Nomad: Marvel's Rumored Captain America Project Explained
Even with all his super soldier strength, it seems like nothing has been able to stop the whispers surrounding the return of the original Captain America. Chris Evans, while happy to "never say never" about reprising his role, responded to "Avengers" reunion rumors saying that it won't be anytime soon before he gives that star-spangled shield another spin. The thing about that is that time, now more than ever, is a fickle thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the chances of getting Earth's original Mightiest Heroes back together seem slim, three years of rumors and mining details within Marvel Studios suggest a comeback from the original Cap could be on the cards after all.
Going back to when Thanos (Josh Brolin) got snapped and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) had been laid to rest, Steve Rogers returns to the past only to reach the present as an older man with a long life behind him. Upon seeing a wedding band on Rogers' finger, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) asks, "You wanna tell me about her?" Capt. Rogers calmly answered, "No, I don't think I will." It's clear that besides finally marrying Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Steve completed his mission of returning all the Infinity Stones to their rightful place, and it's that journey that could be the main focus of the long-rumored project "Nomad."
What's in a name with Nomad, and how was it discovered?
The title of Nomad already has a history in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the comics. Originally, it was another heroic moniker that Steve Rogers took on after abandoning the Captain America title in "Captain America" #180. It's this route that many fans thought would be replicated after the events of "Captain America: Civil War" leading into "Avengers: Infinity War" only for co-director Joe Russo to confirm on the Fantasy Focus Football podcast (via Flickering Myth), "I wouldn't say that he is exactly Nomad, but he is the spirit of that character. "
Even so, after Chris Evans' departure, the weighted name of Nomad lingered, reappearing in 2020, when, along with the likes of "Secret Invasion," "Ironheart," and "Armor Wars" being trademarked, so too was "Marvel Studios Nomad." Unlike the rest, the studio never announced this publicly. It was a move from Marvel that never developed but, according to Murphy's Multiverse, the trademark remains active after three years. This suggests that the studio may still have plans for it and the super soldier previously linked to the title. It also adds more strength to reports in 2021 that Evans would be reprising his role as Cap, regardless of what the star might have said on the matter. More importantly, if he does come back, he might not be alone on his trip through time.
Could Black Widow be back to work alongside Nomad?
Besides talk of trademarks being shelved and reports about a comeback as Captain America for Chris Evans, another detail linked to "Nomad" was Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff helping Steve Rogers on his journey to tidy up the timeline. Mention of the star's involvement was included in the same subreddit that referred to "Nomad" happening before being deleted at the request of Marvel Studios. While there's no confirmation of if there was any truth to this particular part, it's worth noting that this was the same post that contained details on "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which sent Hollywood's comic book movie factory into a frenzy (via The Hollywood Reporter).
While there's just as little confirmation about Johansson returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, evidence even before the "Nomad" talk suggested that Romanoff might be coming back. Admittedly, the star behind the SHIELD operative with red in her ledger believed only a "Marvel miracle" could bring her back. However, even before her solo movie, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stressed that Johansson wasn't done with the MCU just yet, as a "top secret Marvel Studios project" was still on her to-do list. There's a chance that "Nomad" could be it, and as the subreddit post revealed, both she and Evans would be on board as executive producers and reuniting on screen. While that's great to hear, in a franchise that's now moving across time and space, where could Cap and Nat end up in a world that's moved on without them?
Where could Nomad fit in the MCU?
The great thing about being a man out of time and a dead assassin who could join him is that Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff could turn up anywhere in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's not to say we're going to see them conversing with the new Black Panther, Shuri (Letitia Wright), or Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), but "Nomad" and the supposed story at the center of it could be placed anywhere, just as "Black Widow" arrived after "Avengers: Endgame" regardless of the character's passing. There are no upcoming stories for it to collide with (that we know of), but that doesn't mean that characters that have already been hopping around in it could cross paths with the pair, either.
This brave and forgotten pair's most iconic foe, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is at the center of all time and doing his best to keep it in check. It would make sense, then, that he'd be alarmed by the activities of two old acquaintances who are where they don't belong. Pulling them out of their incursion with the Infinity Stones could also put them elsewhere. They may even be involved in a scheduled secret war where their appearance has already been hinted at. That is, if recent rearrangements in the MCU haven't thrown things out of whack even more than they already are.
Could Marvel's recent TV reworking make space for Nomad?
It's worth remembering that this potential project involving two thought-to-be-gone heroes returning is all linked to details that Marvel Studios have neither confirmed nor denied. If it is happening, events such as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes may have temporarily halted the creative wheels from turning, and certain issues from within might result in the momentum stalling even more. With rescheduling, restrategizing, and straight-up restarting projects already underway, particularly on the small screen, is there any space for Nomad to wander through it all?
Incredibly, at a time when the Marvel Cinematic Universe is jumping across dimensions and hopping through history, Steve Rogers' drop-off of those iconic Infinity Stones really could pop up just about anywhere. The last time we saw him, he was near his 80s, and while neither Chris Evans nor Scarlett Johansson are close to that age, there's so much time for either of them to reappear, given how many years seemingly passed in putting those sought-after stones back in their rightful place. Cap might not have wanted to tell us where he'd been, but somewhere down the line (not necessarily until the end of it), we might find out after all.