The first trailer of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was released online on Monday and created 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, one thing fans can’t seem to put their finger on is the first footage of Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers.While Evans had been confirmed to return as Steve in ‘Doomsday’ in December with the film’s multiple trailers, the appearance of the character’s first encounter with the ‘Avengers’ is making waves online.Fan theories that went viral on social media have convinced many that the version of Steve Rogers seen in the footage may not be the Captain America that audiences remember, but another variant.
Fans question Steve Rogers’ appearance
Shortly after the release of the trailer, social media users began dissecting every frame with Steve Rogers, pointing out subtle differences in his appearance in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and his bearded appearance in the new film.One of the most shared theories had a fan claiming, “That’s not Captain America. That’s Captain Hydra freaking out.”Another noted the rather unusual reactions of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes upon seeing Steve again. One asked: “Is it me or are Sam and Bucky not happy to see Steve? They know him better, sense something is off? Could we get Captain Hydra on #AvengersDoomsday?”Another said: “What if the Steve Rogers we saw in the Avengers Doomsday trailer pretends to be Steve from the 616 universe… but is actually Captain Hydra.”
Why fans think something is different
The speculation stems from Rogers’ noticeably altered appearance in the trailer, including the absence of his stealth uniform for dark civilian clothes. This has led some viewers to believe that Marvel is deliberately hiding a major twist. The trailer also shows Steve Rogers summoning Mjolnir, seemingly proving he’s still worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer.However, others have debated that the hammer seen in Avengers: Doomsday may not be the same version that Rogers lifted in “Avengers: Endgame.”
The Captain Hydra connection
Much of the online speculation also revolves around Steve taking on the role of Captain Hydra, after first adapting the Marvel Comics ‘Hail Hydra’ line in ‘Endgame’.In 2016’s Steve Rogers: Captain America #1, writer Nick Spencer introduced the controversial Hydra Cap storyline, in which the Cosmic Cube rewrites reality and transforms Steve Rogers into a loyal agent of Hydra. That version of Captain America was also able to carry Mjolnir.Some fans now believe that Avengers: Doomsday could adapt elements of this story across the Multiverse, introducing a variant Steve Rogers who is an agent of Doctor Doom.Whether the Steve Rogers seen in Avengers: Doomsday is the familiar Captain America, a Multiverse variant, or Captain Hydra, fans will have to wait until December 18 to learn the details for sure.