6 Characters We Can't Wait To See Meet Steve Rogers In Avengers: Doomsday

Published Sep 22, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Nicholas Raymond is an author and journalist based out of Alabama, where he proudly roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, he has a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism. Among the many sad elements of Steve Rogers' exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Endgame was the number of great and highly anticipated character pairings that had seemingly been taken off the table. Over the course of his long run, Marvel Studios has found opportunities for Captain America to interact with several of his Marvel Comics contemporaries, from Spider-Man to Iron Man. And now, Avengers: Doomsday is poised to add new names to that list. So far, the movie has revealed very little about Steve's return to the fold. The Avengers: Doomsday trailer teased his reunion with Thor, but has avoided where he'll fit into the bigger picture or what exactly will prompt him to return to his proper time and join the battle against Doctor Doom. In fact, it's left so much open to speculation that theories of Chris Evans playing an evil Captain America still haven't been ruled out entirely. What can be assumed, though, is that Steve will get to share the screen with multiple MCU characters for the first time. After all, Chris Evans' character is said to be crucial to the plot of Avengers: Doomsday. Based on that expectation, there's a great deal of storytelling potential in terms of the team-ups (or match-ups) the upcoming film can offer Steve that were never possible in the Infinity Saga. 6 Doctor Doom Out of all the meetings Avengers: Doomsday may arrange for Steve Rogers, one in particular feels inevitable. Chris Evans is one of two actors who exited the MCU in Endgame, only to come back in Doomsday, the other being Robert Downey, Jr. The latter is set to play Doctor Doom, a casting choice that the MCU is sure to make the most of in the movie, and that should include at least one scene where Evans and Downey, Jr. reunite onscreen. For now, it's hard to say how much the fact that Doctor Doom shares the face of Tony Stark will matter to the underlying narrative, given that it's at least possible that the villain will remain masked. If the theories of Doom being a Tony Stark variant are true, Doomsday has a chance to put a massive twist on the Captain America-Iron Man dynamic that drove the first four Avengers movies, with Downey, Jr.'s character firmly positioned as the villain in this scenario. 5 Namor In the context of the MCU, there would be much less meaning behind Steve Rogers meeting Namor, as opposed to the character facing Doctor Doom. But if Marvel leans into the histories of their respective comic book counterparts, Avengers: Doomsday can pull off something truly interesting between these two. Over the years, Captain America and Namor have been allies against the Third Reich, teammates in the Avengers, and hated enemies. A huge power level gap has always divided Steve and Namor, one that the Sub-Mariner has been quick to acknowledge. But that hasn't stopped Cap from standing up to him when necessary, regardless of how futile it may have seemed. His courage in the face of Namor's overwhelming strength has a lot to do with why Steve is one of the few humans Namor has genuine respect for in the Marvel Universe. If Avengers: Doomsday has time to bring them together, it can use Steve Rogers to make a lasting impression on Namor. Alternatively, it can go a step further, and honor the comics by revealing that Steve met Namor in the 1940s, whether it was in the main timeline or his new home. 4 Shang-Chi While Shang-Chi doesn't have the storied history with Steve Rogers that Namor does, he would be an excellent character to pair with Steve Rogers. Shang-Chi is recognized as the Master of Kung Fu in Marvel Comics, whereas Captain America has a similar reputation. He may not be as skilled in kung fu as Shang-Chi, but he's well-versed in all manner of martial arts styles, with his range going far beyond kung fu. As two of Marvel's greatest martial artists in both the MCU and the comic books, Shang-Chi vs. Captain America is a spectacular matchup that the source material has had fun with in the past. Setting up a scene where Steve Rogers fights with or against Shang-Chi would allow for an exciting showdown defined by the top-notch choreography that helped make Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings one of the best martial arts movies of the decade. 3 Red Guardian If David Harbour's Alexi Shostakov is to be believed, then Red Guardian has already met Steve Rogers. In Black Widow, he made some dubious claims about a fight he had with Captain America in the 1980s. Unless there were some time travel shenanigans at play, Red Guardian was either lying or talking about a possible Captain America replacement. Regardless of the explanation, there will hopefully be one in Avengers: Doomsday, since the two characters will finally be in the same movie together. The movie revealing that Steve actually did time travel back to the '80s and fight Red Guardian would do more than just deliver laughs, as it would also be a remarkable development that sheds light on what Steve has been up to in the timestream since he disappeared with the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame. And if there really is nothing to Red Guardian's story, there will surely be jokes made at his expense, mostly by Yelena. 2 U.S. Agent By having Steve Rogers retire the mantle of Captain America in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel preemptively changed John Walker's story ahead of his MCU debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In U.S. Agent's original comic arc, the U.S. government took away Steve's title as Captain America and handed it to Walker, thus laying the groundwork for an unforgettable one-on-one showdown between the two characters. Their relationship was characterized by their clashing moral philosophies and different ideas about what being Captain America is supposed to mean. Steve was initially resentful of Walker for tarnishing the Captain America image, but even after he put this behind them, their disagreements persisted. Unfortunately, a deeply accurate take on the beginning of their rivalry has now been rendered impossible, but it's not hard to imagine the MCU versions of Steve Rogers and John Walker butting heads in ways that would feel reminiscent of the late 1980s and early 1990s comics. 1 Cyclops Cyclops is the closest equivalent to Captain America that the X-Men has in Marvel Comics, which could serve as the basis for an epic team-up in Avengers: Doomsday. In addition to being highly disciplined martial artists, Steve Rogers and Cyclops are both expert tacticians and inspirational leaders of their respective teams. And that comparison brings to light what may possibly be the only way Doomsday can top Avengers: Endgame's final battle against Thanos. Matching the moment where all the heroes gather together after Steve shouts "Avengers...Assemble!" would not be easy to say the least, but the upcoming movie could meet that challenge with a scene where Steve says it again, alongside Cyclops shouting his own teams' rallying cry, "To me, my X-Men." Ideally, an epic team-up between the X-Men and the Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday would be lead by Steve Rogers and Scott Summers. Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Cast Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film and kicks off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A stacked cast of heroes both new and old to the MCU — including members of the X-Men — will face off against Victor von Doom, revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024 to be played by a returning Robert Downey Jr.