The first trailer for “Avengers: Doomsday” was released online Monday, setting a new record by reaching 500 million views in just 24 hours.Since its debut, fans have taken to social media to share their theories and speculations about the film, characters, plot, alleged leaks, and more.
However, there’s one thing that fans don’t seem to have put their finger on, and that’s the first visuals for Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers.Although Evans was confirmed to return as Steve in Doomsday in December with multiple promotional releases for the film, the appearance of the character’s first encounter with the “Avengers” is generating buzz online.Fan theories that have spread on social media have convinced us that the version of Steve Rogers seen in the footage may not be the version of Captain America that fans remember, but a different version.
Fans question Steve Rogers’ appearance
Shortly after the trailer was released, social media users began dissecting every frame featuring Steve Rogers, pointing out subtle differences in his appearance in “Avengers: Infinity War” and his bearded appearance in stills from the new film.One of the most widely circulated theories was claimed by a fan, “This is not Captain America. This is Captain Freak Hydra.”Another pointed out the somewhat unusual reactions of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes upon seeing Steve again. One person asked: “Is it just me or are Sam and Bucky not happy to see Steve? They know him so well, do they sense something is wrong? Can we really get Captain Hydra in #AvengersDoomsday?”
Another said: “What if the Steve Rogers we saw in Avengers Doomsday is pretending to be Steve from Universe 616… but he’s actually Captain Hydra.”
Why do fans think something is different?
This speculation stems from Rogers’ noticeably changed appearance in the trailer, including the subtle absence of his dark civilian clothing uniform. This has led some viewers to believe that Marvel is intentionally hiding a major development. The clip also shows Steve Rogers summoning Mjolnir, seemingly proving that he’s still worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer.However, others have argued that the hammer seen in Avengers: Doomsday may not be the same version used by Rogers in Avengers: Endgame.
Captain Hydra connection
There’s also been a lot of speculation online about Steve actually taking on the role of Captain Hydra, after the Marvel Comics “Hail Hydra” dialogue was first adapted in “Endgame.”In 2016’s Steve Rogers: Captain America #1, writer Nick Spencer introduced the controversial Hydra Cap story, in which the Cosmic Cube rewrites reality and turns Steve Rogers into a loyal Hydra agent. This version of Captain America was also able to use Mjolnir.Some fans now believe that Avengers: Doomsday could adapt elements of that story through the multiverse, introducing a different version of Steve Rogers, an agent of Doctor Doom.
Whether the Steve Rogers appearing in Avengers: Doomsday is the familiar Captain America, the Multiverse version or Captain Hydra, fans will have to wait until December 18 to find out the details for sure.
