The former Cap is coming out of retirement.

Chris Evans’ Avengers: Doomsday return officially confirmed after leaks

The former Cap is coming out of retirement.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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December 18, 2025 2:17 p.m. ET

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Chris Evans returns a Captain America/Steve Rogers in 'Avengers: Doomsday'. Credit: ©Marvel Studios 2019

Cap is back! Chris Evans will officially return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in *Avengers: Doomsday*, a confirmation that comes days after an in-theater-only teaser for the 2026 event film leaked online.

Evans reprises his role of Steve Rogers, who hung up his shield and retired from super-heroics by the conclusion of 2019's *Avengers: Endgame*. He time-traveled back to the past so he could have a life with Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter. The fact that he appeared in the present day as an old man only reiterated that retirement plan.

But as we know, *Avengers: Doomsday* will play with time and reality as figures from various dimensions across the Marvel multiverse collide. So Cap is officially out of retirement.

Marvel planned to reveal multiple teasers for the movie in theaters attached to *Avatar: Fire and Ash*, which began early preview screenings Thursday ahead of a wider release on Dec. 19. One such teaser revealed Evans' surprise comeback as Cap, with three other trailer variations in the works. However, as the latest James Cameron movie opened overseas, fans opened their holiday gift early as footage of the Cap teaser leaked online.

Chris Evans' Captain America leads Earth's Mightiest Heroes in 'Avengers: Endgame'. ©Marvel Studios 2019

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The clip shows Steve park his motorcycle in front of his home, head inside, and pick up his new baby as the camera pans around to reveals Evans' face. It ends with a countdown to the movie's debut next year.

Iron Man veteran Robert Downey Jr. also returns to the MCU, this time as supervillain Victor von Doom. The character was teased in a post-credits sequence at the end of this past summer's *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, though the camera never showed the actor's face beneath the green cloak. That film further teased Doom's arrival when a camera panned across the United Nations to reveal a vacant seat for the country of Latveria, the character's home turf.

Downey's Doom is the latest Thanos-level threat for the comic book characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one that will span the multiverse. Characters from different realities will mingle together, including members of the X-Men, when the film arrives in theaters Dec. 18, 2026.

Evans seemed adamant that Cap would not be back and even went on record to say he was "happily retired." In a separate interview, he said, "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." This is why nobody trusts actors anymore.

Back in March, Marvel confirmed the first names of this mega ensemble taking on Doom. Those include *Fantastic Four* quartet Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm).

Robert Downey Jr. at San Diego Comic-Con.

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

*Thunderbolts**/*The New Avengers* cast members Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Wyatt Russell (John Walker), Lewis Pullman (Bob), David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr) will also join the fray.

Additional MCU veterans include Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Winston Duke (M'Baku), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Channing Tatum (Gambit).

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Past stars of the 20th Century Fox era of X-Men movies are also returning to their roles, including Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr), Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Scott Summers), and Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy).

Joe and Anthony Russo, the brotherly filmmaking duo who gave us some of the MCU's biggest hits (*Captain America: The Winter Soldier*, *Captain America: Civil War*, *Avengers: Infinity War*, *Avengers: Endgame*), are back directing *Doomsday*, as well as the follow-up *Avengers: Secret Wars* (Dec. 17, 2027).

The morning of the start of U.S. *Avatar: Fire and Ash* screenings, the Russos posted a non-specific *Avengers: Doomsday* teaser video to their social media page that just featured the countdown.

The caption read, "1 year..."

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