I Think Chris Evans' Return As Captain America In Avengers Doomsday Hints At A HUGE MCU Crisis

As a hard core MCU fan, Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers in the upcoming Avengers Doomsday is nothing short of exciting. For many fans, like me, Captain America remains the emotional pivot of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and seeing him back in action (after his exodus from the Universe) feels like a comforting homecoming – a Linus’ blanket to a weary Marvel fanatic soul. It just did not feel the same when the OG heroes of MCU ceased to exist. Yet, beneath all the hype, a recent admission by the Russo Brothers on Steve Rogers felt more like a revelation about the troubling reality being faced by an MCU in its post-Endgame journey – sans all its icons. Avengers: Doomsday has been positioned as one of MCU’s biggest cinematic events

yet, but if you think carefully, it is also leaning quite heavily on familiar faces – including the return of Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Doom. Evans’ return comes despite the MCU showing Steve Rogers’ poignant retirement at the end of Avengers: Endgame - a moment that was meant to symbolise both closure and renewal.

Last month, while talking to Empire Magazine, the Russo Brothers revealed that Steve Rogers remains central not just to the Avengers, but to the MCU’s overarching narrative itself - an admission, which, when you think about it, speaks volumes about one of the most profitable ‘verses’ in cinema. Admittedly, for the Russos, the attachment is deeply personal, considering their Marvel journey commenced with Captain America The Winter Soldier and Civil War before ending with in Infinity War and Endgame. One can argue that from the perspective of The Russo Brothers, narrating a major Avengers story without Steve Rogers feels almost impossible. The sentiment is already echoed in early teasers for Doomsday, which seemingly portray Steve enjoying his long-promised retirement with Peggy Carter- highlighting how integral Steve is to Marvel’s storytelling psyche.

However, this emotional dependence also hints at a systemic issue that has been plaguing MCU since 2019. When Endgame concluded with its high octane drama and visuals, it was not just conclusion to the Infinity Saga; allowing audiences a denouement, but it was also a handover. Tony Stark was dead, Steve Rogers stepped aside and finally the stage was set for a new generation of heroes who were ready to define what the franchise would look like going forward. Now, after almost six years, none of them have really made a mark, and the transition feels choppy and frustratingly incomplete.Like it has done with Robert Downey Jr, even if Doomsday manages to offer a clever narrative justification for including Steve Rogers in this multiversal world, one cannot deny that Marvel is continuing to lean on its iconic OG cast to stabilise the present narratives. And even if it works for now, does it not raise uncomfortable questions about the franchise’s confidence in its own future?

If MCU continues to focus on the original Captain America, are they not taking away from newer heroes who were meant to carry the legacy forward? As MCU enters Phase 7 with Doomsday, Shang-Chi, one of Phase 4’s strongest debut, still has its story arc incomplete. Forget that, even Sam Wilson’s journey as the new Captain America remains half-baked and a host of other superstars remain unexplored or worse - half explored (Moon Knight). Instead, key returning MCU heroes in Avengers Doomsday include Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Pedro Pascal too will return as Reed Richards.One wonders, is Marvel trying to have it both ways? Refusal to let go of the icons only seems like them not having enough faith in their own future heroes. Robert Downey Jr’s return as Doctor Doom only reinforces that concern. The Multiverse Saga while initially was a nostalgia high, has increasingly started to feel fastidious and fatigued – the limitations becoming clear. What seemed so interesting and fascinating with films under Doctor Strange and even Spider-Man, suddenly started feeling more of a confused mishmash rather than a streamline development towards the Universe's future.

The refusal to let go of the old guard, and putting old wine in new bottle (so to say) can also increasingly lead to superhero fatigue (something that has been plaguing MCU for sometime now). And even if it is thrilling to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home, or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, it risks of looking shallow.As Marvel heads toward its next two Avengers films, it risks of allowing spectacle to outweigh substance. The excitement of seeing beloved characters again, while amazing, cannot replace content and long-term storytelling. Without sustained investment in its newer heroes, the MCU risks becoming entwined in its own endless mishmash of call backs rather than building forward momentum. Ultimately, Steve Rogers’ return may be thrilling, but it also underscores the fact that unless Marvel fully commits to its future, it will risk oblivion.