Marvel's decision to reintroduce Chris Evans' character Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday has prompted backlash online, with many fans criticizing the move as a "desperate" attempt to win back audiences at the expense of newer characters, and especially Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.

Today's Avengers: Doomsday trailer, which is available to watch now in theaters attached to Avatar: Fire and Ash, confirms what had previously been leaked: that Marvel has more story to tell featuring Steve Rogers, following what appeared to be a final send-off to the character in Avengers: Endgame.

One of Endgame's most memorable scenes saw Steve passing his shield to Sam, physically handing over the mantle of Captain America as he bowed out of the role. Now, fans say, this moment has effectively been undone, with numerous comments calling it a snub both to Sam, and to Mackie's tenure.

"The MCU just keeps on disrespecting Sam Wilson and I am TIREDDD," wrote one fan on X. "It feels like Marvel is belittling Sam Wilson's efforts to prove himself worthy of the shield Steve passed on to him," added another, sharing a clip of Sam's training from Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

"All I have to say about Avengers: Doomsday is that I will not tolerate the Sam Wilson disrespect!" added another. "What is the point! That whole ass movie about exactly this scenario only for them to bring back Steve anyway????!"

Numerous comments have pointed to the tough journey Sam Wilson has faced since being given the shield by Steve. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier effectively negates Steve's decision by placing a question mark on Sam's claim (and personal desire) to be Cap, only for him to emerge as the hero by the series' end.

Mackie's only lead movie in the years since, Captain America: Brave New World, was then widely panned by critics and fans alike for its underwhelming and heavily-reshot story, though many still praised Mackie's performance as the actor doing the best he could with the material he was given. (In IGN's 5/10 Captain America: Brave New World review, we described the movie as "neither brave, nor all that new, falling short of strong performances from Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Carl Lumbly.")

Regardless, Marvel boss Kevin Feige subsequently raised eyebrows by subsequently pinning the film's financial failure on being "the first without Chris Evans." No plans have since been announced for a fresh Captain America sequel.

Alongside criticism specifically of Steve Rogers' former Captain America returning, more general disdain has been expressed at Marvel yet again returning to a name from the franchise's Infinity Saga, after previously casting former Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. It's a point of discussion that IGN itself has picked up, and dubbed as a "surprisingly disappointing way of kicking off the film’s marketing." As IGN's Jesse Schedeen states, "Why is a movie that’s supposed to bring together the current generation of MCU heroes so preoccupied with the former Captain America?"

"They spent six years introducing new characters only to do this," wrote a fan with a similar view on X, labelling the decision as "pathetic and desperate."

"Y'all bashed Eternals, Marvels, Fantastic Four, Multiverse of Madness, etc," another fan countered. "Now y'all complaining about bringing back the OGs. Anything Marvel does will be considered pathetic and desperate."

While the many Marvel releases since Avengers: Endgame have been mixed in quality, and nothing has come close to rivalling that movie's enormous $2.8 billion box office haul, the MCU has still had some notable successes. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earned $955 million, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever drew in $859 million. Deadpool and Wolverine, meanwhile, made over $1.38 billion.

Still, it's notable that Marvel seems keen to market Avengers: Doomsday to the huge audience that turned for Endgame, rather than those who watched anything since. The movie's big market beats so far have been Downey Jr. getting announced as Doctor Doom, and now Evans getting announced as Steve Rogers (whether he ends up as Captain America again, or not).

A leaked plan for three more Avengers: Doomsday trailers has suggested that yet another OG Avengers actor, Chris Hemsworth, will be given his own trailer next, before a trailer that fully reveals Downey Jr. as Doom follows that. Only after all of those, will the movie get a more general trailer — which may be where we finally see more of Marvel's current roster.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

With the theatrical release of our first look at Avengers: Doomsday, previously-leaked details surrounding three more upcoming trailers now appear to have been confirmed.

Last week, it was reported that Disney would launch four different Avengers: Doomsday trailers attached to Avatar: Fire and Ash over the course of four weeks. Subsequent claims then pointed to the first of these revealing the return of Steve Rogers — something that's now been proven accurate.

So what's next? Well, fans are expecting the remaining three trailers to feature similar, character-focused reveals for Thor and Doctor Doom, before a final trailer that's more of a general tease for the whole movie.

With Steve Rogers' turn in the spotlight now available to watch publicly by Avatar: Fire and Ash theater attendees, fans expect Thor's trailer to launch next week, right around Christmas Day. The Doctor Doom-focused trailer is then expected around New Year's Day, before the overall Doomsday trailer hits slightly later in January.

At least, that's what fans believe based on leaks that got Captain America's return right. So far, Disney has not said anything officially about its plans to promote Doomsday, or how it will release these trailers online, rather than as something designed to get people into theaters to watch the new Avatar movie.

Plans can always change, of course, but it'll be interesting to see whether Marvel hastens the arrival of its main Doomsday trailer — something that's expected to feature more of the movie's cast — following an early backlash to Chris Evans' return that some fans have labelled 'disrespectful' to current Captain America Anthony Mackie. It's a point of discussion IGN has also expanded upon, suggesting it has exposed Marvel's failure to introduce more fan-favorite characters in the years since Endgame.

