A line uttered by the Star-Spangled Man himself might explain why he's rocking a rather simplistic look in Avengers: Doomsday. Despite exiting stage left at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers is back for another MCU movie, with Chris Evans reprising the role that turned him into a bona fide action star. But circumstances have changed drastically for the hero, namely because he gave up the hero game and traveled back in time to rekindle his romance with Peggy Carter.
Doomsday's first teaser focused on Steve returning home to his suburban home after riding his motorcycle. He went inside and held his baby, embracing the "life" his late friend Tony Stark told him to find. However, Steve couldn't miss the chance to reminisce about the good old days and grab a peek at the Captain America costume in his dresser.
Of course, the shield left Steve's hands at the end of Endgame and went into Sam Wilson's. At first, Sam struggled to embrace the reality of being Captain America. He did the work, though, and grew into his own as a hero. Doomsday will present Sam with another opportunity to show what he's made of, and he'll get to share the battlefield with Steve once again.
Marvel Studios isn't about to pull the rug out from under Sam and have Steve ask for the shield back. No, the original Cap will keep the red, white, and blue at home as he travels the multiverse to fight Doctor Doom. The Doomsday promotional art confirmed as much, showing Steve front and center in a black t-shirt while holding Mjolnir.
The reaction to Steve's new look has been mixed, to say the least. Fans just can't get behind the idea of arguably the MCU's most important hero wearing something so casual while fighting for the fate of everything and everyone. What the naysayers seem to forget is that Marvel Studios always has surprises up its sleeve.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the titular character donned his stealth suit for most of the movie, using it to battle Batroc the Leaper and HYDRA's goons. Alexander Pierce's smear campaign forced Cap and his allies to go underground and leave their costumes behind. Running around in civilian clothes didn't sit right with Steve, so he switched things up.
While talking to Sam, Steve said, "If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform," before breaking into the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and taking his first suit back. HYDRA could only watch as Steve destroyed Project Insight and used his old look to knock some sense into the Winter Soldier.
Steve won't have his original costume to fall back on in Doomsday. That doesn't mean he has to throw in the towel and stick with Old Navy's best. There's still a war to be fought and a uniform to be found.
Steve Rogers Could Embrace His Nomad Persona In Avengers: Doomsday
When Steve discovered one too many skeletons in the government's closet in Marvel Comics, he gave up being Captain America. He took on a new title, Nomad, and learned to fight for more than his country.
The circumstances are certainly different, especially because MCU Steve already did his outlaw arc ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. But he still might be walking a similar path to his comic book counterpart in Doomsday. By the end of the movie or the start of Avengers: Secret Wars, a change could be in order, one that gives Evans' character a complete makeover.
Nomad's comic book costume certainly isn't anything to write home about. In fact, it was probably already outdated the moment it hit the page in the '70s. All that means is that the good people at Marvel Studios have a blank slate as they chart Steve's next live-action chapter.
