Marvel fans have spent years wondering which original Avenger would truly lead the MCU after Avengers: Endgame (2019). For a long time, the answer seemed obvious: Thor.
Chris Hemsworth remained one of the franchise’s few consistent anchors after the Infinity Saga ended. While characters like Iron Man and Captain America stepped away, Thor continued appearing across the MCU, carrying his own solo films while helping maintain a connection to Marvel’s earlier era.
That is why a new update surrounding Avengers: Doomsday (2026) has started raising eyebrows online.
Following CinemaCon 2026, reports surrounding the movie’s cast billing order suggested that Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers now ranks above Chris Hemsworth in the film’s official hierarchy. While that may sound minor at first glance, longtime movie fans know billing placement often reveals far more than studios openly admit.
In massive ensemble projects like Avengers films, billing order usually reflects who the studio sees as the story’s most central players.
And right now, Marvel appears to be prioritizing Steve Rogers once again.
Thor May No Longer Be Marvel’s Main Focus
For years, many fans assumed Avengers: Doomsday would heavily revolve around Thor. Hemsworth became one of the MCU’s most important remaining veterans after Endgame (2019), especially once Marvel began shifting deeper into multiverse storytelling.
Thor also remained incredibly popular despite mixed reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Even fans who disliked that film generally agreed that Hemsworth himself still worked well in the role.
That is what makes this latest development feel so surprising.
Reports now suggest that Evans’ return is being treated as far more than a nostalgic cameo. Marvel reportedly sees Steve Rogers as one of the defining emotional centerpieces of the movie, placing him directly behind Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in overall importance.
That naturally leaves Thor in a different position than many expected.
Of course, this does not mean Hemsworth has been pushed to the sidelines entirely. Thor still appears positioned as one of the film’s biggest heroes. But fans are beginning to notice that Marvel’s marketing conversation increasingly revolves around Evans and Downey instead of Hemsworth.
That is a major change from earlier assumptions surrounding the movie.
Part of the reason this matters so much is because Thor has quietly become the MCU’s longest-running active Avenger. Hemsworth first debuted as the God of Thunder in Thor (2011), and he has now appeared in more Avengers films than nearly any other Marvel hero.
For many fans, he represented the natural bridge between Marvel’s past and future.
Now, though, Marvel appears to be leaning harder into nostalgia than forward momentum.
Steve Rogers and Thor Could Share the Emotional Core
Interestingly, some of the reported footage descriptions from CinemaCon still place Thor at the heart of several emotional scenes. One sequence allegedly features Thor reacting with shock after Steve Rogers suddenly reappears holding Mjolnir.
That moment reportedly became one of the biggest crowd reactions shown during the presentation.
Honestly, it makes sense why Marvel would focus so heavily on that reunion. Steve Rogers and Thor are among the last surviving emotional connections to the original Avengers lineup. Seeing them reunite after everything that happened in Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019) is exactly the kind of callback Marvel knows audiences want.
But even if Thor remains emotionally important, the larger narrative spotlight still seems to be shifting.
Marvel likely understands that bringing Chris Evans back immediately restores some confidence among longtime fans who may have drifted away during the Multiverse Saga. Pairing Evans opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom gives the movie an instantly recognizable emotional hook.
Unfortunately for Thor fans, that may naturally reduce Hemsworth’s overall prominence.
There is also growing speculation that Marvel may be saving Thor’s biggest final storyline for Avengers: Secret Wars(2027). If true, Doomsday may simply function as the first chapter of a much larger sendoff for the character.
That approach could ultimately benefit Thor in the long run.
After more than 15 years inside the MCU, Hemsworth deserves a conclusion that feels earned rather than rushed through as part of one overcrowded crossover movie.
Still, perceptions matter heading into a project this massive.
And right now, many Marvel fans are starting to believe that Avengers: Doomsday (2026) no longer belongs primarily to Thor. Instead, Marvel appears ready to put Steve Rogers back at the center of the Avengers franchise once again.
