Despite the trades reporting that Chris Evans will make his MCU return in Avengers: Doomsday, the actor remains resolute that his time as Captain America is over.
However, we know better than to put too much stock into what actors like this say ahead of a movie as secretive as this one. Plus, even if Evans says he's done playing Cap, that doesn't mean he won't return as Variant in Doomsday or Secret Wars.
While there aren't quite as many Captain America Variants as, say, Spider-Man, there are many alternate versions of Steve Rogers that Evans could bring to life as part of his long-awaited MCU comeback (outside of his turn as the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, of course).
To see which Captain America Variants we'd like to see in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
8. Old Man Rogers
Marvel Studios still hasn't firmly established whether Earth-616's Steve Rogers is alive or dead (the latter seems likely). We know he travelled back in time to get his happy ending with Peggy Carter, later returning to the present to bestow his shield upon Sam Wilson.
Assuming Steve is still alive, he could return to action as Old Man Rogers. Donning armour and making use of the Super Soldier Serum still coursing through his veins, it would be cool to see Evans explore the hero's limitations before likely being restored to his youthful self.
This may be his Earth-616 Variant (yes, we're cheating a little), but c'mon, you have to admit it would be a blast to see on screen.
7. Civil Warrior
As eager as we are to see Captain America return to the MCU to help save the Multiverse, there's something to be said about revisiting Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday in a more villainous light.
In the Marvel: Contest of Champions mobile game released in 2014, we met a Captain America who killed Iron Man during the events of Civil War. He then incorporated Tony Stark's armour into his own uniform, going so far as to use the fallen Avenger's Arc Reactor in his shield.
Given how important Captain America: Civil War was to the MCU, it makes perfect sense for Doom to enlist a Steve Rogers who gave in to his darker impulses by killing his world's Iron Man. His dynamic with Earth-616's heroes would also be fascinating.
6. Zombie Cap
We've watched an undead Captain America go on the hunt in What If...?, but that Steve Rogers was no more than a shambling zombie. However, if Marvel Studios takes us to a world of zombies more in line with what's been seen on the page, Evans could undergo a truly startling revelation.
Honestly, we'd be happy just seeing him transform into the animated Variant for a scene or two, but Colonel Rogers would be even better.
Once President of the United States, he was responsible for transforming Spider-Man and turned into a brain-eating baddie by none other than the Red Skull. Imagine the Avengers thinking they've found Cap on another Earth, only to be met by this grotesque Variant.
5. Cap-Wolf
In the comics, Steve underwent this transformation during a story that played out in the pages of Captain America #402 and #403. Infected by a virus created by Nightshade, Cap retained his human consciousness but also gave in to the primal instincts of a, you guessed it, werewolf.
Cap-Wolf has become a firm fan favourite and was later reintroduced as an Earth-666 Variant on a world where the Avengers were monsters.
However, despite his beastly appearance, Cap-Wolf was just as much a hero as his Earth-616 counterpart. All this one would take is a little VFX to transform Evans into a Captain America we never imagined would make it to the screen in live-action.
4. Soldier Supreme
Introduced during 2018's Infinity Wars event, Soldier Supreme was an amalgamation of Captain America and Doctor Strange.
Not only does he have Cap's enhanced strength, agility, and combat skills, but the Soldier Supreme also wields Stephen Strange's mastery of magic and mystical artefacts (making him a formidable superhero on multiple fronts).
This would give Evans a chance to do something new with a role he's been tied to since 2011, portraying a Steve similar to the one we all know and love, albeit with a magical twist that could even see him fulfil Doctor Strange's role from the comics as Doom's right-hand man.
3. President Rogers
Across multiple realities, there are versions of Captain America who have become the United States President. Heck, we even caught a glimpse of one of them during What If...?'s first season.
This Variant could be merged with another; for example, we think it would be amazing to see a group of Avengers travel to another reality, enter the White House, and find the undead Colonel Rogers sitting behind the desk (as we alluded to above).
Whether it's tyrannical Captain America who holds power in the Oval Office or a Variant who has changed his world for the better, this concept is one we'd enjoy seeing explored in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars.
2. World War II Captain America
We don't know what state the Multiverse will be in when Avengers: Doomsday begins (or ends), but if Earth's Mightiest Heroes are desperate enough, they could find that they have limited options in assembling a Multiversal team.
While there are some wildly different versions of Steve Rogers featured throughout this feature, what if Evans were to revisit the Captain America we saw in action during World War II? Plucked from the battlefield, he'd be a man out of time again, tasked with a mission he's ill-prepared for.
It doesn't even have to be the Earth-616 timeline; this Cap could even hail from a world where the war continued against the Nazis and HDYRA and he never took a dip in the ice. The point is, there might be real storytelling potential here to deliver something fresh.
1. Hydra Cap
When it comes to evil Captain America Variants, they don't come much worse than this guy. In the pages of Captain America, we learned that Steve had secretly been a loyal HYDRA agent since childhood, though we'd soon learn a sentient Cosmic Cube had been used to rewrite reality.
Eventually, Hydra Cap and the regular Steve became two separate characters, making it easier for fans to accept that a doppelganger had done all the things the hero stands against.
We're all excited to see Evans wield the shield again, but what if it's as a villainous Captain America who, in his world, is loyal to HYDRA? He'd still want to save the Multiverse for his own benefit, of course, and would no doubt have a fascinating dynamic with Doctor Doom...