As a die-hard fan of cinematic marvels, I was thrilled to learn that Marvel Studios unveiled their star-studded lineup for Avengers: Doomsday on Wednesday, with Robert Downey Jr. leading the charge alongside over two dozen actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Yet, there were noticeable absences of some favorite characters and actors that I eagerly anticipate joining this epic battle.
The video garnered countless views across various social media platforms, once more demonstrating that the concept of superhero exhaustion is merely a myth. In recent times, the duo of Deadpool and Wolverine amassed an impressive $1.3 billion at box offices worldwide, as audiences eagerly watched their beloved Fox Marvel X-Men heroes on screen.
After the release of Avengers: Endgame, and arguably Infinity War, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has taken on a different feel. There’s a compelling argument to be made for this change starting then. It was Kevin Feige who initiated the plan to have Robert Downey Jr. reprise his role as Doctor Doom. The Russo Brothers are also set to direct not just one, but two upcoming films – Doomsday and Secret Wars. Recently, these directors hinted that the forthcoming movies don’t signal the end of a chapter in the MCU, but rather, they herald the start of something new. This suggests that an MCU reboot might be on the horizon.
Who is cast in Avengers: Doomsday?
On Wednesday, the casting news can essentially be broken down into four main groups: The Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Thunderbolts, and can be further reduced to three distinct universes.
In the context of Avengers: Doomsday, we have three distinct Marvel universes at play. The Avengers and Thunderbolts share a common universe, while the X-Men hail from the Fox Marvel universe. The Fantastic Four originate from their own separate universe. It’s been rumored that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is also part of the same FF universe. So, in this storyline, we have at least three different realms potentially clashing in a struggle for survival. Aside from Downey, no antagonists have been officially revealed yet.
Let’s take a look:
The Avengers
- Chris Hemsworth – Thor
- Anthony Mackie – Captain America
- Paul Rudd – Ant-Man
- Letitia Wright – Shuri/Black Panther
- Tenoch Huerta Mejia – Namor
- Simu Liu – Shang-Chi
- Danny Ramirez – Falcon
- Winston Duke – M’Baku
- Tom Hiddleston – Loki
X-Men
- Kelsey Grammer – Beast
- Patrick Stewart – Charles Xavier
- Ian McKellen – Magneto
- Alan Cumming – Nightcrawler
- Rebecca Romijn – Mystique
- James Marsden – Cyclops
- Channing Tatum – Gambit
Fantastic Four
- Vanessa Kirby – Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Thing
- Joseph Quinn – Johnny Storm aka Human Torch
- Pedro Pascal – Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards
Thunderbolts
- Sebastian Stan – Winter Soldier
- Wyatt Russell – USA Agent
- Florence Pugh – Yelena
- Lewis Pullman – The Sentry
- David Harbour – Red Guardian
- Hannah John-Kamen – Ghost
“It all leads to Doom”
After watching the video, Marvel’s social media post states that the production of “Avengers: Doomsday” has commenced with the caption, “It all builds up to Doom.
- Robert Downey Jr. – Doctor Doom
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 26, 2025
MCU: Who’s missing?
Many Marvel actors and characters are currently absent, but their absence does not necessarily confirm that they won’t show up in Avengers: Doomsday.
After watching the video on Instagram, it was hinted that more actors and characters would be joining forces with Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. in future projects.
Eternals
It turns out that none of the numerous actors who played roles in the movie “Eternals” were featured in Wednesday’s video unveiling. Additionally, apart from a brief reference to a Celestial in “Captain America: Brave New World,” it appears that the Eternals have been indefinitely shelved. It seems like there is a possibility that they might be absent yet again from an upcoming Marvel event. One may wonder if anyone will truly notice their absence.
Guardians of the Galaxy
It appears that both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” are gearing up to be significant cosmic events within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One might wonder where the Guardians of the Galaxy are during this critical time, especially since James Gunn, who managed these characters in “Infinity War” and “Endgame”, is no longer associated with Marvel. However, a leaked piece of concept art showcases Star-Lord, but the Russo brothers clarified that it’s not related to their films.
