New Captain America Tease Has MCU Fans Convinced the Doctor Doom Trend Isn’t Over
Doctor Doom has finally stepped into the MCU—and he’s already hunting its future. In a chilling Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, he’s poised to snatch Franklin Richards, fueling speculation that the next generation of would-be heroes is in his sights.
Marvel seems very into putting kids in danger right now. Doctor Doom shows up, stares menacingly at the next generation, and suddenly every hero baby has a target on their back. And with the new Daredevil: Born Again footage quietly revealing Jessica Jones has a daughter, fans are wondering if Doom is about to add another name to his kidnapping to-do list.
Doom’s new obsession: superhero offspring
We still don’t know much about the MCU ’s take on Doctor Doom, but he made a loud entrance in the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, where he looked one nudge away from snatching Franklin Richards. Toss in the running theory that Steve Rogers somehow kicked off the multiverse’s collapse — which would put him and his infant in Doom’s line of sight — and yeah, there’s a pattern forming.
Born Again midseason trailer: surprise, Jessica has a kid
The midseason trailer for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 drops a blink-and-you-miss-it reveal: Jessica Jones is a mom. That triggered an instant fan spiral, including a perfectly dry Reddit quip that pretty much sums up the vibe right now:
'another kid to get stolen by Doom'
Joke aside, it kicked off a bigger conversation: whose kid is this supposed to be, and how far is Marvel going with it?
Is this Danielle Cage?
In the comics, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have a daughter, Danielle Cage. She inherits superpowers and eventually becomes Captain America. It tracks that the MCU might follow that lead — but it doesn’t have to. Marvel can (and often does) remix the source material.
For what it’s worth, Jessica and Luke have already been lovers in the MCU. And set photos from Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 show Mike Colter back as Luke Cage, pointing to a Defenders reunion. It’s not a stretch to assume Jessica and Luke reconnected offscreen. Once Jessica officially turns up in Born Again Season 2, we should get the who’s-the-dad details. Yes, the season labeling and timeline are already messy — welcome to modern Marvel TV.
Will Avengers: Doomsday pull Jessica’s kid into the chaos?
Short answer: probably not. As of now, Krysten Ritter — who’s never popped up in an MCU movie — isn’t on the official Avengers: Doomsday cast list. That film is already stuffed, and dragging in the Defenders crew could confuse movie-only audiences. After The Marvels bombed, Marvel has been trying to cut back on 'homework' between shows and films. So the safer bet is Jessica (and her daughter) stay on the small-screen side for now.
Big picture: seeding a future Captain America, or not yet
If this is Danielle Cage, Marvel wouldn’t introduce a character that notable without a plan. But she’s clearly too young to be suiting up anytime soon. And after Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel is expected to do a soft reset to streamline continuity. Kevin Feige has even floated the idea of recasting legacy roles like Steve Rogers. If a new Steve variant ends up headlining future Cap movies, the Danielle-as-Cap path is probably a long game — but still a very fun one.
Best case, down the line we get a fresh angle that nods to the Defenders era: Danielle stepping up and maybe corralling other superhero kids into a next-gen Avengers. Not tomorrow, but someday.
Where things stand right now
- Doctor Doom arrives via Fantastic Four: First Steps’ post-credits scene and nearly makes off with Franklin Richards.
- There’s speculation Steve Rogers triggered the multiverse collapse, putting him and his infant in Doom’s sights.
- Daredevil: Born Again Season 2’s midseason trailer reveals Jessica Jones has a daughter.
- Reddit’s take: 'another kid to get stolen by Doom' — a joke, but it tapped into real fan speculation.
- Comics context: Jessica + Luke = Danielle Cage, who eventually becomes Captain America.
- MCU twist potential: Marvel could change that; however, Jessica and Luke have history on screen.
- Set photos for Born Again Season 3 show Mike Colter back as Luke, signaling a Defenders reunion.
- Avengers: Doomsday is likely keeping the Defenders out; Krysten Ritter isn’t on the announced cast and has never appeared in an MCU movie.
- Marvel wants less show-to-movie 'homework' after The Marvels bombing.
- If this is Danielle, she’s years away from hero duty; a Secret Wars soft reset and possible Steve Rogers recast/new variant could push her Captain America moment even further out.