Chris Evans is officially back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), reprising his role as Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The first teaser trailer for the film, which was initially shown before screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash and later released online on December 23, 2025, reveals a surprising new chapter in the life of the star-spangled Avenger.
The teaser opens with Steve Rogers riding a motorcycle toward a quiet farmhouse, accompanied by a piano version of the Avengers theme. The footage then offers glimpses of Steve wearing a wedding band and tenderly holding a newborn baby, suggesting that he has built a family since audiences last saw him in Avengers: Endgame. This intimate portrayal reinforces the idea that Steve truly chose a different path after the events of Endgame.
In a move sure to ignite fan excitement, the teaser culminates with Steve opening a storage crate and gazing at his Captain America suit. The screen then cuts to black, announcing, "Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday".
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. The film will see Evans alongside a vast lineup of familiar faces from across different corners of the Marvel universe, including Chris Hemsworth. The teaser suggests that the stakes extend beyond timelines and universes, with Doctor Doom positioned as the antagonist.
The return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers comes as a surprise to many, especially after Evans himself stated earlier this year that he was "happily retired" from playing Captain America. In June, he told ScreenRant that he would not be starring in Avengers: Doomsday. He told GQ in 2023, "I'll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I'm also very precious with it".
The Russo brothers, who directed Avengers: Endgame, addressed the reveal in an Instagram post, writing, "The character that changed our lives. The story that brought us all here together. It was always going to come back to this".
Marvel fans last saw Captain America in the closing moments of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, where he passed the shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) after choosing to live out his life with Peggy Carter in the past.
According to Variety, this is reportedly one of multiple teasers set to be released in the coming weeks, with other clips focusing on different characters. The leaked Captain America trailer and a Thor-focused teaser have already appeared on social media.
The announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU not as Iron Man but as Doctor Doom was revealed at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con.
