Deadpool & Wolverine’s chaos and havoc provided laughs and gasps aplenty - but it also killed off the best way for theMarvel Cinematic Universeto feature a Chris Evans Vs Robert Downey Jr. fight along the way. For the majority ofthe MCU timeline, Evans' Captain America and Downey Jr’s Iron Man were regarded as the dual figureheads of the franchise, with stories likeCaptain America: Civil Warsupporting this idea. Even now, these two versions of the iconic Marvel characters are likely to be the first faces people think of when they think of the franchise.
It initially seemed that both actors had their final foray into the MCU inAvengers: Endgame, as the story saw Tony Stark sacrifice himself, and Steve Rogers retire to return to the life he lost out on when he was flung forward in time following the events ofCaptain America: The First Avenger. However,Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doomhas changed how both of these endings are perceived, especially on the back of Chris Evans also returning in the MCU’s third Deadpool movie - though his fate makes the pair crossing paths again inupcoming MCU releasesless likely.
Keeping Chris Evans' Human Torch Alive Could Have Let Him Fight Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom
Chris Evans' Human Torch Could Have Been A Perfect Hero To Return In Avengers 5 & 6
While the 2005 and 2007Fantastic Fourfilms that Chris Evans played the Human Torch in aren’t regarded with a particularly high esteem in the modern day, it’s undeniable that they established Johnny Storm as a Marvel hero who’d be more than willing to team up with others to help protect people. As such, it would have stood to reason to see the Human Torch inthe story ofAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsdepending on the level of teased multiversal crossovers the two releases contain.
This would have been an effective way to have Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. return in the Multiverse Saga to face off against one another, as Doom appearing to replace Kang as the focal antagonist of the Multiverse Saga opened up the prosect of Evans' other Marvel hero fighting the villain. However, this is now impeded by the not small matter ofDeadpool & Wolverineshowing Cassandra Nova killing the Human Torch in retaliation for his description of her to Deadpool.
The MCU - much like Marvel comics themselves - often plays fast and loose with whether a scene that appears to show a character’s death actually does, but this is one example that is essentially impossible to take back.Since Cassandra kills Storm by using her powers to remove all of his skin, and then this location is attacked by Alioth - seemingly leaving the remains to be consumed by the creature - this version of the Human Torch is currently arguably the hardest figure to justify returning to screensanytime soon.
Chris Evans Still Could Return For Avengers 5 Or 6
The Nature Of The Multiverse Saga Means A Chris Evans Cameo Still Isn’t Off The Table
There are, however, still a multitude of ways that the MCU could bring Chris Evans back forAvengers: Doomsdayand/orAvengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has spoken repeatedly about being willing to bring iconic actors back into the franchise, but only if it truly works into the story and doesn’t hamper their legacy, which evidently justified a reprisal of Evans' Human Torch as aDeadpool & Wolverinecameo.
As such,having Evans appear as another Captain America or Human Torch variant is still certainly possible. This is especially true since it’s been established that variants quite often tend to look the same as the one that appears in the MCU’s main timeline, allowing for prospective returns to feel a little less contrived due to the rules of the multiverse itself.
Similarly, it would still be possible to have Evans return as a new character, though this would present more questions and potential issues than a glimpse at another version of Evans' Steve Rogers might. Indeed, with audiences at most theorizing about an appearance from one of the actor’s two Marvel heroes, switching things up could well be a more satisfying payoff if the Multiverse Saga’s Avengers movies focus in on bringing more of its own prior cast back to the big screen as a testament to them.
In a 2021 interview withACE Universe, Chris Evans even mentioned that if he could switch roles with anyone in the MCU, he would play Iron Man, though the actor was clear to state that, “I don’t consider that a role that’s gonna be like a James Bond or a Superman or Batman, that somehow other people get a bite at the apple.” However, the Multiverse Saga raises the potential for avenues like this to come to fruition, underlining how the possibilities are to some degree endless so long as the approach taken is careful to respect what’s come before it.
Why Having Chris Evans & Robert Downey Jr. Return For Avengers 5 & 6 Would Be Hard To Get Right
Bringing Both Actors Back Would Present Some Challenges For The Franchise
While Robert Downey Jr’s confirmed return to the MCU as Doctor Doom was met largely with considerable excitement, there have also been concerns raised about this concept. Though a talented actor who is especially beloved within the MCU, having Downey Jr. return sparked discussions about whether the franchise was too reliant on him for its success, and indeed whether it would be unable to bolster new faces and characters to near the same level to ensure the longevity of its run.
Having Chris Evans potentially return as well would serve to exacerbate concerns, suggesting the Multiverse Saga rests on its proverbial laurels by having major figures come backmore than focusing on fleshing out and doing right by its current main hero roster. This would be doubly true given Evans’Deadpool & Wolverinereturn already brought him back once, with a prospective second comeback thus set to look a little less natural than it otherwise could have.
With that said, though, this still doesn’t make the prospect of having both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans returning forAvengers 5&6impossible, or even a definitively bad move. The MCU has pulled off storytelling feats that seemed fraught and able to lose the audience if mishandled with aplomb consistently throughout its history - most recently adding Deadpool, the Fox X-Men universe, and both prior live-action versions of Spider-Man to theMCUmultiverse, all to great success - and so the franchise has established a precedent for ensuring any major decisions like this are handled with the care they deserve.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
