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

I’m nervous that Chris Evans’ return to the MCU in Phase 6’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday will change how I look at Steve Rogers. After a five-year hiatus from the MCU, I was thrilled to see Chris Evans pop up in Deadpool & Wolverine as Johnny Storm’s Human Torch, but I expected this to truly be the end of Evans’ Marvel Studios career. I was shocked to hear that Chris Evans has now been cast in Avengers: Doomsday, reuniting with the Russo brothers, Robert Downey Jr. and Hayley Atwell, but I’m now worried about Steve Rogers’ legacy.

We first saw Chris Evans appear in the MCU as Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Chosen to become Captain America before being frozen until the present day, Rogers became a founding member of the Avengers and one of the MCU’s most central and powerful superheroes. I thought that Steve Rogers’ retirement in Avengers: Endgame was the perfect ending for the former Captain America. This makes me quite nervous that Evans’ return in Avengers: Doomsday could tarnish his Endgame conclusion, especially when considering popular casting theories for the MCU veteran.

Chris Evans’ Perfect Avengers: Doomsday Return Is Arguably As A Villain

Chris Evans Returning As A Villain Makes Sense For The MCU

So far, we’ve seen Chris Evans appear in 12 MCU movies, and, aside from his brief cameo as a shape-shifted Loki in Thor: The Dark World, he has played a steadfast superhero in every one. In the wake of him being cast in Avengers: Doomsday, however, since the extent and nature of his role haven’t been revealed, theories have emerged suggesting he could, in fact, portray a villain. I reckon this is pretty likely, especially since Robert Downey Jr. has been recast as one of Marvel’s most iconic supervillains, Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see Chris Evans portray a formidable supervillain in Avengers: Doomsday. I think this would be a fantastic way to subvert audience expectations concerning Evans’ return to the MCU, and this could support theories of an evil Avengers team forming, perhaps led by Doctor Doom, and including twisted versions of Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Hawkeye and more. As incredible as a villainous Captain America could be, however, I’m nervous about how far Marvel Studios would need to push this role for Chris Evans, which could be detrimental to his career as Steve Rogers.

HYDRA’s Captain America Is A Perfect Comic Setup For The MCU To Use

HYDRA’s Captain America Is The Most Popular Chris Evans Casting Choice

While there are many notable supervillains from Marvel Comics who Chris Evans could play in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s not hard to surmise that his perfect villainous character would be a HYDRA-indoctrinated Steve Rogers. This alternate version of Steve Rogers was first seen in Marvel Comics in 2016, and briefly replaced Earth-616’s Captain America, instigating the Secret Empire event which saw HYDRA assume control of the United States. HYDRA has been a huge part of Chris Evans’ Captain America’s history, so I’m excited about the possibility of seeing this huge twist.

What makes the possible introduction of HYDRA’s Captain America even more exciting is that this version of Steve Rogers also becomes a staunch enemy to the mutants of Marvel Comics’ Earth-616. I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for Marvel Studios to debut some of the most notable and powerful mutants into the MCU, and seeing an evil Steve Rogers perhaps evolve into a twisted Captain Krakoa and spread mutant hate and discrimination would be a fantastic way to open these doors. However, this makes me pretty worried about how Chris Evans’ new MCU character will be handled.

Chris Evans’ Evil Steve Rogers Could Tarnish His Heroic Legacy

The fact that Chris Evans played one of the most patriotic and steadfast superheroes in comic book history in the MCU means that his possible return as a villain needs to have an equal amount of impact. This makes me nervous, as a villainous Steve Rogers would be one of the most terrifying, sinister, haunting and brutal adversaries the heroes of the MCU may have ever faced. This is especially true if he not only fights to restore HYDRA to its former glory, but also spreads significant hatred regarding the emergence of mutants on Earth.

As incredible as something like this would be to watch, this has me worried that Steve Rogers’ heroic legacy and perfect ending from Avengers: Endgame will be butchered in Avengers: Doomsday. An evil version of Steve Rogers could be so intense and disturbing that his debut might actually make rewatching Chris Evans’ heroic career in the MCU difficult for us to watch. I really don’t want to hate Steve Rogers, so Marvel Studios needs to find the right balance between creating the shock factor and paying homage to what Chris Evans delivered before.

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