NOMAD (2026) With Chris Evans & Hayley Atwell

There's a strong rumor going around that Marvel is developing a Nomad project under the Marvel Spotlight banner. The idea behind Spotlight is to tell more standalone series that exist within the MCU, still connected but not tightly tied to the larger saga. The project would focus on Nomad, a name used by several characters in Marvel comics. Originally, Nomad was an alternate identity taken on by Steve Rogers after he stepped away from being Captain America. The Nomad name and costume were created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema, first appearing in Captain America No. 180 back in December 1974. In Captain America No. 180, Steve Rogers becomes disillusioned with the U.S. government after uncovering that a high-ranking official, heavily implied to be then-President Richard Nixon, is actually the leader of the terrorist group known as the Secret Empire. Shaken by the revelation, Rogers gives up the Captain America mantle, feeling he can't keep serving America after losing faith in its leadership. After a confrontation with Hawkeye, who is disguised as the Golden Archer, Steve realizes he can't walk away from being a hero altogether. Instead, he adopts the identity of Nomad, meaning a man without a country, and dons a dark blue and yellow suit stripped of any patriotic symbols. The Nomad phase doesn't last long, running for just four issues and with mixed results, including some awkward moments like tripping over his own cape. By Captain America No. 184 in 1975, Steve returns to being Captain America, having realized he can stand for America's ideals without blindly supporting its government. I don't think this is the version we'll get, mainly because Chris Evans is reportedly returning as Steve Rogers in Doomsday, which makes it feel like the Nomad project would focus on someone else instead. Another possible option is Edward Furbel, the second Nomad, who was introduced in Captain America No. 261 in 1981. He was given the Nomad suit and gear by the Red Skull as part of a plan to discredit Captain America, but his story was very short-lived, as he was killed by the Skull's agent, the Emera Droid, just two issues later. Because of that, he also seems unlikely to be the lead of a full show. That leaves the third, and most well-known Nomad, Jack Monroe, who feels like the most realistic choice. Jack Monroe was previously known as the Third Bucky and was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema in Captain America No. 153 back in 1972. His version of Nomad is the complete opposite of the others, and has the depth and longevity that would actually make him a strong candidate to carry a series. Jack Monroe was born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and later became an adventurer alongside William Burnside, a man who took on the identity of Steve Rogers during the 1950s. Jack operated as Bucky while Burnside acted as Captain America, and after working together for a time, both were placed in suspended animation. Decades later, they were reawakened, but in a delusional state, leading them to attack the original Captain America and Falcon before ultimately being captured and put back into suspended animation. Burnside was later revived again and brainwashed by the psychologist Dr. Faustus, turning him into the extremist Grand Director, leader of the National Force. Under Faustus' influence, Burnside shot and seemingly killed Jack. Captain America and Daredevil eventually defeated Faustus and Burnside, and in the aftermath, Burnside took his own life. It's later revealed that the gun Faustus used was loaded with blanks, as he planned to use Jack Monroe in a future scheme that never actually happened. Monroe was then taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, where he was seemingly cured of his psychological issues. Afterward, he sought out Steve Rogers and briefly returned to wearing the Bucky costume to help him take down the Viper. Not long after, Steve passed on his former Nomad identity to Monroe, who officially took up the Nomad mantle and fought Viper alongside Captain America. As Nomad, Jack went on to battle the Slayer, became Captain America's regular partner, and helped take on threats like the Sisters of Sin. He also faced Baron Zemo on a psychological level while briefly acting as Bucky again, assisted in defeating the Red Skull, who was believed to have died in the encounter, and even completed a successful solo mission capturing the unhinged Madcap. Following that mission, Monroe chose to go his own way and ended his partnership with Captain America. Nomad later picked up a new costume and went after the crime boss Slug, taking down his criminal empire with help from Captain America. He returned once again after Steve Rogers was stripped of the Captain America title by the Commission on Superhuman Activities. Even without the name, Steve kept fighting crime as the Captain, wearing a black version of his suit and traveling across the country with a small team of allies that included Nomad, Demolition Man, and the Falcon. The group was also joined by Nomad's then-girlfriend, a rookie adventurer known as Vagabond. During this period, Nomad was portrayed as short-tempered and sarcastic, immediately clashing with Demolition Man, a rivalry made worse by Nomad's jealousy over the obvious chemistry between Vagabond and Demolition Man. Nomad later fought Vibro, and not long after, he got caught up in a major crisis when a faction of the Serpent Society, led by Viper, tried to poison Washington, D.C.'s water supply. The Captain and his team stepped in, but Nomad, Vagabond, and Demolition Man were captured by the Commission on Superhuman Activities and thrown in jail. Former Serpent Society leader Sidewinder broke in, using his teleportation powers to free Diamondback and offer to help the others escape as well. Vagabond and Demolition Man refused, believing it was wrong to run from the authorities, but Nomad mocked the idea and chose to leave with Sidewinder and Diamondback. This decision ended his relationship with Vagabond, and when Steve later asked Nomad for help, he found him drunk in a bar. Learning that Steve planned to turn himself in, Nomad refused to help and the two parted on bad terms. Going solo again, Nomad launched a personal war against drug dealer Umberto Sefilios. He ditched his spandex suit and became a street-level vigilante, even kidnapping an infant girl from her drug-addicted mother and naming her Bucky. This put him under heavy scrutiny from the Commission, which sent Steve Rogers, now Captain America again, to stop him. In a violent confrontation, Nomad defeated Sefilios and killed several drug dealers and government officials. Afterward, he spent time on the road dealing with issues most superheroes avoided, like AIDS, homelessness and hate crimes. Eventually, Nomad settled for a while in Los Angeles, where he became loosely connected to the Undergrounders, a network of people who helped one another across the country. They assisted him by caring for Bucky when situations became too dangerous, though many felt Nomad's lifestyle was never truly safe. During this period, he mellowed out significantly, becoming more compassionate and less self-destructive. Later, Nomad realized that both he and Bucky might have been exposed to HIV, Bucky because of her mother, and himself through medical treatment from the Undergrounders. That's all for today. Drop your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to subscribe because we'll be covering more updates on this soon. We'll see you next time!