Chris Evans as Steve Rogers sitting in a chair backwards
(Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Time is a circle as Chris Evans returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

When it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. was returning as Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we said “Well, that’s weird.” Now, it has happened twice. This time with the news that Chris Evans will return in Avengers: Doomsday.

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This news comes with a caveat that the Downey news did not: We don’t know what role Evans will play. Recently, he returned as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine as an ode to the death of the Fox universe but the news about Avengers: Doomsday doesn’t have a role in mind for Evans. It seems like Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will still be Captain America in the film though. Evans could just return as Steve Rogers, sans the shield.

This is both exciting and a little confusing. Part of me knows that things like this happen in comics all the time and if the Marvel Cinematic Universe is embracing that, good. Another part of me thinks this is a cash grab. I would like to think that the MCU is better than that though. Evans returning isn’t shocking. After Downey’s announcement, I really did think it was only a matter of time before the OG Avengers who either “died” or left would come back.

But the implications of this are what frighten me. Avengers: Endgame was a perfect send off for Tony Stark and it gave Steve his happily ever after. What does a return do for the characters? To be fair, I do think that neither of these two are going to be “our” versions of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark (well, we know that Downey isn’t). But I do think that what they’re setting up has the promise of being something great.

Especially if this is all in preparation for Secret Wars.

Our heroes back in action once again

Secret Wars features the Beyonder uniting heroes and villains on a planet to battle it out in the comics. We don’t know if that is what is going to happen with the Marvel Cinematic Universe but since Avengers: Secret Wars is going to be the official end of the “Multiverse Saga,” I reason that we could see alternate versions of each character come together to fight it out.

The Deadline piece announcing Evans’ return continued to speculate that other heroes we’ve lost could make a return. With the Russo Brothers returning to direct, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. I’d love to see Scarlett Johansson return as Natasha Romanoff and see what Florence Pugh’s Yelena does with that. I’d really enjoy a Pietro Maximoff actually there with Wanda at his side.

There is a lot of potential here. Not all of it great but I do trust them to make something good if it got Downey and Evans to sign back on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Until we know exactly who Evans is playing, all we have to look to is the comics. And what a great time to revisit the Secret Wars run and speculate!


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