Chris Evans Confirms No Return to MCU for Avengers

Chris Evans, the star who brought Captain America to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has firmly denied rumors of his return in the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday or any other MCU projects. Speaking to Esquire, Evans debunked a report from Deadline that suggested he would be reprising his role alongside Robert Downey Jr., who is confirmed to return as Iron Man. "That's not true, though," Evans clarified, emphasizing his contentment with retirement from the superhero franchise.

The speculation about Evans' return stemmed partly from comments made by Anthony Mackie, who succeeded Evans as Captain America after the latter's departure in Avengers: Endgame. Mackie told Esquire he had not seen a script for Avengers: Doomsday but was informed by his manager that Evans might return. However, Mackie later spoke directly with Evans, who reiterated his stance on retirement, saying, "Oh, you know, I’m happily retired."

Despite his firm stance on not returning as Captain America, Evans did make a cameo in the MCU by reprising his role as Johnny Storm from the old Fox universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. This appearance, however, was more of a light-hearted side role compared to his central role as Captain America.

The MCU faces other uncertainties, particularly following the departure of Jonathan Majors, who played Kang the Conqueror. Majors was set to become the franchise's next major antagonist akin to Thanos but was dropped after being found guilty of assault and harassment. In response, Marvel has announced that Doctor Doom, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., will take over as the new big bad. This change has fueled speculation about other original Avengers potentially returning, though no official confirmations have been made yet.

In related news, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange, confirmed that his character will not appear in Avengers: Doomsday but will have a "central role" in the subsequent film, Avengers: Secret Wars. The Russo Brothers, known for directing previous Avengers films, will helm Secret Wars, which is expected to delve further into multiverse narratives and will reportedly feature Hayley Atwell reprising her role as Agent Carter.