One Avengers: Doomsday Casting Could Divide Marvel Fans More Than RDJ's Doctor Doom

The former Iron Man that had been flying with the franchise since 2008 has revealed his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only this time as Doctor Doom in the highly anticipated "Avengers: Doomsday." It resulted in a very divided reaction with some worried about Robert Downey Jr. playing Victor von Doom, while others are excited to see the actor come back to the franchise. Understandably, some fans have voiced their concerns about this casting choice, but the silver lining is that there was a similar direction the MCU could've gone that would've sent fans into a meltdown: bringing back Chris Evans as Captain America and revealing him to be a HYDRA agent.

It might sound preposterous that America's ass would turn heel, but there was a point in Marvel Comics history where that occurred, and fans expressed their immense disappointment about the event. What's concerning is that due to some major developments in the franchise of late, there's actually even more crucial ingredients available to make this happen. In fact, there's an argument to be made that an event that was so bonkers in the comics might actually be more successful in live-action. The only issues are the backlash it'd receive from fans and, more importantly, the struggle that Marvel Studios would have on their hands to keep it a secret.

For those that missed out on Captain America hailing HYDRA in the comics, the Steve Rogers in question wasn't the one we knew, but an evil version from another dimension (aren't they always) and one of the most controversial characters in Marvel history. In that timeline, HYDRA roped in a young Cap and converted him to work for the enemy. Skipping realities and putting the good Cap out of action, he took over SHIELD and the country, but not before Agent Phil Coulson caught wind of the truth. Unfortunately, he died before he could blow the whistle, when none other than Deadpool shot him. The Merc with a Mouth couldn't accept that his hero, Steve Rogers, was really a villain and killed Phil at his idol's request.

It's this point that, if tweaked and twisted the right way, could act as a perfect entry point for Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) to become even involved in the MCU. Having already failed one interview to join the Avengers, he'd undoubtedly jump at the chance if it was given to him by "Captain America" and be the perfect fall guy to kill someone on Bad Cap's trail. Of course, Coulson can't take the hit given that he's been "dead" for some time now, but more importantly, it would also be an issue that could spark even more problems following the events of "Deadpool & Wolverine" and risk repeating mistakes from a previous MCU show that had sleeper agents from another world.

It's clear that there's still a lot to be done before having one of the franchise's most iconic stars and former heroes return as a villain that might even be better than Thanos (Josh Brolin). Given Robert Downey Jr.'s confirmed appearances, it's going to take two films to get the job done. For a story like Secret Empire, though, it would demand even more.

Not only would Marvel Studios somehow have to explain Steve's supposed return after going off the radar since "Avengers: Endgame," but it would also require building this storyline and keeping Chris Evans involved across multiple projects to ensure the twist is delivered just right. That's time the franchise doesn't have. It's also something that the MCU has already attempted with "Secret Invasion," which led to damage it's still hasn't recovered from.

The spy thriller series that was massively lacking in the latter area not only killed off important characters like Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill, but also threw in some truly confusing moments, like James Rhodes being a Skrull since potentially "Avengers: Endgame." Now admittedly revealing a (no offense) B-tier character like Rhodey to be an undercover alien is one thing, but pulling the curtain back and announcing Captain America is essentially Super Hitler? Nein danke!

While Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom will certainly be mixing things up for a change, it's still having the on-screen founding father of the MCU back in action to draw in audiences. It's a tactic that's already been applied in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Deadpool & Wolverine," and if "Avengers: Secret Wars" rumors are to be believed, characters from both of those movies might join the fight. With that in mind, bringing Steve Rogers back to the fold only to have him go rotten is just another nostalgic nod that the Marvel universe shouldn't be dependent on.

Okay, so there's still a chance that Steve could still return. Reports revealed a "Nomad" series that's supposedly in development, which would follow Steve on his journey of returning the Infinity Stones to their rightful place. But that should be enough. We know he could do this all day, and if he does, we hope it's a good one, but Marvel needs to have new stories to tell with the likes of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four instead of bringing back OG members. Cap returning to duty would undoubtedly get fans hyped, but seeing him turn evil is something we just don't need.