The final moments of the official "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer revealed the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, sporting a long-haired look. However, his appearance and demeanor seemed starkly different from the Captain America fans know, and even Thor's shocked reaction on screen has ignited widespread speculation about the character's true identity.
According to this theory, the Rogers in the trailer could be from an altered timeline, posing as the real Captain America to infiltrate the Avengers. Meanwhile, the original Steve who returned to the past in "Avengers: Endgame" and passed his shield to Sam Wilson might not make his official return until "Avengers: Secret Wars."
This speculation draws heavily from the "Secret Empire" comic storyline, which introduced the concept of Hydra Supreme. In that arc, Steve Rogers' history was rewritten by a sentient Cosmic Cube named Kobik, turning him into a lifelong Hydra sleeper agent who eventually rises as its leader. During his coup, he was even able to lift Mjolnir, convincing others of his heroic worthiness.
However, the comics later revealed he wasn't truly deemed worthy by Mjolnir. Instead, Madame Hydra had used a fragment of Kobik to alter the hammer's enchantment, changing the criteria from "worthiness" to "wielding the power of Hydra's leader." Once the enchantment was restored, Hydra Cap could no longer lift the hammer, exposing the delusion that he was still on the side of justice.
Therefore, if the film does adapt the Hydra Supreme plot, Thor's shock might not signify Steve's renewed worthiness, but rather a deception crafted by Doctor Doom or Hydra through magic or reality-warping. Some fans even suspect that Marvel's early reveal of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom—complete with his voice and full armor in the first trailer—could be a misdirect to conceal the true infiltrator and a later twist.
It must be stressed that this remains a fan theory, as Marvel has not yet confirmed the true identity of the long-haired Steve Rogers.
"Avengers: Doomsday" is scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.
via： GamesRadar+