Purported details of Thor's trailer are also already floating around the internet, and claim it will show a more sober take on the character than the wackier version seen in Taika Waititi's largely-panned Thor: Love and Thunder. While Chris Hemsworth was previously confirmed for the movie, re-establishing his character (and reminding audiences that another core Avengers member will be back) will likely be a draw.

As for Doctor Doom, well, audiences are yet to properly see former Iron Man legend Robert Downey Jr. in the role — save for his shock appearance in costume at Comic-Con to announce his involvement, back in July 2024.

Earlier today, Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo posted their own short teaser for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster, exactly 12 months before its theatrical release. The next month should be an interesting one for Avengers fans, as the wait for December 18, 2026 continues.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

It's now official: Captain America star Chris Evans will be back in Avengers: Doomsday.

Disney's first trailer for the December 2026 blockbuster — which first leaked online earlier this week — has now been officially released in theaters alongside the first showings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. And with this, Evans' return is now set in stone.

The minute-long trailer begins with a familiar figure parking a motorcycle outside a 1950s-style house. After carefully folding away his Captain America uniform, Evans is then revealed — and we see him holding a baby. The trailer then cuts to black, before on-screen text confirms: "Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday." Finally, we see a ticking countdown clock, tracking the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters a year from now, on December 18, 2026.

Earlier today, Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo posted their own short teaser for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster, exactly 12 months before its theatrical release — featuring the countdown clock now seen in the Steve Rogers reveal trailer.

And as IGN reported this morning, today has seen fans heading into Avatar: Fire and Ash screening around the world expecting to see the Doomsday trailer, though many (but not all) have been left disappointed. Disney appears to have kept the trailer to a very limited release until now, with clips posted to social media still being removed by copyright claim.

For many Marvel fans, Evans' return will not come as too much of a surprise. Outside of the trailer's leak online this week, filming reports from this summer appeared to show the same 1950s-style house being secretly constructed, with many fans recognizing its design from the final scene in Avengers: Endgame. Fans also spent a good deal of time analysing recent photos of Evans' real-life arms, and noted that he appeared to have returned to his Captain America physique.

Now, the spoiler tag has well and truly been snipped off by Marvel, which is clearly keen to tell audiences to expect more from Evans' character, a year in advance of Doomsday's release.

So, what's going on here, story-wise? Of course, the last time we saw Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, he was off to return the Infinity Stones to their original places across reality. Following that, he was expected to return to the present — but instead stayed in the 1950s, apparently to live out a peaceful life with his sweetheart Peggy Carter.

But fans think there's more story to tell here — story which would then take place before Steve turns up as an old man and hands his shield over to Sam Wilson, something that also happened in Endgame. Could Steve's multiversal mission have somehow attracted the attention of Doctor Doom, setting up a fresh rivalry between Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' characters?

The idea of more story for Steve Rogers is also something Avengers: Endgame and Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo have teased, as early as 2021. Could everything that's about to happen in Doomsday (and Secret Wars) take place before Steve hands over the shield? And how will the fact that Steve Rogers is now a father play out? Is his baby about to be kid-napped by Doctor Doom, just as Sue and Reed Richards' toddler Franklin was? It's going to be a long 12 months until we find out.

Disney's theatrical release of the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer is reportedly just the first of four separate trailers set to be shown with Avatar over the next four weeks, in a move designed to encourage repeat viewings and keep audiences entertained with a series of big reveals. Confirmation of Steve Rogers' return is certainly a strong start.

For more on Cap's return, check out how Chris Evans coming back for Avengers: Doomsday might just be Marvel admitting their biggest failure.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise has shared a first peek at his upcoming offbeat comedy movie Digger, which looks set to be a startling departure from the actor's typical Hollywood blockbuster fare.

Digger will be directed by The Revenant's Alejandro G. Iñárritu from a script by the co-writers of Birdman. Argo's John Goodman, Dopesick's Michael Stuhlbarg, Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons and House of the Dragons' Emma D'Arcy will also star.

Rounding out the cast are German actress Sandra Hüller, Eden's Sophie Wilde, Star Wars: Rogue One's Riz Ahmed, Torchwood's Burn Gorman and The Crown's Pip Torrens.

Little is known of the film's plot, with today's odd teaser giving next to nothing away. The trailer begins with a spade hitting a carpeted floor, as a man in shorts and cowboy boots flexes and prepares to start digging. The scene then changes to what looks like the end of a dock or pier, as seagulls can be heard. The same man skips along the top of a set of railings, still carrying his shovel.

It seems obvious the figure in the trailer is Cruise, though from what can be seen of him, the actor seems to be wearing heavy makeup or prosthetics. All of which points to a very different looking project for Cruise than the actor's recent string of Mission Impossible sequels. The actor has portrayed quirkier roles before (such as in 1999 ensemble drama Magnolia), though not often.

Warner Bros.' first poster for the movie, meanwhile, features a tagline describing the project as "a comedy of catastrophic proportions." Today's announcement also comes with confirmation of an October 2, 2026 release date.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social