Exciting news for Marvel enthusiasts: Avengers: Doomsday is now officially in production. Marvel Studios unveiled the cast through a live stream cast announcement that not only shocked fans with the inclusion of several X-Men actors but also left many puzzled due to the absence of key characters. The announcement, which lasted a whopping five and a half hours, left fans buzzing with excitement and questions. One major query stands out: Where are the iconic Avengers in this new “Avengers” movie?
The announcement confirmed 27 characters, but the roster surprisingly included very few traditional Avengers members. Instead, it featured a significant number of actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, alongside members of the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four. This unusual lineup has sparked speculation about the film's plot and its connection to the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper into what this might mean.
The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for Doomsday
12 Images
Why the Thunderbolts Are More Important to Doomsday Than We Thought
The only characters from the announcement traditionally linked with the Avengers are Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. Additionally, Danny Ramirez’s Falcon and Letitia Wright’s Black Panther are likely to join the Avengers, despite their characters not being typical team members. Other characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been Avengers in the comics but aren't central to the team's history.
The absence of key Avengers such as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Don Cheadle’s War Machine, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has raised eyebrows. The answer might lie with the Thunderbolts*, particularly with the asterisk that has sparked fan theories. Some international posters suggest the asterisk hints at “Avengers are not available,” but this could be a playful marketing tactic.
Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. The focus on this group, despite their relatively lesser power levels (except for the Sentry), indicates a significant shift in the MCU. The Thunderbolts appear poised to take on a more central role, possibly even being renamed the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one enthusiastic about the “Thunderbolts” name, while Bucky seems to resist it. Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine's purchase of Avengers Tower and her comments in the trailer about the absence of Avengers suggest that the Thunderbolts are stepping into the Avengers' shoes as the MCU's primary superhero team.
This transition makes sense, especially with the Sentry's inclusion and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely serving as the film’s main antagonist. The Sentry's reintroduction into the Marvel universe in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic supports this narrative arc.
The Thunderbolts: The Tumultuous History of Marvel's Twisted Super-Team
11 Images
Once established in the MCU, the Thunderbolts could potentially be recruited to form a new Avengers team, led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. This aligns with a plot point in Captain America: Brave New World, where President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. With many traditional Avengers unavailable, Sam might have to rely on the less powerful Thunderbolts, putting them at a disadvantage in their initial battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?
One of the major concerns for Avengers: Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a credible threat. With Doom absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role, Doomsday is set to introduce Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. A bold move for Doom could involve eliminating several beloved characters, echoing Thanos's snap in Infinity War. The Fox X-Men seem particularly vulnerable to this fate.
Doctor Doom wiping out the Fox X-Men would not only make a dramatic statement but also free up resources for the return of core MCU characters in Secret Wars. The concept of Incursions, where multiple universes collide, has already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, hinting at the high stakes of Secret Wars. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe could be the perfect setup for this, providing a significant "you bastard!" moment for Doom and paving the way for characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Captain Marvel to return and confront him in a climactic battle.
This approach could potentially recapture the excitement of Endgame, something Marvel Studios has been trying and failing to achieve in Phases 4 and 5. While we won't know the full story until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, the current cast list and narrative hints suggest this as a likely direction.
AnswerSee ResultsWhat do you think will happen in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!
