Chris Evans is back as Captain America, and his confirmed Avengers: Doomsday return fixes a key Marvel Cinematic Universe problem, hinting at how Steve Rogers' legacy can continue to impact the franchise for many movies to come. Evans is one of the faces of the Marvel Studios franchise, starring in several of the MCU's best movies, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The actor's return comes at a time when the MCU needs it the most, as it is no secret that Marvel's Multiverse Saga has been pretty divisive. While we don't know the extent of Steve Rogers' role in Avengers: Doomsday's story, the MCU would never bring him back for a small part. Still, what we do know of Evans' MCU return changes the game for future MCU movies.
The MCU Has Faltered Without Chris Evans' Captain America
Chris Evans' Captain America holds an impressive record in the MCU. The actor debuted as the character in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. From there until 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which marked the end of Evans' first chapter in the MCU, he appeared in at least one Marvel movie per year, establishing a constant for the franchise. Fans knew Steve Rogers always returned.
The Infinity Saga had better planning than the Multiverse Saga, or at least its overall story was more cohesive, with not even close to the same amount of loose threads and divisive releases as seen in recent years with the new MCU saga. Evans' absence was definitely felt, as even Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige, blamed Captain America: Brave New World's underperformance on replacing Evans.
The Huge Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Reveal Fixes The MCU's Captain America Problem
While Evans returned as a version of the Fantastic Four's Human Torch in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, his upcoming appearance as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday is notably the bigger deal. Immediately, the fact that one of the MCU's most beloved heroes is back will not only make the next Avengers movie better, but it will also boost audience interest in the film.
That said, I can't help but think about how the first look at Steve Rogers' MCU return also fixes a bigger franchise problem in the long-term, and it is all due to Captain America's son. In the Avengers: Doomsday teaser, Marvel reveals that Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter had a son. That kid is the perfect answer to what happens after the Multiverse Saga.
Avengers: Secret Wars is set to reboot the MCU in some form. Clearly, the franchise was not quite working without Evans' Captain America, so recasting Steve Rogers with someone who could play the hero for the next decade or two would be a tall ask.
However, by aging up Steve's son, Marvel can essentially have the same character, but a new version connected to the original Captain America. It is the perfect alternative to recasting Captain America, and the MCU has teased that path could hold true for another hero, with Black Panther's son also named T'Challa. As such, Marvel plants the seeds for Captain America's future in Avengers: Doomsday.
