I should not be putting this much thought into this. But I cannot stop thinking/asking questions about the motorcycle featured in the Steve Rogers-focused Avengers: Doomsday trailer.
What, exactly, is it? And what is its significance?
Let’s back up a little for the folks who aren’t comic book movie nerds. You’ve heard of Marvel, right? Sure you have. So, the studio’s next Really Big Really Big Movie is called Avengers: Doomsday. It’s set to come out in theaters roughly a year from now, on 18 December 2026. Marvel’s started its marketing machine this far in advance because the film is big-big-budget – starring pretty much every big name that has appeared in a Marvel film since 2008.
One of those people is Chris Evans, who played Steve Rogers, aka, Captain America, in eight different films before ostensibly retiring the character in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Now he’s back, it seems, because… uhm… money, probably.
In a one-minute trailer released on 23 December, we see what we assume to be Evans’ character riding a motorcycle on a gravel road through Americana-style farmland, then a small house on a paved road at a seemingly different time of year, then a ground shot showing a boot kicking out the motorcycle’s sidestand on a gravel road, then what we assume to be Evans’ left hand – wearing a wedding ring – placing an open-face helmet on the ‘bars of a Triumph motorcycle.
Next, we see the front porch of the aforementioned house, with the silhouette of Evans reflected in the window of the front door, then presumably Evans in a garage placing a Captain America suit into an old leather case. The trailer ends with Evans lovingly holding a baby in his arms, then white text over black background that says “Steve Rogers Will Return In Avengers: Doomsday,” followed by a backlit Avengers logo, the date of release, and a ticking countdown clock.
This isn’t a comic book movie blog, so I won’t nerd out on the many other things I’m spotting (deceptive scene setting, Evans’ weird AI-like appearance, the fact the trailer names Steve Rogers rather than Captain America, etc). Let’s just focus on the bike.
I have so many questions.
Firstly: the motorcycle Rogers rides is a Triumph. Why? What does that mean?
Captain America famously rides Harleys. He always has. In every film or comic book panel where he’s ever been featured astride two wheels, he’s been on a God-blessed, American-made Harley-Davidson.
Marvel would not make the mistake of having Steve Rogers accidentally ride a Triumph. Clearly this means something. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the woman we assume he is married to is British-born Peggy Carter. Maybe it’s a clue to fit with others in this trailer that all of this is happening in some weird, alternate universe.
Secondly, I have questions about the actual bike, or, possibly, bikes – plural.
In the lower shot, we see the chassis and engine of an older motorcycle with spoked wheels and scrambler-style tires. I wouldn’t claim to be an expert in such things, but based on the single header pipe, the general size of the engine, and the style and aging of the casings, I’d guess this is a T20 Tiger Cub, which Triumph produced from 1954 to 1968.
However, there are a few things going against that guess. Firstly, the bike has a disc brake up front. I can’t find any evidence of the T20 Tiger Cub ever having one of those. Of course, it also didn’t have scrambler-type tires as stock, so perhaps this is a T20 Tiger Cub that’s been modified/customized.
Things get more complicated when the camera angle shifts to show what is implied to be the top part of the motorcycle. Here we see a tank that looks like the one used on the modern Bonneville line-up. The logo style of the tank’s emblem/badge is the one that Triumph’s been using since 2013. Note the straight ‘T.’
To me, the tank looks similar to that of the first-generation Bonneville Bobber, which was launched in 2017. Meanwhile, the triple tree, clock, and handlebar (replete with very modern/professional zip-tied wiring) are also clearly modern. But the switchgear on the left grip, though blurry, clearly isn’t the chunky item that Triumph’s been using for upward of 20 years.
Again, you can explain away some of that through customization, but I find it odd that the lower part of the bike looks like it’s from the 50s/60s and the top bit looks like it’s from the last decade.
So, maybe it’s two different bikes. Maybe it’s two different versions of Steve Rogers. And maybe I should stop thinking about all this and just go outside for some fresh air.
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