Chris Evans' movie career after his departure from theMCUin 2019 made his return to Marvel Studios in 2026’s upcomingAvengers: Doomsdaypractically inevitable. Five years ago, Chris Evans made what seemed to be his final appearance in the MCU as an old version of Steve Rogers passing the Captain America mantle and shield to Sam Wilson at the end ofAvengers: Endgame. 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinedragged him back to the MCU as Johnny Storm’s Human Torch, however, and he’s now been revealed to be returning for thePhase 6’s upcoming crossover event,Avengers: Doomsday.
On December 9,The Wrapreported thatChris Evans will be returning to the MCU inAvengers: Doomsday, though the extent and nature of his role hasn’t been revealed.Chris Evans could reprise his iconic role of Steve Rogers' Captain America, though there has also been speculation of him portraying an evil HYDRA version of Cap, Johnny Storm, or a new character entirely. Evans follows in the footsteps of the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr., who is returning asDoctor Doom inAvengers: Doomsday, all of whom had a similar career trajectory followingAvengers: Endgame.
Chris Evans' Post-Endgame Movies Have Been A Mixed Bag
Chris Evans' movie career following his departure from the MCU inAvengers: Endgamehas followed an unusual and unpredictable trajectory, though it has mostly consisted of poorly-received box office disappointments. This is hard to reconcile, as Chris Evans is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, with his eight-year career as Captain America making him a household name. However,followingEndgame, Evans' only true successful projects have been 2019’sKnives Outand 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine, which only featured him for a matter of minutes.
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Chris Evans' only well-received projects afterEndgamehave beenKnives Out, Deadpool & Wolverineand 2022’sLightyear, though the latter became a huge box office bomb in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely,The Red Sea Diving Resort, Ghosted, Pain Hustlersand the recentRed Onewere panned by critics, whileThe Gray Manreceived a mixed response. This overwhelmingly negative reception toChris Evans' post-Avengers: Endgameworkhas been shocking, but may have led him right back into the arms of Marvel Studios.
Chris Evans' Most Well-Received Post-Endgame Role Was In Deadpool & Wolverine
Chris Evans Reprised His Classic Role Of Johnny Storm In Deadpool & Wolverine
Chris Evans' performance as the villain in Rian Johnson’s 2019 murder mysteryKnives Outwas very well-received, butit would be easy to argue that Evans' most well-received appearance followingAvengers: Endgamewas inDeadpool & Wolverine. The MCU Phase 5 sequel starred Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as returning mutant heroes, and provided the opportunity for several classic Marvel heroes to return. This included Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes' Blade andChris Evans as Johnny Storm’s Human Torchfrom 20th Century Fox’sFantastic Fourduology.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Fantastic MCU Actor Cameo Explained
Deadpool & Wolverine featured actors from Fox’s Marvel movies and some other surprises, with the film’s best return coming from a fantastic MCU star.
Even though Chris Evans was only featured inDeadpool & Wolverinefor a few moments before Emma Corrin’sCassandra Nova relieved Johnny Storm of his skin, his return to the MCU as the Human Torch received huge praise. It seemed an unobtainable dream for many who wanted to see Evans return as Johnny Storm, but seeing him back in action after 17 years was thrilling.This only added to the evidence that Chris Evans excels within the MCU, seemingly in any role given to him, soDeadpool & Wolverineperhaps made his more-recent return confirmation inevitable.
Chris Evans' Post-Endgame Roles Made His Avengers Return Inevitable
Chris Evans' Role In Avengers: Doomsday Hasn’t Been Revealed
Chris Evans had few major hits prior to joining the MCU as Captain America, and has seen dwindling returns in the years since his departure in 2019, so his new return to the MCU inAvengers: Doomsdayseems to be the most sensible choice for the actor.As Steve Rogers, Evans has been involved with some of the most successful and highest-grossing movies of all time, but didn’t really use this as leverage to better his position following his departure from the MCU. He could now do this after 2026’sAvengers: Doomsday.
With the Russo brothers returning to directAvengers: DoomsdayandRobert Downey Jr. set to star as the film’s primary villain, Doctor Doom, the Phase 6 crossover movie is gearing up to match or beat the success ofInfinity WarandEndgame. The casts ofThe Fantastic Four: First StepsandThunderbolts*, as well as Anthony Mackie, have also been confirmed to be returning forDoomsday, so Evans will be among esteemed company. Hopefully,Evans' return to the MCU inAvengers: Doomsdaywill kick off a new era of career success for the actor.
RDJ And The Russo Brothers Have Also Struggled Post-Endgame
Robert Downey Jr. & The Russo Brothers Also Left Marvel Studios After Endgame
Chris Evans isn’t the only star who became involved with lackluster projects following the high ofAvengers: Endgame, asreturning directors the Russo brothersand returning actor Robert Downey Jr. also fell victim to this pattern.Downey Jr. went fromEndgameinto 2020’s disappointingDolittle, but then bounced back with the hugely successfulOppenheimerin 2023, which even earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Russo brothers have directedCherry, The Gray Manand TV seriesCitadelin the years sinceEndgame, all of which received mixed reviews.
The Russo brothers previously directed 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War, 2018’sAvengers: Infinity Warand 2019’sAvengers: Endgame, four of the most successful and popular movies in the MCU’s history.
It seems that these creatives perhaps consider Marvel Studios a safe space and a sure bet, as they all have years of experience working with Marvel, and are hugely popular among the MCU’s immense fanbase.The Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. were confirmed to be returning to the MCU during 2024’s SDCC, and their returns paved the way for Chris Evans to inevitably also come back. There are currently few details concerning Chris Evans' return inAvengers: Doomsday, but however he returns, this will be a hugely exciting development both for the MCU and his own career.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
