Chris Evans' Avengers: Doomsday Return as Steve Rogers Explained (And the Nomad Comics to Read First)
- Gregory Thornberry
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 26
When Marvel Studios announced that Chris Evans would return as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, fans immediately started asking one question:
If Sam Wilson is Captain America...who is Steve Rogers?
For years, speculation ranged from an older Steve Rogers to a multiversal variant or even Hydra Cap. But during San Diego Comic-Con, Evans revealed something that changed the conversation.
After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios pitched Chris Evans on returning as Nomad, but he declined because he felt Steve Rogers' story had reached a natural conclusion. Years later, Evans agreed to return for Avengers: Doomsday, although Marvel has not revealed exactly which version of Steve Rogers audiences will see.
That has renewed interest in one of Captain America's most important comic storylines.
Who Is Nomad?
Nomad isn't a different superhero or an alternate version of Captain America. It's the identity Steve Rogers adopts after walking away from the Captain America mantle.
During Secret Empire, Steve uncovers government corruption that shatters his faith in the institutions Captain America represents. Rather than compromise his principles, he gives up the shield and becomes Nomad, the Man Without a Country.
It's one of the defining moments in Steve Rogers' history because it proves that Captain America has never been about the costume. It's about the man wearing it.
Although other characters have used the Nomad identity over the years, Steve Rogers' original transformation remains the version most fans associate with the name.
Did the MCU Already Introduce Nomad?
Maybe.
Marvel Studios never officially called Steve Rogers "Nomad," but many fans saw clear similarities in Avengers: Infinity War. After Captain America: Civil War, Steve had abandoned his shield, was operating outside the law, wore darker tactical gear, and lived as a fugitive instead of a government-backed hero.
Whether that was intentional or not, it looked remarkably similar to Steve's comic book Nomad era. Knowing that Marvel once pitched Evans a Nomad project only makes those similarities more interesting.
The Essential Nomad Reading Order
The good news is that you don't need to read decades of Captain America comics.
Steve's original Nomad story is surprisingly compact, making it one of the easiest classic Marvel storylines for new readers to experience.
Every great transformation has a beginning.
For Steve Rogers, that beginning is Secret Empire.
Captain America and the Falcon uncover a massive conspiracy that stretches farther than either hero imagined. As the mystery unfolds, Steve discovers corruption at the highest levels of government, forcing him to question everything Captain America has always stood for.
Without spoiling one of Marvel's most famous endings, Secret Empire completely changes Steve Rogers.
If you're only going to read one Captain America storyline before Avengers: Doomsday, make it this one.
Why it matters: You can't understand Nomad until you understand why Steve abandoned Captain America.
These issues are often overlooked, but they are essential.
Steve doesn't instantly become Nomad after Secret Empire.
Instead, he struggles with whether Captain America should even continue to exist.
Other people attempt to carry the shield.
Steve wrestles with his conscience.
The country still needs Captain America, but Steve isn't sure he can be that symbol anymore.
These three issues provide the emotional foundation for everything that follows.
This is the story readers have been waiting for.
Steve officially debuts as Nomad in Captain America #180.
The transition isn't smooth.
His first mission as Nomad is awkward, frustrating and surprisingly human. Steve quickly learns that replacing Captain America with a brand-new identity is far more difficult than changing costumes.
Over the next several issues, Marvel explores one of the franchise's greatest themes:
Captain America was never about the uniform.
It was always about the man wearing it.
If Avengers: Doomsday adapts Nomad in any meaningful way, these are the comics most likely to inspire it.
Best Ways to Read the Nomad Story Today
Finding individual issues of Captain America from 1974 can be expensive, especially if you're looking for high-grade copies. Fortunately, Marvel has collected Steve Rogers' original Nomad story in several formats that are much easier to read.
Collects: Captain America #169–176
This is where every reader should begin.
The collection includes the complete Secret Empire storyline and the immediate fallout that leads Steve Rogers to question whether he can continue as Captain America.
