For Marvel fans, the word "endgame" will always be associated with the iconic Avengers: Endgame; the movie that changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe and actually served as the endgame of its Infinity Saga. But the franchise is looking ahead to a new endgame now (in both senses of the word), as its ongoing Multiverse Saga will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars.
It's the big one that promises to be even bigger than its predecessors, as the Avengers are expected to be joined by heroes (and maybe even some villains) from across the multiverse in a bid to stop the dreaded Doctor Doom, who will take over as the franchise's new Big Bad. And what's even more shocking is that Marvel legend Robert Downey Jr. is expected to return to the franchise but in the new role as the villainous doctor, a variant of his beloved MCU character Tony Stark. a.k.a. Iron Man.
It's all an example of what the Multiverse Saga is capable of, and it likely won't be the only major aspects of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In fact, Downey's return might not be the only return of a classic Avenger only for them to play a different role in the juggernaut films.
A new report suggests that we could see another one of the MCU's original heroes back in a villainous role.
Chris Evans rumored to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars as Captain Hydra
According to Marvel scooper account Marvel Update, Chris Evans will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Secret Wars but in a very different role. This time, as the post claims, he could be playing Captain Hydra (instead of Captain America). Needless to say, that would be a heck of a way to show what the multiverse is capable of.
Evans is, of course, best known to Marvel fans for playing the beloved Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. He debuted in the role in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, turning the character into a staple of the franchise very quickly, as he made a comeback in direct sequels The Winter Soldier and Civil War, as well as all of the Avengers movies to date, along with cameo appearances in Thor: The Dark World, Ant-Man and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Steve Rogers' initial mission was to defeat Hydra and all who stood for it. The majority of that was accomplished in the 1940s during the events of the first movie, but elements of it lived on and reared their head in the present. In the end, Steve defeated the organization, proving that hope, decency, and love can triumph over evil.
But to see him portray a villainous doppelganger of Captain America who served Hydra instead, that would be the ultimate twist; one that a lot of Cap fans understandably may not want to see. And yet, just like with Robert Downey Jr.'s return in a new, darker role, Captain Hydra would showcase the potential of the Multiverse Saga. Iron Man and Captain America are the two faces of the MCU brand, so the notion of there being evil doppelgangers out there is really quite an intriguing way of highlighting the ambitiousness of the current storyline that Marvel Studios are focusing on.
Anything can happen in the multiverse, and that includes the purest heroes becoming the most dangerous villains.
If Evans were to appear as Captain Hydra in Avengers: Secret Wars, it would actually be the third role he played in the MCU franchise. Obviously, he portrayed Captain America, but he also recently made a brief appearance in Deadpool and Wolverine as an alternate version of Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, reprising his role from both the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four movies.