On Monday, we ran a story related to the possibility of Steve Rogers suiting up as his disillusioned alter-ego, Nomad, for AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. For quite some time, Marvel fans have been convinced that Chris Evans' First Avenger would relinquish his Captain America mantle during the events of the upcoming film. Then, in the midst of attending ACE Comic-Con in Phoenix this past weekend, both Chris Evans and Winter Soldier actor Sebastian Stan were seen signing autographs that directly point to the Nomad character. The act got a lot of people hot and bothered, though according to AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR co-director Joe Russo, their excitement is all for naught.
While chatting with the crew of Fantasy Focus Football, Joe Russo was asked about the Nomad rumor, and told the outlet the following:
"Obviously you can't deal with a character called Captain America without dealing with the thematics behind that, so we wanted a relevancy to it and we wanted to put him in a position where he was questioning the chain of command. You'll see in these Avengers films, he's on a very specific journey as a character. Some people have suspected that he may be Nomad heading into Avengers 3 and I wouldn't say that he is exactly Nomad, but he is the spirit of that character."
What this sounds like to me is that fans who've read the Nomad storyline (it isn't very long) will enjoy catching more than a few nods to the character's "re-positioned" agenda and mindset. If you're unfamiliar with the character, Nomad is who Captain America becomes for a short time after discovering that the President of the United States was the leader of a terrorist organization known as the Secret Empire. When you consider all of the sacrafices Cap has made for the country, it isn't hard to see how a reveal like that could rock Mr. Stars and Stripes to his very core.
There is an upside to all of this, though. At least we won't have to cope with Nomad's costume on the big screen? Have you seen that thing? Steve looks like an 80's aerobics instructor wearing a pair shades that he borrowed from Max Headroom. Granted, the costume designers would have given the outfit an updated look, but still.
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is almost here, folks! Star Wars Day is going to have to shove over, and make some room, for when an army of Marvel characters on May 4th!