Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) got his happy ending at the end of Endgame, retiring from the Avengers. We knew that was going to happen regardless, as Evans’ contract was up. The other option would have been death, but Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) got that honor. But we’ve been expecting Marvel to surprise fans with their return ever since.
Plenty of rumors have been popping up since 2019, explaining how Marvel might bring these two characters back to the MCU. Steve’s old age or Tony’s death would not even matter as there are ways to make it happen. Marvel can make prequels or multiverse movies featuring these characters without taking away anything from Endgame.
The actors themselves would not confirm a return. While both Evans and RDJ wouldn’t rule out more Marvel movies, they’ll still say they’re happy with how things ended in the last Avengers movie. But we’ve got a good reason to believe that Chris Evans is returning to the MCU no matter what he’s willing to say publicly. You should know that big spoilers might follow below.
The MCU already has a new Captain America
We’ll never know whether Marvel intended to reveal the entire Phase 5 and three significant Phase 6 titles at Comic-Con, or if it did it because the titles of most of those movies leaked a day early. What matters is that Marvel confirmed many of the leaked trademarks, including the titles for Avengers 5 and Avengers 6.
Captain America 4 also has an official title and release date. According to the plans, New World Order will hit theaters on May 3rd, 2024. And yes, this Captain America title was part of the initial wave of trademark leaks.
But New World Order isn’t a story about Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. That’s because the MCU has a new Captain America, which Evans has reiterated in interviews. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) accepted the shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This story is the Captain America 4 that has appeared in so many rumors already.
Also, there’s a second Captain America title in those leaked trademarks. That one probably isn’t about Chris Evans’ return to the MCU either.
The trademark leaks
Let’s look at the trademark leaks that preceded the Comic-Con event, and we’re going to mark the ones that Marvel already announced:
- Avengers: Secret Wars – November 7th, 2025
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty – May 2nd, 2025
- Captain America: New World Order – May 3rd, 2024
- Thunderbolts – July 6th, 2024
- Multiverse Saga – the title of the current saga
- Avengers: Eternity Wars – unannounced
- Captain America: Red, White, and Black – unannounced
- Celestials: End of Time – unannounced
- Midnight Sons – unannounced
- Nomad – unannounced
- Shang-Chi and The Wreckage of Time – unannounced
- The Black Knight: Origins – unannounced
We also bolded Nomad in the list above for a reason. That’s a Captain America movie that will not be part of the Captain America franchise. And that might be the super secret MCU movie that will deliver the return of Chris Evans to the Marvel universe.
The fact that Marvel confirmed almost half of the trademarks that leaked before Comic-Con 2022 suggests that the other ones are genuine too. Some might be part of Phase 6, as Marvel still has eight unannounced titles in that phase. Some of them might be Phase 7 titles. Eternity Wars certainly seems like a post-Phase-6 adventure.
Also, let’s remember that the Nomad trademark has appeared before, going unexplained.
Why Chris Evans will probably star in Nomad
But Nomad might always be part of Phase 6. That’s how you get back Chris Evans to the MCU in time of a massive Secret Wars film where he’ll interact with all the new Avengers, despite being retired and all.
Nomad is Captain America’s alter-ego in the comics. The one he uses after abandoning the shield. Steve Rogers is Nomad only for a brief period, and other people have been called that in the MCU.
But considering what we know so far, Nomad must be a Chris Evans movie. It can be a prequel, where Marvel shows us what Evans has been up to between Civil War and Infinity War. In case that story is relevant for the Multiverse Saga.
Or it can be a story of Steve Rogers’ days in an alternate reality where he married Peggy. There would have been a regular Captain America in that reality eventually. Or maybe he used a different name to prevent drawing attention to himself.
Finally, it could be a Cap from the multiverse that we’ll need in Secret Wars.
Whatever the case, Nomad can only be a Chris Evans role. That’s how he can return without ruining Steve Rogers’ arc in Endgame. There’s no real point for Marvel to introduce the other characters who became Nomad in the comics.
We will note that Marvel’s plans can always change. And that Nomad trademark is yet to be officially turned into a movie.
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