There have been many epic crossovers throughout the 17-year history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they will all pale in comparison to Avengers: Doomsday.
Earth's Mightiest Heroes will make a mighty comeback in late 2026, and they won't be alone this time around. The X-Men, Wakandans, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four will also join the fight for the fate of the multiverse. But if that wasn't enough, unexpected heroes from different timelines and universes are also set to make an appearance. But while many characters will take over the spotlight, there is one in particular that fans are excited to see once again.
The MCU started with the solo movies of four heroes: Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. While the Green Goliath and the God of Thunder are still making superhero history on the big screen, the other two icons are out of the picture permanently... or, at least that's what we initially thought. The very first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday dropped an absolute bombshell by revealing that Steve Rogers' Captain America will be back after seven years. Now, the directors behind the upcoming crossover have finally opened up about why a hero everyone thought was long-gone will be making a comeback.
The Russo Brothers talk about Steve Rogers' comeback in Avengers: Doomsday
In the latest issue of Empire Magazine, the Russo Brothers revealed that Steve Rogers' impact on the overarching MCU story is the main reason behind his upcoming return.
"His central role to the Avengers and the larger narrative of what the MCU has been something that’s very personal to us. We can’t see this narrative without his central role in it."
The main takeaway from this quote is that the directors behind Avengers: Doomsday can't see the film's narrative without Steve's "central role in it". While the highly anticipated crossover will feature many different heroes, could there be a chance that the original Captain America will be the main character? Not only did reliable insider Daniel Richtman confirm this idea, but we might also know why that could turn out to be the case.
The Multiverse Saga has thoroughly explored the dangers of incursions and how they can cause the destruction of entire worlds in a heartbeat. Normally, incursions originate when a person from one universe spends a lot of time in another, bringing the two realities closer together and eventually setting them on a collision course. However, Loki gave us another reason that might be even more terrifying.
A single, isolated universe can be composed of multiple branched timelines that all stem from the same succession of events. Loki exemplified this idea by making audiences picture a tree. One tree can have multiple branches, yet they all share the same stem. In this analogy, a tree is one universe, and an endless forest is the multiverse. But how can a single timeline be divided into two or more?
Whenever a character "deviates" from their intended path, it unknowingly creates a branched timeline. Remember how Earth's Mightiest Heroes went back in time to the events of the first Avengers movie, and they mistakenly freed Loki, who was initially captured by S.H.I.E.L.D? That's not how things played out the first time around, nor how they were meant to be. Due to that, a branched timeline was created. But why does this matter? Well, He Who Remains explained it best: If the branches of a tree aren't pruned, they risk getting tangled with those of another tree.
If a branched timeline is allowed to grow, it could create an incursion. Unfortunately, Steve Rogers going back in time and living a perfect life with Peggy Carter wasn't supposed to happen. Earth's greatest hero could have unknowingly marked it for doom. Insider MyTimeToShineHello has revealed that Doctor Doom will seek revenge on Steve Rogers for causing an incursion that ended up killing the villain's family.
Despite having zero presence in the Multiverse Saga so far, Steve Rogers' Captain America could turn out to be the biggest driving force behind Avengers: Doomsday. If Victor Von Doom is really out to get him, then it would explain why the retired soldier will need to suit up once again and jump into action. Only time will tell if these theories and reports turn out to be true, but one thing is certain: Steve Rogers is back, and he will face his biggest battle yet.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on Dec. 18, 2026.