For years, Marvel Studios appeared committed to evolving beyond Steve Rogers. Across multiple phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the groundwork was laid for Sam Wilson to inherit Captain America’s shield. Now, as Avengers: Doomsday (2026) approaches, that succession plan looks far less straightforward.
Doomsday’s development has been anything but conventional. The film began as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, intended to spotlight Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror and his many incarnations. After Majors’ departure, Marvel shifted direction, rebranding the project as Avengers: Doomsday in 2024. The studio also confirmed that Anthony and Joe Russo would return to direct, with Robert Downey Jr. cast as Victor Von Doom, AKA Doctor Doom.
The change signaled a recalibration of the Multiverse Saga. While official plot details remain scarce, teaser material and industry chatter suggest a collision of timelines and realities. Characters from both the modern MCU and the 20th Century Studios superhero slate are expected to appear, with Multiversal incursions driving the chaos. One persistent rumor claims Doom is pursuing Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers due to his timeline-altering decisions in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The Russo Brothers’ return carries weight. After guiding Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame to record-setting box office totals, their involvement positions Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) as cornerstone events. Still, the filmmakers and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige have clarified that these films won’t conclude the Multiverse Saga but will instead pave the way for the next era, widely believed to focus on mutants.
Audiences first glimpsed Doomsday footage in late 2025, attached to James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025). The teasers showcased a sweeping cast list: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Shuri/Black Panther (Letitia Wright), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) from the MCU’s current roster, alongside Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellan), and Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) from the X-Men films.
Yet the most talked-about reveal was Chris Evans. The first teaser confirmed his return as Steve Rogers, marking a major shift after Endgame seemingly closed the book on his story. In that 2019 finale, Steve handed the shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, symbolically ushering in a new Captain America.
Sam’s transition unfolded in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the Disney+ series developed by Malcolm Spellman and Kari Skogland. Across six episodes, Sam grappled with the weight of the mantle, supported by Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. By the end, he formally embraced the role.
Mackie carried that evolution into Captain America: Brave New World (2025), positioning Sam as the MCU’s official Captain America. But the Russos’ recent comments indicate that Steve Rogers remains a focal point of the overarching narrative.
“Each one of those trailers is narrative information. It’s all part of a larger story,” Joe Russo told Empire Magazine (via Comic Book Movie). “So I would argue that Doomsday has already started for you.”
“Look, the movie is very complex,” he continued. “We thought one of the best ways to celebrate what the movie is was to give characters their own space and highlight some moments.”
The teaser devoted to Steve Rogers—even depicting him alongside his child—suggests a deeply personal thread woven into the larger Multiversal crisis. Anthony Russo underscored that importance. “We have a special affinity with the character. We can’t see this narrative without his central role in it, basically. The special place he holds among the ensemble, he sort of retains that moving forward.”
If Steve anchors Doomsday, where does that leave Sam? As of his last appearance, Sam was forming a new Avengers lineup, one reportedly in opposition to Yelena Belova’s (Florence Pugh) Thunderbolts, rebranded as The New Avengers. The franchise now faces the intriguing prospect of balancing two Captain Americas during a storyline poised to reshape the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on December 18, 2026, kicking off what may be a transitional moment for many long-standing characters. Secret Wars follows in 2027, though there is growing speculation that Marvel could divide that saga into two installments, effectively expanding the finale into a three-part event.
With its December slot, Doomsday is positioned for a major holiday run, and industry expectations suggest a box office haul north of $1 billion. Whether it can rival the towering success of Infinity War and Endgame—particularly Endgame’s historic global run—remains to be determined.
Superhero films have faced fluctuating fortunes in recent years, making predictions less certain than they once were.
Before Doomsday takes center stage, Marvel and Sony will team up for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swinging into theaters exclusively on July 31, 2026.
As Marvel revisits the hero who launched its cinematic universe, the question lingers: is this a final chapter for Steve Rogers, or the start of something even bigger? Let us know in the comments down below!
