Chris Evans played Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the early to mid-’00s Fantastic Four films, as well as roles in other comic book films like The Losers and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but his portrayal of Captain America would make him into a star and one of the most beloved actors of his generation. The Captain America trilogy of movies and his appearances in the Avengers films allowed him to become a cornerstone of the early MCU, and his exit from the MCU was met with sadness. Everyone was surprised when Marvel announced Robert Downey Jr.’s return in Avengers: Doomsday — albeit as Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man — and fans got another shock when it was revealed that Chris Evans was coming back to the MCU as well.
Unlike RDJ, Evans’s role in the new Avengers films hasn’t been released yet, leading fans to begin one of their favorite pastimes: guessing what role he’s going to play in the next movie. Evans returned as Human Torch in the blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, where the character died, so he almost certainly isn’t coming back as Storm and it would be too easy if he came back as Steve Rogers. However, the Marvel Universe is a vast place and there are many characters for Evans to play.
Mephisto
MCU fans love to speculate and a favorite subject of those speculations is Mephisto. MCU fans have guessed that Mephisto was going to show up in multiple MCU projects over the years and have been incorrect every time. It became a well-worn joke in both the MCU fan community and those who like to mock that community to guess that Mephisto was going to be revealed as the big bad of the next MCU show or movie. With that in mind, it would be hilarious if Chris Evans played Mephisto.
Evans has played villains before, and would definitely be able to pull off Mephisto. Just imagine Evans showing up in full Cap regalia, leading the heroes to believe that he’s come back to help, and then he transforms into the demonic Mephisto. The fans would lose their minds if this happened, which is reason enough to hope that Evans shows up as Mephisto. Mephisto is going to show up at some point in the MCU, and making Evans Mephisto — even if it’s just for the upcoming Avengers duology of movies — would be an amazing moment.
Molecule Man
Marvel has had several Secret Wars events, and there have been several characters that play a big role in those stories. One of them is Molecule Man. Owen Reese first appeared battling the Fantastic Four, his control over molecules giving him godlike power. Doom, another integral Secret Wars character, and Molecule Man worked together in both the original Secret Wars of 1984 and the latter one in 2015. Since Doom is appearing in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Molecule Man has to appear. It’s basically a rule of Secret Wars.
With RDJ playing Doom, Evans playing Molecule Man makes a lot of sense. Like Cap and Iron and Man, Doom and Molecule Man have worked together. Also like Cap and Iron Man, Doom and Molecule Man have battled each other as well. While Evans is definitely better looking than Owen Reese, it would still be thematically relevant for him to play Molecule Man to RDJ’s Doom.
[RELATED: Will Chris Evans Be Playing Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday?]
Beyonder
Another very important character in Secret Wars stories is the Beyonder. The Beyonder first appeared as the One From Beyond in 1984’s Secret Wars, creating Battleworld and pitting the heroes and villains against each other for, in his words, “the ultimate prize.” He next appeared in human form in Secret Wars II, where he got his signature look — the white leisure suit, the perm, and the silver battle armor he manifested at the end. The Beyonder would later be revealed to be part of a race of godlike beings, and Molecule Man, Doctor Strange, and Doom were able to drain their power, saving the remnants of the Multiverse after the Incursions and leading to the 2015 Secret Wars.
Much like Doom and Molecule Man, it isn’t a Secret Wars without the Beyonder. Evans playing the Beyonder would be awesome, especially getting to see him in the classic white leisure suit and with the perm. It doesn’t matter if the movie plays the Beyonder straight or for comedic effect; Evans would bring the Beyonder to life wonderfully.
Danny Ketch’s Ghost Rider
Nicholas Cage’s Ghost Rider films were pretty successful, especially when compared to the other non-MCU superhero films of the late ’00s/early ’10s. The film rights for Ghost Rider have reverted back to Marvel, and fans have wanted Ghost Rider to make an MCU debut for a while now. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars would be a perfect place for Ghost Rider to debut, and there’s a way to make it better. First, Cage’s Johnny Blaze shows up and then is followed by a second Ghost Rider, who transform back into a human revealing Evans.
Evans would be perfect as the second Ghost Rider – Danny Ketch. Ketch was the Ghost Rider of the 1990s, during the character’s most popular phase. Ketch took on the Spirit of Vengeance after his sister Barbara was injured in a gang fight, and battled many of Marvel’s most dangerous mystic threats as Ghost Rider. Evans has already played the leader of the Avengers, so playing a character who led Marvel’s magical characters would be a piece of cake for him. Plus, since Ghost Rider would mostly be CG, Evans wouldn’t have to work nearly as hard as he did as Captain America.
Cyclops
Cyclops isn’t the luckiest hero, but he’s easily one of the best. Scott Summers was taken in by Charles Xavier after his powers manifested and trained to become a mutant soldier par excellence. Cyclops rose to leader of the X-Men, mastering the use of his powers and combat tactics. Cyclops is usually considered the greatest leader in the history of the X-Men and is often compared to Captain America. The two of them are both brilliant leaders who can lead their teams through the worst battlefields and bring them out the other side with a win.
Evans would be an amazing Cyclops. He has the perfect look for Scott Summers, can play a competent leader like nobody’s business, and would bring star power to the role. Now, Evans isn’t going to play Cyclops for the long term, but he can definitely play a multiversal variant of Cyclops. Evans as Cyclops is too great to pass up.
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