While Chris Evans says he’s done playing Captain America, Marvel fans have spiraled online after new photos and videos of the actor surfaced at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. While promoting his latest film, Sacrifice, the Materialists star made headlines after appearing noticeably more jacked than he has been in recent years and sporting a rare clean-shaven look similar to that of his MCU character Steve Rogers.
And with Avengers: Doomsday, set to open in theaters December 18, 2026, currently filming in the UK (and starring Evans’ friend and fellow OG Avenger actor Robert Downey, Jr. in a role whose announcement sent shockwaves around the world), speculation that Evans could return as Rogers in the film reached full-blown conspiracy theory levels, though any decision to include him could have problematic implications.
If Evans’ muscular new look is tied to Avengers: Doomsday, it wouldn’t be the first time an actor reshaped their body to play a Marvel superhero. Thor star Chris Hemsworth is known for bulking up with eight weeks of heavy training, followed by a four-week cut to play the Asgardian God of Thunder.
Kumail Nanjiani also famously underwent a year-long transformation with the help of trainers and nutritionists before portraying Kingo in 2021's Eternals. Even Evans bulked up for his Captain America debut, spending three months on intense weight training, while skipping cardio to maintain his size.
Evans Denies Avengers Doomsday Casting Rumors
Evans famously played the scrawny-aspiring-hero-turned-super-soldier from 2011 to 2019, appearing in 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos in Thor: The Dark World, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Captain Marvel. Since passing Cap's shield to Sam Wilson in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, Evans has moved on to other projects, though rumors surrounding his return to the cinematic universe persist.
To his credit, Evans denied being involved in Avengers: Doomsday as recently as June 2025, in an interview with Screen Rant:
Screen Rant: "I know you're not going to confirm or deny anything Avengers related, but I will ask now that Downey and the Russos are coming back, as friends outside of as colleagues, have you talked to them since they signed the dotted line?"
Chris Evans: "Yeah, I talk to them all the time. It's where Pedro [Pascal] is right now. I mean, it's sad to be away. It's sad to not be back with the band, but I'm sure they're doing something incredible, and I'm sure it's going to be that much harder when it comes out and you feel like you weren't invited to the party."
The denials from Evans are nothing new, as the actor shared his apprehension about returning to play Steve Rogers for years. In 2022, Evans explained the reason behind his hesitation while speaking with ComicBook.com:
ComicBook.com: "[There have] been rumors that there might be more Cap in your future. I personally think the story of returning the Infinity Stones..."
Chris Evans: "Yeah, that seems to be something people would like to see. I don't want to disappoint anybody, but I just don't...it was such a good run and I'm so happy with it. It's so precious to me. It would have to be perfect. It just would be scary to rattle something that is, again, so, so dear to me. That role means so much to me. So to revisit it, it would be a tall order."
Two years later, Evans did return to the MCU as his Fantastic Four character, Johnny Storm, in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Evans' shocking—and profanity-laced—comeback fueled hopes among fans that he would eventually come around to playing Rogers once again. Given Marvel’s love for last-minute casting surprises, many fans aren’t buying the denial this time around. But whether Evans is secretly on set, there’s a bigger issue at play, and it has less to do with spoilers and more to do with timing.
Sam Wilson’s Captain America Is Still Finding His Footing
Since Steve Rogers passed the torch to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has struggled to define its new Captain America.
While 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier gave Sam a proper coronation moment in its finale, the series received a mixed response overall. And instead of giving Sam a second swing at bat with a more character-focused story, 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World was heavily criticized. Worse still, in a film that also starred Harrison Ford as the President of the United States, Danny Ramirez as Wilson’s charming sidekick Joaquin Torres, and Carl Lumbly as the tragic hero Isaiah Bradley, Captain America was often the least memorable character in his own film.
For Sam Wilson to finally enjoy the acclaim and love from movie-goers that Steve Rogers enjoyed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Avengers: Infinity War, he needs space to grow and an audience that takes him seriously as Captain America. That becomes a lot harder to accomplish if Evans shows up just as Wilson’s Cap is set to lead the Avengers for the first time and reminds everyone that he wielded the star-spangled shield first.
Steve Rogers Was the Blueprint, but He Can’t Be the Future
There’s no denying that Steve Rogers is one of the most beloved characters in the MCU’s 15-year history. His character arc was central to the Infinity Saga. He was the Avengers’ moral compass, the leader who always had an uplifting speech up his sleeve, and the guy everyone willingly followed into battle. Bringing him back, even for the briefest cameo, would generate headlines and spark fan fervor more than any other single event in the Multiverse Saga thus far. But it could also be a crutch.
Marvel has made it clear that it is in a rebuilding phase. The Multiverse Saga, now three films away from its conclusion, has been polarizing. Sam Wilson’s Captain America is positioned as a central figure in the franchise’s immediate future. He is expected to lead a team of heroes, including Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Falcon, and Shuri/Black Panther (Letitia Wright). So if Steve Rogers returns, particularly in a way that overshadows or undercuts Sam’s leadership, the optics won’t be great.
Worse, it could reinforce a troubling pattern that has seen Marvel Studios handle Black heroes and their respective projects poorly. From the lack of promotion of Ryan Coogler’s Ironheart and Eyes of Wakanda to the way in which Rhodey’s (Don Cheadle) history was retconned in Secret Invasion, the treatment of many of the franchise’s Black characters leaves much to be desired. Steve Rogers’ potential return in Doomsday could inadvertently be another example of this worrying trend.
Chris Evans Can Return to the MCU if Done Right
A multiverse storyline makes it easier to include Evans without derailing Sam’s arc. Deadpool & Wolverine already proved that Marvel is comfortable pulling from alternate timelines and variant versions of its biggest stars, so there’s room for a version of Steve Rogers that isn’t the Steve from Earth-616.
Maybe we’ll get HYDRA Cap, a version of Steve who never crashed in the Arctic, or even the Steve who donned the HYDRA Stomper armor in What If...?.
If Marvel must bring Evans back, keeping it brief might be the safest route, at least until the mayhem of Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. After years of setting up Sam as the next generation’s Captain America, giving Steve any major narrative weight in Doomsday sends a specific message: that Marvel doesn’t trust the new guy to carry the shield alone. That’s a problem not just for Sam but also for the MCU’s ability to evolve.
Chris Evans might be filming Avengers: Doomsday. He might not be. But if he is, Marvel Studios should think twice about how they use him because it’s not just about pleasing nostalgic fans. It’s about ensuring Sam Wilson has the room to soar, not as the backup, not as a temporary or "other" Cap, but as the Captain America.
