The first teaser for Avengers: Doomsday, which was leaked before it even came online (and also in theaters in conjunction with Avatar: Fire and Ash), is finally officially online. The Russo Brothers shared the teaser on their social media and YouTube on Tuesday, announcing the return of Chris Evans to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while fans are happy to see Steve Rogers back, the teaser had ‘cash grab’ written all over it.
avengers doomsday teaser
The teaser begins with a wide view of American suburbia, which appears to be from the 50s or 60s. A man on a Triumph motorcycle stops, and we see it is Steve Rogers. Inside his house, he holds his baby (Cap and Peggy now have a family), and then shows off his old Captain America uniform. The brief reveal ends with a simple message: “Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday”. This puts an end to all the theories and speculations regarding Evans’ return The MCU, and also the capacity in which he will return. For some, it’s a return to Marvel Comics’ trend of bringing back characters from the dead and dusty corners of the universe. For others, it’s a desperate attempt by the Russos to breathe life into a franchise that is not only dying, but nearly destroyed.
Why doesn’t Steve Rogers’ comeback work?
Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War were marvels of storytelling (no joke). The MCU’s Infinity Saga (Phases I to III) was an example of how interconnected films, cameos, and crossovers could be effectively used to tell a longer story with branches extending outward. What worked for Endgame was how efficiently it tied up almost all the loose ends. Iron Man, the hero who always wanted to show the world that he cared, had to make the ultimate sacrifice. Black Widow finally gets her chance to wipe the red mark off her books and stand up for something bigger than herself. And Steve Rogers, the man who dedicated his entire life for the nation and humanity, got his own happy ending, no matter how ‘immoral’ it may have been. But Doomsday took him out of that fairy tale, leading to his character’s conclusion in Endgame, making one of the most satisfying movie endings of recent times completely obsolete.
People also ask about what Anthony Mackie, the new Captain America. Marvel has enabled two heroes to play the same role together in the comics in the past. Peter and Miles were both Spider-Man, and Steve and Sam could both be Captain America. But it does weaken Mackie’s Sam Wilson’s reputation in the MCU if he constantly has to look over the broad shoulders of Steve Rogers, and not just figuratively.
Perhaps the biggest disservice this fan service does is to the actors who were supposed to lead Doomsday. the return of Robert Downey Jr. (as Doctor Doom, no less) and now Chris Evans means the MCU is desperate, out of ideas, and falling back on tried-and-tested formulas. His best films worked not because of any star power, but because of his curiosity about storytelling. RDJ was a faded star, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were a nobody, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson were popular, but by no means household names. And Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo looked out of place in all this. Still, they all worked, not because audiences wanted to see them, but because they fit the demands of the characters and the story. But as the MCU continues to sink (what was the last big hit, and when?), the Russos and Kevin Feige have abandoned that game plan to give audiences a bit of nostalgia and dazzle them with star cameos and familiar faces. Alas, this was a comic book trope I hoped I would never see in this film franchise.
Avengers Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18, 2026.