sick of the multiversal madness that will surely allow both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans to return, many feel that their comeback undermines the conclusive elements of Avengers: Endgame, which so successfully brought their characters to an end back in 2019. @MrEthanHuntMI9 thinks it’s nothing more than an act of desperation, saying, “So Marvel finally realizes it’s been making duds since Endgame, and their only solution is to bring back characters that started it all. How original. These actors and the Russo brothers all said they were moving on.. so it’s an act of desperation by Marvel. Such a shame.”

@CS11__ feels similarly, adding, “Never seen such a forced effort to rekindle the Avengers Endgame excitement of the MCU,” while @Mahiaa01 is surprised their return has happened so quickly, saying, “no point in endgame being the big goodbye that it was lmaooo, hasn’t even been 10 years.” How do you feel about Chris Evans coming back to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday?