Chris Evans’ Best MCU Return Was Perfectly Set Up By A Deleted Captain America Scene In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Chris Evans’ MCU return in Avengers: Doomsday may have been set up eleven years before, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Steve Rogers’ farewell in Avengers: Endgame was arguably the perfect send-off for the original Captain America, as he poured everything into every single one of his battles. Captain America’s MCU journey was all about self-sacrifice, so it made sense for him to be awarded a second chance to live the long and peaceful life he always dreamed of, especially after returning all the Infinity Stones to their respective origins himself.

Despite coming out seven years and three phases after Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday will feature the first Avengers mission since the Battle of Earth. Avengers: Doomsday will also bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, as well as other unexpected characters. Little is known about Avengers: Doomsday‘s plot, but it’s highly likely to focus on a new Multiversal War, this time without Kang the Conqueror’s involvement. Whether that means Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is a Tony Stark variant or not is yet to be revealed.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron’s Deleted Scene Explained

Marvel Cut An Important Captain America Scene From Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Steve Rogers inexplicably loses his Captain America helmet from one scene to the next in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, one deleted scene explains why. In one of Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s many cut scenes, Captain America lands the Quinjet in Sokovia alongside Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. As soon as Cap exits the Quinjet, he sees graffiti of Captain America’s comic book mask with the word “fascist” written across it. Steve Rogers quickly throws his helmet back on the aircraft and leads his team to the battlefield.

Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch make up the team “Cap’s Kooky Quarter” in the comics.

Steve Rogers doesn’t mention it explicitly, but he evidently feels affected by his public perception in Sokovia. While Captain America had been generally praised in the United States for decades, the rest of the world likely didn’t hold the same opinion. Just like the Maximoff twins hated Tony Stark for his time as a weapons manufacturer, other Sokovians may have hated Captain America’s popularity as a paragon of liberty. After all, Captain America had never stepped foot on Sokovia before the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, so it likely seemed hypocritical for him to introduce himself to them as their savior, wearing a US-themed helmet.

Old Steve Rogers retires in Avengers_ Endgame and Sam Wilson fights as Captain America in Brave New World trailer

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Captain America’s deleted helmet scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron hasn’t been acknowledged in the MCU, but it probably informed Steve Rogers’ decision to oppose the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. The Captain America graffiti showed Steve what many people really thought of him before the Avengers went to Sokovia and failed to protect the country from Ultron. The aftermath of Ultron’s rebellion was catastrophic, with Captain America’s fellow Avenger Quicksilver and thousands of civilians dying in the process. Hence, after the Avengers’ split, Steve Rogers abandoned his Captain America iconography altogether in Avengers: Infinity War.

Chris Evans Is Set To Return To The MCU

Chris Evans Will Appear In A Mystery Role In Avengers: Doomsday

Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook

Shortly after Robert Downey Jr. announced his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at San-Diego Comic Con 2024, it was confirmed that Chris Evans will also appear in the MCU’s next Avengers movie. Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsday role remains unconfirmed, and theories range from an old Steve Rogers to a new Captain America variant to a brand-new MCU villain like the Beyonder. What’s for certain is that Chris Evans’ brief appearance as Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine makes the actor unlikely to be playing the same Fantastic Four character in Phase 6.

Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsday character could be any combination of multiple Captain America variants and other heroes or villains

Avengers: Doomsday‘s multiversal nature makes it difficult for fan theories to get anywhere close to guessing the movie’s precise plot. Even though some Iron Man-Doctor Doom mash-up characters exist in the comics, the Doctor Doom variant Robert Downey Jr. is playing in Avengers: Doomsday could be a completely original take on Victor von Doom. Likewise, Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsday character could be any combination of multiple Captain America variants and other heroes or villains.

Captain America’s Fascist Nightmare Sets Up A Perfect Future

Captain America’s Fears About His Mantle’s Meaning Could Come True In Avengers: Doomsday

Taking into account the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is playing the famously evil Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s possible that Chris Evans is playing a similarly villainous Captain America parallel. In the comics, Captain America’s evil counterpart is Captain Hydra — a Steve Rogers variant who joined Hydra instead of becoming Captain America in an alternate timeline created by a sentient Cosmic Cube. The fascistic Captain Hydra posed as the original Captain America for a while in Marvel Comics’ main timeline, but he was soon discovered and defeated by Steve Rogers himself.

Chris Evans' Captain America in the MCU and HYDRA Captain America in Marvel Comics

I’m Scared That Chris Evans’ Perfect MCU Return Might Make Me Hate Steve Rogers

Chris Evans is finally returning to the MCU, but recent theories have me worried that his possible villainous turn will tarnish Steve Rogers’ legacy.

Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers protected his legacy in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame after realizing the dangers of his Captain America iconography in Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s deleted scene. However, this may not be the case in every timeline. The increasingly unstable multiverse might bring a truly fascistic Captain America to Earth-616, showing the world what the Sentinel of Liberty could have become if Steve Rogers didn’t have a noble heart. Whether Chris Evans’ original Steve Rogers will still be alive to witness this is yet to be seen.

Captain Hydra OR Nomad Could Answer The Age Of Ultron Accusation Perfectly

Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsay Variant Could Show How Good The MCU’s Main Timeline Had It With Steve Rogers

Captain Hydra and Nomad in action in Marvel Comics — Custom image by Nicolas Ayala

Regardless of whether Avengers: Doomsday makes the parallels explicit to the rest of the characters, Captain Hydra’s introduction could be the perfect illustration of Captain America’s realization in Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s deleted scene. Captain Hydra represents the dangers of a patriotic mascot in the wrong hands, which were always present not only for Steve Rogers, but also for John Walker, Sam Wilson, and even Alexei Shostakov. The MCU’s Earth-616 was lucky enough not to have a Super Soldier who used the Captain America mantle for evil, but that threat could arrive from a different universe anyway.

Super Soldiers	Allegiance
Steve Rogers / Captain America	USA
Sam Wilson / Captain America	USA
Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian	USSR
Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier	Hydra
Isaiah Bradley	USA (sidelined)
John Walker / US Agent	USA / Thunderbolts
Peggy Carter / Captain Carter	UK (multiverse)
Johann Shmidt / Red Skull	Hydra

Alternatively, Avengers: Doomsday could introduce a different version of Captain America in the form of Nomad. Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers displayed Nomad qualities in Avengers: Infinity War, such as his lack of Captain America symbols and his independent crusade for justice. However, Avengers: Doomsday could feature a Nomad variant who abandoned the Captain America mantle for good and developed a cynical outlook on his former mantle’s patriotism. Either way, Chris Evans’ potentially new Steve Rogers variant could put the original Captain America’s unparalleled values into perspective.