Marvel fans too busy to make it to the theater for Avatar: Fire and Ash this holiday season got an early Christmas present. Tuesday morning, the studio released on all of its social media platforms the Avengers: Doomsday trailer announcing the return of Steve Rogers.
The trailer can be viewed in the player below.
Teaser Trailer for ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ featuring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers!pic.twitter.com/QLPUqb7rss
— Geeks + Gamers (@GeeksGamersCom) December 23, 2025
Rumors had been circulating online for weeks that Chris Evans would return as Rogers, and a low-resolution video of the trailer leaked before Fire and Ash hit theaters. But now fans can see it for themselves at home and react.
Trailer Breakdown
Technically more of a teaser, at only about a minute long, all the Doomsday trailer reveals is that Rogers will return for the movie. It opens with a shot of a motorcyclist riding through rural America as the Avengers’ theme plays in a minor key on a piano. Everything seems designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Steve Rogers’ reflection from the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
In the next shot, the rider dismounts and approaches a farmhouse, giving viewers a teasing glimpse of his reflection. Once inside, he unpacks the Captain America suit. After a brief fade to black, we next see him holding a baby, and the camera slowly pans around to reveal Rogers’ face. Text slowly appears across the screen to reassure fans that “Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”
However, reports from opening night screenings of Fire and Ash suggested audiences were underwhelmed.
A Disappointing Debut
Chris Gore from Film Threat said that a hush fell over his Burbank, California theater when the green band appeared before the trailer. “You could hear everyone catching their breath, getting excited,” Gore added. “Well that happened. They showed it — no reaction.” He noted that even in a Dolby Atmos theater, with the best image and sound, no one clapped.
Our own WDW Pro experienced a similarly muted response to Rogers’ Doomsday return. Pro prefaced his statement noting that it was purely anecdotal, but added that “The Avengers trailer landed with a thud.” He speculated that perhaps many in his auditorium had already seen the trailer that leaked online. Still, the lack of enthusiasm was noteworthy.
The Captain America uniform from the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
On Film Threat’s Monday night YouTube show Versus, Derek Anderson reported more of the same. “Most people were like, ‘I saw it. It was a nothing-burger. I don’t care about this movie.'” He continued, “That was the general consensus I got from searching online. And I looked on Tik Tok, X, Facebook, everywhere. People are just not feeling this trailer.”
Anderson suggested that Marvel should pivot and try something else. The reveal of Rogers’ return may not have been enough to build excitement, when audiences want to see Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
However, early indications suggest that simply putting the Rogers return trailer online has built some momentum.
Rogers is Returning — But Is He Captain America?
Cosmic Book News reported that the Doomsday trailer “delivered staggering engagement numbers.” In the first hour, the trailer had received over 1.2 million likes on Instagram, 114,000 likes on Facebook, and more than 229,000 YouTube upvotes after 1.1 million views.
The trailer is the first in an unusual marketing rollout. A new Doomsday trailer will be attached to Fire and Ash over four consecutive weeks, with Rogers’ return being the first. Subsequent trailers are expected to focus on Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Doctor Doom, and finally the rest of the ensemble.
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America in Marvel Studios‘ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2024 MARVEL.
However, the lingering question on the minds of many fans is in what capacity Rogers will return. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, he passed the title of Captain America onto Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Unfortunately, last winter’s Captain America: Brave New World was a box office disappointment. If Rogers doesn’t take up the shield again in Doomsday, fans may be upset.
What this means for Marvel moving forward remains to be seen. If Doomsday can deliver the Captain America fans want, Rogers’ return could be the first step in making it a global success.
What did you think of the trailer? Do you think Steve Rogers will return as Captain America? Let us know in the comments!
UP NEXT: Disney+ Releases Teaser Trailer for New Muppets Show Developed by Seth Rogen
nope.
Valid question, but the answer for many people is yes.
But will that “many” be enough?
Because I honestly don’t see this movie outdoing Endgame.