Chris Evans officially returns as Steve Rogers in the blockbuster "Avengers: Doctor Doom". At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the 45-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly how long the journey to this decision had been.
After filming "Endgame" concluded in 2018, Marvel Studios leadership, led by Kevin Feige and Lou D'Esposito, offered Evans to continue Steve Rogers' story under the alias Nomad:
"They showed me a concept, and it was great, but for some reason, it just didn't feel right at the time. I was too protective of the character and wanted to preserve the completeness of his story. However, I asked them to keep pitching ideas."
According to Evans, Marvel regularly returned to negotiations, but none of the proposed stories seemed right to him:
"Over the past eight years, I've listened to at least a dozen different pitches, and they were all wonderful. But the feeling that the time had come just wasn't there. I was starting to think that maybe that stage was just over."
The situation changed when the actor learned about Robert Downey Jr.'s negotiations with Marvel:
"My team called me and said there were rumors that Downey was in talks with Marvel. I thought, 'Wow, what does that mean?' And suddenly everything fell into place. Joe Russo pitched me the concept, Downey was already on board — and I realized, 'This is it, the time has come.'"
Evans remains cautious about further involvement in the MCU, although he does not rule out new appearances of Steve Rogers. According to him, he will only agree to return for a story that does not devalue the character's previous journey.
"Avengers: Doctor Doom" is scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2026.