Many fans believe Chris Evans will return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday as HYDRA’s Captain America, but I think he would be better suited to bring a different version of Steve Rogers to life. Chris Evans first played Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, and has since undergone significant transformations, becoming a central figure in the MCU. His retirement from the role in 2019’s Avengers Endgame was emotional, but he’s since returned to action in Deadpool & Wolverine and will again in an upcoming film.
The confirmation that Chris Evans has joined the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, alongside Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, and Benedict Cumberbatch, was followed by the announcement that Hayley Atwell would also return. I believe that Hayley Atwell, who debuted as Captain Carter in the animated series What If…, should reprise her role in a live-action adaptation. Additionally, Chris Evans could bring a variant of Steve Rogers to life, potentially as the HYDRA Stomper.
Echoing the wait for Captain Carter, I think it would be great if What If…? series concluded in season 3 would move into live-action in Avengers: Doomsday. Hayley Atwell previously portrayed a live-action Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but this iteration was a separate entity from the animated series.
Similarly, Chris Evans could bring a live-action version of the HYDRA Stomper to the big screen, following the character’s conclusion in What If…?. Evans doesn’t voice Steve Rogers in the animated series, but his likeness is used, making it possible for him to bring this variant to life.
I’d love to see more What If…? characters transition to live-action, including T’Challa’s Star-Lord, Strange Supreme, Party Thor, Happy Hogan’s Freak, Nova Corps Nebula, Sakaaran Iron Man, and many more. Avengers: Doomsday could be the perfect vehicle for these characters to make their live-action debut.
This film could also serve as an opportunity for veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Robert Downey Jr., to reprise their roles in new and exciting ways, much like the recent announcement that he will be playing Doctor Doom. Upcoming MCU films include Thunderbolts, scheduled for release on February 14, 2025, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, set for release on July 28, 2023.
