Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday is on the horizon so it's only natural that reshoots have begun. Like all big Hollywood blockbusters, reshoots can make or break a highly-anticipated movie, improving on what came before or completely rewiring the structure of said film. It can produce mixed results for sure, but they are still important to have in order to prepare the product for the biggest audiences imaginable.
While much of the plot of Avengers: Doomsday has remained under wraps, that hasn't prevented leaks from the movie surfacing online in recent months. While it's hard to take anything seriously in this era of AI and deepfakes, some of the images and footage that leaked out were seemingly backed up by the official trailers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, which feature similar scenes.
The hope is that this won't happen again as reshoots commence. However, a new apparent leak from the set has suggested that Marvel plans on addressing one of the most controversial topics heading into Avengers: Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday reshoots focus on Sam Wilson's Captain America as Marvel seemingly addresses the "two Caps" backlash
According to renowned industry scooper MyTimeToShineHello, the Avengers: Doomsday reshoots will place a big focus on Sam Wilson's Captain America among other characters. Naturally, this suggests that Sam - played by Anthony Mackie - will get more spotlight in the MCU film than initially planned, with the reshoots looking to make up for that. And, honestly, that's a pleasant surprise.
That being said, there has been something of a divisive response to this update. While the vast majority of it is celebratory over the fact that Sam may be front and center of a portion of the ensemble movie, it has naturally forced fans to ask the questions as to why he wasn't in the first place. He is, after all, Captain America - and one of the characters that the Marvel Studios franchise has been investing in most since the launch of the Multiverse Saga back in 2021.
Despite the fact that Sam Wilson was tasked with kickstarting the Avengers' rebirth and despite the fact that Captain America is supposed to be front and center in the MCU, fans have been concerned that Sam won't be given the spotlight that he deserves. That all has to do with the fact that Avengers: Doomsday will bring back Chris Evans' Steve Rogers - a.k.a. the original Captain America.
Although Steve won't be donning the suit or swinging the shield, it's hard to look past the legacy that Steve himself has crafted. And considering that the previous Avengers movie (2019's Avengers: Endgame) saw Steve retire the mantle and hand the shield to Sam, it would be pretty backwards for the sequel to feature Steve once again in the spotlight and Sam back to his trusty wingman role.
With that in mind, Marvel's newfound focus on Sam for the reshoots does suggests that they may have been listening to the fan feedback. While Avengers: Doomsday is an ensemble movie with Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsowrth at the forefront as always, there are some other characters who the narrative has dictated deserves focus - characters like Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.
We know that Yelena will get multiple big moments in the movie leading the New Avengers (the trailer showcased her battle with the X-Men's Mystique, too), but it is unclear what type of role Sam will have (as he hasn't really gotten any kind of shining moment in the trailers thus far). It goes without saying that it should be as leader of the reborn Avengers. And considering that Steve will likely play a major role in the film, Sam - being one of his two best friends and the man he entrusted the shield to - should be right by his side in the spotlight.
Taking all of that into account, the possibility of Sam Wilson playing an even greater role in Avengers: Doomsday than we first thought is undoubtedly music to the ears of MCU fans. Let's just hope it's a sign of things to come, as the Multiverse Saga specifically set him up to be a leader going forward; it's only right that Marvel kicks that off now after setting the stage for his ascension as Captain America in both The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Captain America: Brave New World. Now is Sam's moment - and he deserves it.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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