It's starting to feel like 2017, 2018, and 2019 all over again. You know, the good old days of the Infinity Saga, when audiences all over the world were talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the franchise has remained at he forefront of Hollywood productions - across film and television - it has had a lot more ups and downs than usual since the Multiverse Saga kicked off, making it harder for mainstream audiences to get excited about its new releases. But, with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon - and promising to bring back some of the biggest Marvel legends ever - the excitement is once again building.
One of the big names who was just recently confirmed to return is Chris Evans, who will reprise his role from the Infinity Saga as Steve Rogers, a.k.a. the original Captain America himself. Marvel made it official after a year of rumors by having Evans star in the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday at the end of 2025. And naturally, MCU fans are ready for him to return. It turns out, however, that Steve was almost part of a different, earlier MCU film.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps almost featured a Chris Evans return as Steve Rogers
It sounds like Steve Rogers' MCU return has always been on the cards for Marvel Studios. It might even have happened earlier if plans hadn't changed. According to industry insider John Rocha, the studio had initially planned to have Chris Evans cameo in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where he would have had an unlikely ally of sorts. Speaking on his podcast The Hot Mic, Rocha said:
"The Fantastic Four and Doom ask Steve Rogers to come with them to the MCU, Earth-616, to help them gain the heroes' trust ... This was supposedly a post-credits scene in Fantastic Four that got removed. It could still be a scene in the movie."
As unusual as this sounds, it does somewhat line-up with the theories that very much remain an active part of the MCU community discussion. The working theory is that Doctor Doom, who is expected to be the villain of Avengers: Doomsday, arrives as an "ally" to The Fantastic Four, teaming up with them to inform them that the multiverse is in danger. This belief is supposed to stem from Steve Rogers' actions in Avengers: Endgame, when he used the Infinity Stones to go back in time and live a long, happy life with Peggy Carter - a life that we now know leads to a child.
Although that post-credits scene didn't come to fruition, the storylines surrounding it appear to be unchanged. The fact that the official Fantastic Four: First Steps mid-credits scene did feature the first run-in between Marvel's First Family and Victor von Doom alongside the confirmation that the rumors surrounding Steve Rogers' return have now been confirmed as true due to the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer. Therefore, Doom's potential manipulation of the Fantastic Four could lead to a battle between them and the MCU's Avengers. After all, we know that they are on their way to the MCU's Earth-616 due to the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*.
It would have been pretty fitting to see Evans appear in a Fantastic Four movie given that he previously played Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, in the classic Fantastic Four movies (appearing in the 2005 original and its 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer). Ironically, he also reprised that role recently, making a multiversal cameo as a variant of Johnny in 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine.
Steve Rogers' official MCU return now takes place in Avengers: Doomsday instead
The good news is that we haven't seen the last of Chris Evans as the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan. Although Marvel did seemingly make the decision to scrap his potential return in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the announcement of said return via the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer created a ton of buzz for a movie that was still a year off at that point - and seemingly confirmed that the plan for that storyline is still in place.
As we said above, his return will be tied to his decision to return to the 1940s in Avengers: Endgame and start a life with Peggy Carter. According to multiple insiders, this will have potentially caused an incursion, which Doctor Doom will take it upon himself to try and "fix". It's unclear if those are the villain's true motivations at the time or if his descent into villainy comes after this, but it would be ironic if he recruited the Fantastic Four of his own world as potential allies considering that Doom is the archenemy of the heroes in the Marvel Comics.
This may also have to do with why the Russo Brothers returned to the MCU to direct the movie, as it will now seemingly be more of a direct sequel to their grand finale of the Infinity Saga, 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Originally positioned to focus on the Multiverse Saga's initial villain, Kang the Conqueror, Marvel made the decision to pivot, altering Avengers: The Kang Dynasty so that it would become Avengers: Doomsday, bringing in MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. to play the new role of Doctor Doom.
Regardless of how it all plays out in the MCU's Multiverse Saga, we're super excited to see Chris Evans' return in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. What's more, seeing him share the screen with longtime MCU co-star Robert Downey Jr. once again is going to be something special - and a real exhilarating experience! Is it December 18, yet?!