Marvel fans all over the world are still reeling from the new Avengers: Doomsday trailer. The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is easily one of the most anticipated of the whole year and the hype for the trailer was immense before its release; now that it has finally surfaced online, we've entered the stratosphere.
One of the biggest talking points about the new footage is, of course, Chris Evans' return as the original Captain America himself, Steve Rogers. The OG Cap appears in the closing moments right as his old pal Thor speaks of the Avengers' need for a miracle. That miracle arrives before him and even manages to make Mjolnir come to him - once again proving that he is still worthy.
Evans' involvement in Avengers: Doomsday has been rumored since the film started production but Marvel Studios made things official in December 2025 when the first character-centric teaser trailer for the movie confirmed he would return. If you didn't see that, the new trailer likely left you wondering why. Why - when the MCU has gone to such an extensive effort to build a new roster of heroes (including a new Captain America in Sam Wilson) - has Steve Rogers returned? Well, it's complicated.
Avengers: Doomsday is now a direct sequel to Avengers: Endgame
The Multiverse Saga has been in as constant a state of flux as the multiverse itself. Although it was originally envisioned as a brand new chapter for the MCU that would introduce a multitude of new heroes, over-expanding onto the Disney Plus streaming service, some lacklustre titles in between, and mixed responses to a lot of the properties watered down the Marvel charm. And therefore, the studio hit a reset button, if you will.
While Kang the Conqueror was originally planned to be the Multiverse Saga's "next Thanos", the response to his official introduction in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the overall lukewarm response to the MCU's Kang character, and the studio's parting of ways with actor Jonathan Majors resulted in a complete reinvention of Avengers 5. Therefore, whatever was planned for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was replaced by a new plan to bring in Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom - setting the wheels in motion for Avengers: Doomsday instead.
To make that happen, Marvel Studios decided to take a look at what worked from the Multiverse Saga and move away from what didn't, essentially deciding to ignore a lot of that so that Avengers 5 could be a direct sequel to 2019's Avengers: Endgame. And if we're introducing a character that will resurrect the lore of Tony Stark and his relationship to the other Avengers, then Steve Rogers was a necessity.
Steve made what supposed to be his last MCU appearance in 2019's Avengers: Endgame when the man out of time used the Infinity Stones to travel back in time and "steal" a little happiness for himself. In doing so, he finally got that dance with his beloved Peggy Carter and the two settled down to live a long, happy life together. Unfortunately, rumor has it that this might have caused some multiversal incursions that led to the arrival of Doctor Doom.
There has also been a long-standing fan theory that Loki, acting now as the God of Stories and a member of the Time Variance Authority, will pay a visit to Steve and Peggy to warn them of the incoming arrival of Doctor Doom, setting events in motion that will lead to Steve rejoining the Avengers. Although it appears that he won't be doing it as Captain America; that title is now held by Steve's successor and close friend, Sam Wilson, who will also be taking part in the battle for the multiverse's future.
All in all, bringing Steve Rogers back was an attempt from Marvel Studios to steady the ship, reignite the stakes and make sure that Avengers: Doomsday isn't just a sequel to the Multiverse Saga titles but the MCU as a whole. As the franchise spread itself too thin over the past few years, some of its attempts to build newer heroes have been unsuccessful. And, therefore, they have turned to one of their most beloved heroes - one more time.
As controversial as the reset may have been, an Avengers movie led by Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth just feels right.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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