We’re just under three months out from the Marvel Studios event of the year in Deadpool & Wolverine, where the stakes will be dialed up and the Disney treatment will be dialed down, green-lit pegging joke and all.
Among the film’s most prolific aspects is the fact that everyone seems to be here ⏤ “everyone,” in this case, meaning numerous, unprecedented returnees from Fox’s continuity of Marvel films, such as Lady Deathstrike, Toad, Azazel, and even Jennifer Garner’s Elektra in what just might be the single biggest curveball the franchise has ever seen.
Recently, however, whispers of a challenger to the aforementioned throne have been scuttling around the web. That challenger is Chris Evans‘ return to the shoes of Johnny Storm from the 2005 Fantastic Four film, which would be a double nostalgia whammy thanks to Evans’ primary claim to fame as Captain America; a nuance so obvious I feel embarrassed even naming it.
That said, is Evans truly going to be returning to the MCU with a brand new — and simultaneously much older — shade of blue in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Is Chris Evans playing the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine?
At the time of writing, this rumor is entirely unsubstantiated (hence “rumor”), complete with a dubious source in @update_marvel (allegedly via @MyTimeToShineH) on Twitter/X, and there’s been no official announcement from Marvel Studios itself. Of course, if this were true, there’s no way this wouldn’t be kept secret from us mere mortals, so the lack of an official announcement is hardly helpful in solving this mystery.
In the past, Evans has stated that he would be all too happy to return to the MCU in the future, with the caveat that the material would have to be right in order to protect the dignity of his beloved character. That reluctance, however, only seems to apply when Captain America is in the equation, as was always the case until now.
Indeed, with the Human Torch opportunity now being possible thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine, Evans could return to the MCU without needing to worry about spoiling Cap’s integrity, and fans of all generations would have something to smile at, whether it’s the Fantastic Four nostalgia or that of the Infinity Saga. That’s not a fight you lose if you rope Evans into the shenanigans.
Of course, even if by some chance this rumor is true, it’s hard to imagine Evans’ Johnny Storm taking up much space in the film itself with so many Fox characters already promised as a part of this massive puzzle. A post-credits scene appearance as a segue/setup for the MCU’s Fantastic Four, however, is a much safer bet, assuming we’re taking bets at all.
In short, no one knows if it’s true, and no one will until they see the final cut of Deadpool & Wolverine, which hits theaters on July 26.
