With the debut teaser for Avengers: Doomsday officially dropping online, Marvel fans across the globe are combing through every frame for clues. The short trailer confirms the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, marking the actor’s first appearance as the beloved character since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. As monumental as Evans’ return is, it’s the trailer’s emotional hook, a brief glimpse of Rogers gazing lovingly at a baby cradled in his arms, that is at the center of fan speculation.
Widely thought to be Rogers’ child, the baby’s presence hints at the possibility of another Marvel character’s long-awaited return. Shortly after Marvel’s infamous set chair livestream in March 2025, during which 27 of the film’s stars were officially announced, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige teased that more cast members would be named sometime in the future. With Evans now confirmed, it stands to reason that another character closely associated with Steve Rogers could also appear in the film.
There’s More to Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsday Return Than Meets the Eye
The first footage for Avengers: Doomsday is light on spectacle and heavy on emotion and nostalgia. Dropping us into a slice of domestic calm, we see Steve Rogers and that mysterious baby inside the same house seen in the final scene of Avengers: Endgame, during which Steve finally fulfilled his decades-long dream of sharing a dance with the love of his life, Peggy Carter.
Given how much Marvel Studios tends to hide narrative hooks in plain sight, placing so much emotional weight on this scene screams intentionality beyond Evans’ long-awaited but controversial return as the fan-favorite character. Doomsday exploring this domestic chapter of Steve’s life strongly implies that Peggy could also return in a meaningful way.
Why Keep Hayley Atwell’s Return in Avengers: Doomsday a Secret?
Whispers regarding Hayley Atwell’s possible return to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday have swirled since Deadline reported the casting in 2024. Atwell's last live-action MCU appearance was in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though she has since appeared as a Peggy Carter variant in the animated series What If…? Given how central this moment looks to the trailer’s mystery, there’s a strong chance Marvel is subtly confirming her involvement even before an official announcement hits.
Despite the reports, Marvel Studios hasn’t confirmed the Tomb Raider and Mission: Impossible actress' casting publicly. Marvel Studios is notoriously tight-lipped regarding casting and plot details, though some may wonder why a relatively minor MCU character’s casting would be kept under lock and key.
The likeliest reason for the secrecy is surprisingly simple. Peggy Carter is closely associated with Steve Rogers, and Rogers’ choice to go back in time to live a life with her at the end of Avengers: Endgame seemingly gave their love story a poignant—if not somewhat controversial—ending. So, if her casting had leaked or been announced before the teaser trailer, it would have all but confirmed Evans’ return before Marvel Studios was ready to announce his involvement.
What This Could Mean for Avengers: Doomsday’s Plot
If the teaser’s home scene is truly an important part of Avengers: Doomsday’s narrative, it suggests that the film may lean into a deeply personal story for Steve Rogers. A prevailing fan theory suggests that Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom may arrive on Steve and Peggy’s doorstep, hoping to either kill or kidnap their baby. This theory holds weight following The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ post-credits scene, which shows Doom kneeling ominously before Sue Storm and Reed Richards’ young son, Franklin.
If Doom’s master plan involves kidnapping, killing, or otherwise using these children, it could give Peggy a compelling reason to be involved in Doomsday.
This could also mean the film may explore the repercussions of choices made in Endgame, cryptically teased by Tony Stark’s eerie proclamation, "When you mess with time, it tends to mess back. You’ll see." The consequences of Endgame's time heist could bring Peggy Carter squarely back into the fold as one of the film’s key emotional anchors instead of a quick multiversal cameo.
Regardless of what directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron have in store for fans, Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be more than just another Avengers spectacle. With Steve and Peggy’s child and home prominently featured in the film’s marketing, the film appears to be teasing plot points and character returns that hold deep emotional resonance, and Peggy Carter’s role could be central to its narrative.