The Avengers
In the upcoming movie “Avengers: Doomsday,” only Thor, one of the original Avengers, has been confirmed to return. Black Widow, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, is deceased. There are rumors about Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell reprising their roles, but there’s no official confirmation yet. The announcement did not mention Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, or several other characters like Vision, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, War Machine, Nick Fury, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. Some fans speculate that some of these actors/characters might be appearing in another movie titled “Avengers: Secret Wars,” which is being filmed simultaneously with “Doomsday” in London.
Thunderbolts
In the upcoming Thunderbolts film, Olga Kurylenko’s character, Taskmaster, appears to be missing. This could imply that her character meets an untimely end in the movie. It’s encouraging to think that this might pave the way for Marvel to introduce the beloved comic book version of Taskmaster into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Disney+
It’s interesting to note that, contrary to some expectations, Disney+ actors and characters are not featured in the latest Avengers: Doomsday announcement. The viewership for Marvel Cinematic Universe shows on Disney+ hasn’t been breaking any records. Given this, it seems possible that these characters may not be participating in the MCU’s upcoming major event. Fans were hoping to see Daredevil in a crucial scene during Avengers: Endgame, but it appears they aren’t tuning in for the show on Disney+. As for She-Hulk, there was a recent rumor suggesting Tatiana Maslany would play a significant role in Doomsday. However, given that She-Hulk had poor ratings, was expensive to produce, and Maslany has stirred controversy with her comments about Bob Iger and for being a trans activist, it’s speculated she might be filming a new Star Trek series instead.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Once more, Deadpool and Wolverine have achieved Marvel’s first billion-dollar blockbuster in half a decade. Yet, only one actor has been confirmed for a return. Interestingly, neither Hugh Jackman nor Ryan Reynolds have been announced to reprise their roles. One might wonder why?
Missing MCU characters from Avengers: Doomsday
From the given list, it’s clear that the Russos have a challenging decision to make regarding which characters should be part of future Avengers films and which ones should not. It’s likely that some characters featured in “Doomsday” won’t appear in “Secret Wars,” while others may be present in “Secret Wars” but not in “Doomsday.” Is there any character we might have overlooked?
- Chris Evans – Steve Rogers
- Hayley Atwell – Peggy Carter
- Hugh Jackman – Wolverine
- Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
- Halle Berry -Storm
- Famke Janssen – Jean Grey
- Anna Paquin – Rogue
- Shawn Ashmore – Iceman
- Dafne Keen – X-23
- Mark Ruffalo – Hulk
- Harrison Ford – Red Hulk
- Jeremy Renner – Hawkeye
- Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange
- Benedict Wong – Wong
- Tom Holland – Spider-Man
- Danai Gurira – Okoye
- Chris Pratt – Star-Lord
- Zoe Saldana – Gamora
- Bradley Cooper – Rocket Raccoon
- Vin Diesel – Groot
- Dave Bautista – Drax
- Pom Klementieff – Mantis
- Charlie Cox – Daredevil
- Lashana Lynch – Binary
- Iman Vellani – Ms. Marvel
- Oscar Isaac – Moon Knight
- Tessa Thompson – Valkyrie
- Evangeline Lilly – The Wasp
- Paul Bettany – Vision
- Tatiana Maslany – She-Hulk
- Don Cheadle – War Machine
- Brie Larson – Captain Marvel
- Olga Kurylenko – Taskmaster
- Dominique Thorne – Ironheart
- Joe Locke – Wiccan
- Samuel L. Jackson – Nick Fury
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Valentina
- Hailee Steinfeld – Kate Bishop
- Elizabeth Olsen – Scarlet Witch
- Gwyneth Paltrow – Pepper Potts
- Xochitl Gomez – America Chavez
- Teyonah Parris – Monica Rambeau
- Gemma Chan – Sersi
- Richard Madden – Ikaris
- Angelina Jolie – Thena
- Salma Hayek – Ajak
- Kit Harington – Dane Whitman
- Kumail Nanjiani – Kingo
- Lia McHugh – Sprite
- Brian Tyree Henry – Phastos
- Lauren Ridloff – Makkari
- Barry Keoghan – Druig
- Ma Dong-seok – Gilgamesh
- Mahershala Ali – Blade
Release info
The film titled “Avengers: Doomsday” is set to hit theaters on May 1st, 2026. Following this, another Avengers movie named “Avengers: Secret Wars” will be released on May 7th, 2027.
Marvel also has Thunderbolts out on May 2nd, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th.
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2025-03-27 15:33