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Chris Evans is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, in Avengers: Doomsday. However, the actor says directors Anthony and Joe Russo did not make his comeback easy.
Evans, 45, is reprising his role seven years after his last appearance as Captain America in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Although the character appeared to leave his superhero life behind after traveling through time and choosing to live with Peggy Carter, Evans is set to return for the next Avengers film.
During a Q&A at Fan Expo Boston over the weekend, Evans joked about reuniting with the Russo brothers, who directed Doomsday.
"The Russos love beating up Steve Rogers," Evans said. "Their favorite thing to do is to just beat the crap out of him."
According to Evans, the directors believe putting their hero through difficult situations is part of what makes the character compelling.
"To them, that's what makes a hero, and that's someone who gets punched so many times but still gets up," he explained. "So they keep finding new ways to kick his butt. And this one was brutal."
Evans first took on the role of Captain America in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. He went on to appear in four Avengers films, two additional standalone Captain America movies and several other MCU projects.
His history with the Russo brothers goes back several years. The directors worked with Evans on the second and third Captain America films before directing Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The trio has now reunited for Doomsday.
Evans has not been entirely absent from Marvel since Endgame. In 2024, he returned as Johnny Storm, a role he originally played in 2005's Fantastic Four, for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Before his return as Captain America was confirmed, Evans admitted that he felt disappointed about being left out of the new Avengers project.
"I mean, it's sad to be away. It's sad to not be back with the band," he said in a 2025 interview.
Evans will also reunite with his longtime Marvel costar Robert Downey Jr., although Downey is taking on a very different role. The actor is returning to the MCU as the villain Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man.
The Russo brothers previously revealed that Downey helped convince them he was right for the role after surprising them during a discussion about the character by performing Doctor Doom's voice.
Avengers: Doomsday will mark another major chapter in Evans' Marvel journey, with the actor teasing a particularly difficult experience for Steve Rogers.
