The Marvel Cinematic Universe is nearing its 20th anniversary, and it’s a well-oiled machine at this point. And while moviegoers are always excited about upcoming Marvel movies, the hype surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is on another level. The Doomsday cast announcement revealed its huge ensemble, but more names were added like Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell. And it turns out they had some adorable code names while on set.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans are eager to see entire teams of heroes unite against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. The viral teaser with Captain America confirmed that Evans was returning as Steve Rogers, but the studio went to great lengths to hide both him and Hayley Atwell on set. Let’s break it all down.
What Hayley Atwell Said About Her Doomsday Code Name
While recently appearing at For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi (via YouTube) Hayley Atwell got real about Marvel’s tight security for the next Avengers movie. We previously learned that Chris Evans was given the code name “Luke Cage” for the blockbuster, in order to keep his appearance secret. It turns out that Atwell was given her own, and fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will appreciate it. In the Mission: Impossible actress’ words:
On set, I didn’t have Peggy Carter or Hayley Atwell. I had ‘Jessica.’ I had a name so that if any press caught it or fans would catch it, they’d be like, ‘Jessica, who’s that?’ So that’s why I don’t have a Peggy Carter or a Hayley Atwell [chair].
Honestly, I love this. Obviously this is a reference to Jessica Jones, a character famously played by Krysten Ritter in the MCU. In both the comics an onscreen Jessica and Luke Cage have a romantic connection, just as Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter are soulmates in the shared universe. And while we presumably won’t see Luke and Jessica in Doomsday, at least they were there in spirit via these secret code names.
Later in the same convention appearance, Atwell also revealed that she was surprised she wasn’t included in the Doomsday announcement with all those chairs. In her words:
When the line of chairs came out, they didn’t tell me that I wouldn’t be on it. So I had to call my agent and go, ‘Have they cut me? I am [out]? What does it mean?’ So I was in the dark just as much as the fans were for quite a while.
Could you imagine? Despite knowing that she had a role as Peggy Carter, Hayley Atwell began to worry she got cut after not being included in the Doomsday cast announcement. But Kevin Feige assured audiences that it wasn’t the full cast, and eventually we got separate reveals about both Atwell and Chris Evans. We’ll just have to wait and see how these characters factor into the action, after finally getting their dance in Endgame.
Chris Evan’s Previous Comments About His Coe Name
Chris Evans spoke about his Doomsday codename in a video from Fan Expo’s YouTube, where he told the audience about how the studio guarded his top secret role. At the convention he shared:
My character was called Luke Cage just in case things leaked. [On] call sheets, I was called Luke Cage. And, I mean, even on set, if I was going to set, they’d be like, ‘Luke Cage is traveling.’
As fans know, Luke was famously played by Mike Colter in the Netflix Marvel TV shows, including Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and The Defenders. Fans have been missing him, but luckily Colter will reprise his role in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, alongside other members of The Defenders. As such, I have to wonder if new code names will have to be thought up for Avengers: Secret Wars.
Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We’ll just have to see how Atwell and Evans (and their nicknames) factor into the mysterious blockbuster’s contents.
