Following the news that Chris Evans will be back for Avengers: Doomsday, now a rumor surfaces that offers the actor won’t be returning as Captain America.
You’ll note in reports about Evans’ return that they never said who Evans is playing, and they also said Anthony Mackie is playing Captain America.
Well, they’re both not playing Captain America. The rumor who Chris Evans is playing in Avengers: Doomsday actually surfaced early last year via Giant Freakin Robot.
Now John Rocha of The Hot Mic says he heard the same. Who is Chris Evans supposed to be playing? Nomad:
“I’ve heard who the character is… I was having the conversation today, and someone mentioned it… Nomad.”
What was the original rumor?
The original Nomad rumor also said Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU. Well, that turns out correct as we know RDJ is playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
The rumor from early 2023 said Nomad was actually be developed for a Disney+ series. The series was going to follow Captain America becoming Nomad after finding out that the President of the United States is part of the villainous Secret Empire. In the comics, Secret Empire is the storyline that deals with HYDRA taking over the United States, with an alternate reality Captain America also revealed to be a HYDRA agent. The rumor for the series said: “Captain America sheds his name and becomes Nomad, as he cannot support America when finding out about this dark secret.”
It’s further said that the Nomad series was going to follow Captain America as he travels back in time to return the Infinity Stones. Well, recently also saw the news that Hayley Atwell will be back as Peggy Carter for Avengers: Doomsday.
It’s possible that Marvel may have retooled the Nomad series and combined it with Avengers: Doomsday. We know Marvel was originally going with Kang Dynasty, and we can guess when that was thrown out, ideas from the Nomad series became a part of Doomsday. Find out how it all may connect below.
Who is Nomad in the Marvel Comics?
The original Nomad identity was adopted by Steve Rogers after he abandoned the Captain America title and costume. In Captain America #180 (December 1974), Rogers becomes disillusioned with the U.S. government upon discovering that a high-ranking official—strongly implied to be President Richard Nixon—is the leader of the Secret Empire, a terrorist organization.
This revelation shatters Rogers’ faith in the nation’s integrity, leading him to discard his Captain America persona. However, an encounter with Hawkeye, disguised as the Golden Archer, helps him realize he cannot walk away from heroism. Embracing the name “Nomad,” meaning “man without a country,” Rogers dons a dark blue and yellow suit, free of patriotic symbols, as he forges a new path as a wandering hero.
What is Secret Empire?
So similar to what the MCU seems to be doing with Secret Wars, which originally was a crossover event published in 1984 and then revamped for 2015, Secret Empire, too, was revamped in 2017. In the most recent Secret Empire, Captain America is exposed as a sleeper agent, secretly working to position the terrorist organization Hydra as the dominant global power. Recall the “Hail, Hydra” Cap moment from Endgame, which is a nod to the comics, or maybe a foreshadowing of things to come.
How could Nomad connect to the MCU?
If we follow the bread crumbs and assuming the Nomad rumor is true, it seems likely that somehow a younger Steve Rogers returns to the present day. It’s possible Rogers could return and that he discovers Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross, Red Hulk, is possibly connected to the Secret Empire. When Rogers returns, since Sam is Cap, that could also be a reason why Rogers dons the Nomad mantle to help the heroes battle RDJ’s Doctor Doom, who looks like (or could be an alternate version of) his one-time friend an ally, Tony Stark, Iron Man.
So Avengers: Doomsday would connect to Avengers: Endgame and the prior MCU films, as well as Captain America: Brave New World.
Captain America: Brave New World gets released Feb. 14, 2025; Avengers: Doomsday hits May 1, 2026.
