Chris Evans’ self-imposed exile from the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t last very long, with word leaking out that he’d officially entered talks to return as Steve Rogers less than two years after the erstwhile Captain America finally got his long-awaited dance and happy ending with Peggy Carter at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Of course, Evans says that he doesn’t know anything about it, but Tatiana Maslany also recently denied that she’d been cast as She-Hulk, and we all know how that turned out. With the multiverse set to play a major role throughout Phase Four of the MCU, the potential destinations for Captain America to return are almost limitless, but a new fan theory claims that one of the more controversial depictions of the star spangled superhero could be how he makes his comeback.
The Secret Empire storyline used the idea of altered realities to create Hydra Supreme, basically an evil Cap. Once established, Steve was in the employ of HYDRA as they conquered the United States, which would certainly be a markedly different approach to utilizing one of the MCU’s longtime pillars.
It would also be completely unexpected and fit nicely into the concept that anything can happen in the multiverse, which is why it can’t be ruled out. Secret Empire began with an elderly version of Steve, too, who we’ve already seen in Endgame, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s villain Baron Zemo played a major role in the comic book story.
It would also avoid compromising the emotional heft of Evans’ exit if the HYDRA-sponsored Captain America hailed from one of the multiverse’s infinite corners, as well as giving the actor something brand new to sink his teeth into after a decade of being the clean cut hero.
