It’s happening, Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios has thrilled fans with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, revealing an unexpected lineup featuring a slew of X-Men actors, while some major characters are missing entirely. The announcement, which lasted an impressive five and a half hours, has left fans buzzing with excitement and curiosity. As fans process all the reveals, one burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?
The video confirmed 27 characters, yet the roster includes very few official Avengers members. Instead, it's dominated by actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with just a handful of traditional Avengers. Delving into the in-universe and real-world implications of this choice may provide significant clues about the plotlines of both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's dive in.
The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for Doomsday
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Why the Thunderbolts Are More Important to Doomsday Than We Thought
The only characters revealed in the announcement traditionally associated with the Avengers are Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. Danny Ramirez’s Falcon and Letitia Wright’s Black Panther are likely to be part of the Avengers, even though Joaquin Torres and Shuri aren't typically members. Additionally, characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have occasionally been Avengers in the comics, but they aren't considered central to the team’s history.
So, where are the likes of 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? The answer might be linked to the Thunderbolts*, with the asterisk sparking fan theories for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” this could just be a playful marketing tactic.
Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Why focus on a team not traditionally powerful (except for the Sentry) and not generally Avengers? It seems the MCU is set to change this narrative significantly. With the Thunderbolts playing a key role in Doomsday, the asterisk might indicate their transition into the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one who seems to embrace the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists they "can’t call ourselves that." This lack of a team name could be a running gag throughout the film. Moreover, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers in the trailer, it appears the Thunderbolts are poised to step into the Avengers' shoes as the MCU’s primary superhero team.
The Thunderbolts becoming the New Avengers or a similar designation by the film's conclusion makes sense, especially with the Sentry as a major player and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the film’s main antagonist. The Sentry was first introduced in a self-titled miniseries in 2000 but was reintroduced into the Marvel universe in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic.
The Thunderbolts: The Tumultuous History of Marvel's Twisted Super-Team
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Once established in the MCU, the Thunderbolts could be recruited to form a new Avengers roster, likely led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Remember, a plot point in Captain America: Brave New World involved President Ross asking Sam to help rebuild the team. Without access to many traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, putting them at a disadvantage during their first encounter with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?
Speaking of Doom, one of Doomsday's primary tasks is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.’s portrayal of the character as a formidable threat. With Doom seemingly absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot—where Galactus will take the villain role (though we might see a Doom cameo in a post-credits scene)—Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the Multiverse Saga’s ultimate antagonist. What better way than to have Doom eliminate several major characters fans thought were safe? Just as Thanos snapped away half of all life in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be poised to eliminate a significant portion of Doomsday’s cast. Given the confirmed characters, the Fox X-Men appear to be the most vulnerable.
Doctor Doom wiping out the Fox X-Men would not only create a shocking moment but also free up resources for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. Consider: We know that Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions—multiple universes colliding and causing widespread destruction—have been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Experiencing an Incursion firsthand would heighten the stakes for Secret Wars, requiring an entire universe to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. The destruction of the Fox X-Men universe seems the most logical choice. This would not only provide a dramatic moment for Doom but also, similar to how Infinity War temporarily removed newer characters to focus on the original six Avengers in Endgame, it would allow space and budget for characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to return in Secret Wars to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe.
This return of the traditional Avengers to battle Doom would create a triumphant finale for the Multiverse Saga. It might be the only way for Marvel Studios to recapture the excitement of Endgame's epic conclusion, which they've been trying and failing to match in Phases 4 and 5. We won't know for sure until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but this explanation seems the most fitting for the limited presence of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.
AnswerSee ResultsWhat do you think will happen in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!