If you're trying to understand why Steve eventually becomes Nomad, this is the essential first purchase.
Best for: Readers who want the complete setup before Steve abandons the shield.
Captain America and the Falcon: Nomad
Collects: Captain America #177–186
This volume contains the heart of Steve Rogers' transformation.
It includes the transition away from Captain America, Steve's first appearance as Nomad in issue #180, his complete time under the new identity and the aftermath that eventually leads him back to the Captain America mantle.
For most readers, this is the single most important book connected to the current Avengers: Doomsday speculation.
Best for: Fans who want the complete Steve Rogers Nomad story in one collection.
Modern Stories Worth Reading
Steve Rogers only operated as Nomad for a short time, but the questions raised during that storyline have echoed throughout Marvel Comics for decades.
Widely considered one of the greatest Captain America runs ever written, Ed Brubaker's series isn't a direct continuation of Steve's Nomad era.
Instead, it explores many of the same ideas:
What makes Captain America more than a costume?
Can someone else carry the shield?
Is Steve Rogers defined by the symbol, or does he define the symbol?
Brubaker's run also introduced the Winter Soldier and forever changed Captain America's mythology.
If the original Nomad story leaves you wanting more, this should be your next stop.
This modern series explores Steve Rogers' legacy in a very different era.
While Steve is not operating as Nomad here, the series reconnects readers with Ian Rogers, Steve's adopted son, who later takes on the Nomad identity himself.
If Marvel Studios decides to expand the Nomad legacy beyond Steve Rogers, Ian is one of the characters worth knowing.
Could Avengers: Doomsday Adapt the Original Story?
Probably, but not in a literal sense.
That's how Marvel Studios has approached comic book adaptations for years. Instead of recreating stories panel for panel, the studio usually takes the emotional core of a classic storyline and reshapes it for the MCU. Captain America: Civil War kept the central conflict between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark while changing most of the plot. Avengers: Infinity War pulled ideas from multiple Infinity comics without directly adapting any one of them.
If Steve Rogers returns in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel could take a similar approach with Nomad.
The original Secret Empire storyline was about Steve losing faith in the institutions Captain America represented. Today's MCU presents a very different challenge. Sam Wilson is now Captain America, the Avengers are no longer the team Steve left behind, and the Multiverse has changed almost everything fans thought they knew.
That raises an interesting question: Who is Steve Rogers when he isn't Captain America anymore?
Whether Marvel answers that question by calling him Nomad remains to be seen. But if the studio wants to explore Steve Rogers searching for his place in a world that has moved on without him, the original Nomad storyline provides a compelling blueprint.
We're Just as Excited as You!
Chris Evans hasn't confirmed that Steve Rogers will officially become Nomad in Avengers: Doomsday, nor has Marvel Studios.
But what once seemed like pure fan speculation now carries far more weight.
Evans has revealed that Nomad was Marvel's original vision for Steve Rogers after Avengers: Endgame. Anthony Mackie has encouraged fans to look toward the comics for clues. And with Sam Wilson firmly established as Captain America, the Nomad identity offers Marvel a compelling way to bring Steve Rogers back without undoing the ending of Endgame.
Whether the movie ultimately embraces the name or simply borrows the themes, the original comics remain well worth reading.
They're short, accessible, and they tell one of the greatest Captain America stories ever published.
If you want to understand where Steve Rogers' next chapter might be headed, there's no better place to start than the comics that asked one unforgettable question:
Who is Steve Rogers without Captain America?
Of course, it's entirely possible that Chris Evans won't play Nomad at all. Some fans believe he could portray a Hydra Captain America variant or another alternate version of Steve Rogers from the multiverse. Until Avengers: Doomsday arrives, every theory remains just that: a theory.
But if Marvel is looking to tell a story about Steve Rogers questioning what Captain America truly represents, few comic arcs offer a better blueprint than his unforgettable transformation into Nomad. Whether it ultimately inspires the film or not, it's one of the most important Captain America stories ever published and well worth reading before Steve Rogers returns to the MCU.
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