Avengers: Doomsday is set to be particularly "brutal" for one of the heroes

"Avengers: Doomsday" is highly anticipated. Among other things, fans can look forward to the return of Chris Evans, who will once again portray Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in the new Marvel blockbuster directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. Exactly what the popular hero's comeback will entail remains to be seen. But Evans has already given at least a small preview of what's in store for his character – and it seems Steve Rogers is in for anything but an easy time. At Fan Expo Boston, the actor revealed that things will get "brutal" for the hero, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

During a Q&A session, Evans elaborated a bit on the approach taken by the "Doomsday" directors. He explained:

"The Russos love beating up Steve Rogers. Their favorite thing to do is to just beat the crap out of him. To them, that's what makes a hero, and that's someone who gets punched so many times but still gets up. So they keep finding new ways to kick his butt. And this one was brutal."

"Examination into his nature"

He didn't reveal exactly what the brutality entails. But there's already speculation on IGN as to whether the villain Doctor Doom (played by Robert Downey Jr.) might be targeting Steve Rogers' son – which, of course, could be particularly emotionally brutal for the hero. The website also quotes Evans on another statement he made at Fan Expo Boston that's equally intriguing. As for Steve Rogers, the new "Avengers" adventure will offer "a really, really good examination into his nature and his values." He added:

"I'll say... it's probably something you haven't seen yet, but you will."

Sounds exciting, but also very vague. One thing is certain: We'll know more in a few months. "Avengers: Doomsday" hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

An impressive star-studded cast

In addition to Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., "Avengers: Doomsday" features a considerable number of other top-tier stars. The cast of the Marvel blockbuster includes Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Channing Tatum. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely.

Anthony and Joe Russo, the directors of the previous "Avengers" films, are returning. Given their track record, Marvel Studios is likely delighted to have them back. After all, their two previous "Avengers" films were massive box office hits. "Infinity War" grossed a total of $2 billion at the global box office in 2018. "Endgame" managed to top that just one year later, grossing $2.7 billion. This makes "Avengers: Endgame" the second-highest-grossing film of all time – only James Cameron's "Avatar" has brought in more money at the box office.

Enormous pressure

Consequently, the financial pressure on "Avengers: Doomsday" is immense. Especially since the superhero films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – which has been accustomed to success – have not performed quite as well in recent years as they did before. One major exception: Spider-Man. With his recently released big-screen adventure "Brand New Day," the superhero proved once again that he remains hugely popular with audiences. At the North American box office, "Brand New Day" grossed $360 million after its first weekend. In doing so, the film surpassed the previous record-breaking opening of "Avengers: Endgame" ($357 million) and achieved the most successful opening of all time at the domestic box office. The Russos took it in stride and congratulated the "Brand New Day" team with an original Spider-Man image on social media:

Especially since the success of the new "Spider-Man" film could also have a positive impact on the performance of "Avengers: Doomsday." "Brand New Day" could reignite the interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has recently waned somewhat. At the very least, Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro recently interpreted this as a good sign, as reported by Deadline. We'll see if the Avengers can build on their past successes – if so, it would at least have been worth it for Chris Evans to let himself get "kicked in the butt."