Chris Evans Received 'at Least a Dozen Pitches' to Return to the MCU – But Will He Be Nomad in Avengers: Doomsday?

Chris Evans said helium received "at slightest a twelve pitches" to instrumentality arsenic Steve Rogers successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and based connected a tease from Captain America prima Anthony Mackie, it sounds similar Nomad whitethorn person been what brought him back.

Both Avengers: Doomsday stars spoke astir however Steve Rogers volition beryllium handled successful the superhero team-up movie conscionable aft stepping disconnected the Hall H signifier astatine San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026. Both Evans and Mackie volition stock a surface erstwhile much erstwhile the task premieres this December, but it sounds similar it took immoderate clip for Marvel Studios to person the erstwhile that it was a communicative worthy telling.

Evans' Cap was near successful the past pursuing the events of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, leaving galore – the histrion included – to judge Steve Rogers was retired of the MCU arsenic Mackie's Sam Wilson took up the Captain America mantle. Evans has present told Entertainment Weekly that conversations astir reintroducing him into its expansive cinematic beingness started arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2018.

"When we finished Endgame successful 2018, Lou [D'Esposito] and Kevin [Feige] took maine to meal and they were like, 'We'd emotion to support doing movies with Steve Rogers arsenic Nomad,'" Evans said. "And I said, 'Okay, well, what bash you got?'"

Nomad is simply a sanction Marvel comics readers volition recognize. It's 1 of the galore aliases Steve Rogers has adopted implicit the decades since helium archetypal threw his star-spangled shield onto the page, but the sanction has ne'er been uttered successful the MCU.

With his character's exit inactive truthful fresh, however, Nomad wasn't capable to bring Evans backmost into the fold. He explained that the 2 Marvel Studios executives' transportation "was great" but inactive "didn't consciousness close astatine the time."

"I benignant of wanted to… I was a small precious," helium continued. "I wanted to sphere it. But I conscionable said, 'Please support pitching.'"

What followed was 8 years of what Evans recalled arsenic "at slightest a twelve pitches" to bring his Steve Rogers backmost to the large screen. He explained, "You bash commencement reasoning possibly that's the expiration — immoderate it is — possibly it’s not close due to the fact that it’s conscionable not right."

So, what ended up making Steve Rogers' instrumentality successful Doomsday consciousness right? The answer: Robert Downey Jr.

"I got a telephone telephone from my squad saying there's a rumor [Robert Downey Jr. is] talking to Marvel, and I was like, 'Uh, oh. What does this mean?'" Evans said. "And each of a abrupt it felt right. [Doomsday co-director Joe Russo] gave maine the pitch, and Downey was [back]. It conscionable each of a sudden… it was like, 'This is it.'"

We've seen a fewer clips of Evans' instrumentality arsenic Steve Rogers – 1 abbreviated 1 of him holding a babe and different changeable from the trailer of him with Chris Hemsworth's Thor – but neither revealed excessively overmuch astir however he's backmost oregon his role's imaginable ties to the comics. Evans did accidental Marvel pitched him connected a instrumentality arsenic Nomad, but that was each the mode backmost successful 2018. Without seeing Doomsday, it's hard to pinpoint precisely what's happening successful its story, but Mackie whitethorn person helped fans zero in.

During his ain interrogation with Variety, the Captain America: Brave New World prima clarified that Steve Rogers volition not instrumentality backmost the relation of Cap erstwhile helium comes backmost to assistance combat Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Instead, it sounds similar that archetypal Nomad thought whitethorn person traveled done to the transportation that brought Evans back.

"Steve Rogers successful the comic publication – determination is simply a comic book," Mackie said, looking into the camera, erstwhile asked astir Doomsday. "You accidental you're a nerd. Read the comic book. Don't beryllium a nerd by trade, beryllium a nerd by fact. So, successful the comic book, Steve Rogers becomes Nomad."

When the interviewer past said, "Maybe that volition happen," Mackie shrugged and said, "I don't know. I don't know. I don't adjacent ticker movies."

Marvel loves to support its secrets. Viewers excited to spot Spider-Man: Brand New Day person spent months trying to lick the individuality of Sadie Sink's enigma character, with adjacent authoritative MCU accounts doing their champion to messiness with them successful the meantime. They'll person their reply erstwhile Tom Holland returns to the large surface this Friday, July 31.

Avengers: Doomsday, meanwhile, is acceptable to premiere December 18, 2026. While we hold to spot however the communicative of Captain America fits into the large MCU picture, you tin work astir the concealed connection Downey Jr. hid portion astatine SDCC. You tin besides spot however Feige fought backmost against disapproval of Doctor Doom's build-up, arsenic good arsenic everything other Marvel had to amusement astatine its Hall H panel.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).