Excitement is brewing among Marvel fans as Avengers: Doomsday officially enters production. Marvel Studios thrilled fans with a live stream cast announcement that unveiled a surprising lineup, featuring a significant number of X-Men actors and notably missing several key Avengers. The announcement, which lasted a staggering five and a half hours, left fans buzzing and pondering over the absence of beloved characters. As the community processes these revelations, the burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?
Out of the 27 characters confirmed during the stream, only a small number are traditional Avengers members. The roster is predominantly filled with actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans to wonder about the plot implications for both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's delve deeper into this intriguing development.
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 announcement revealed only a few characters traditionally linked to the Avengers in both the comics and the MCU: 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 expected to join the Avengers, despite their alter egos, Joaquin Torres and Shuri, not being typical members. Some characters, like Namor and the Fantastic Four, have occasionally been part of the Avengers in the comics but are not central to the team's legacy.
The absence of familiar faces like 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 raises questions. The key to understanding this might lie with the Thunderbolts* and the mysterious asterisk that has sparked fan theories. International posters hint that the asterisk might signify "Avengers are not available," though this could be a marketing tactic.
Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. This focus on a less powerful team, except for the Sentry, suggests a significant shift in the MCU. The Thunderbolts seem poised to take on a crucial role, possibly becoming the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian appears to be the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists on a different identity. Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine's purchase of Avengers Tower and her comments about the lack of Avengers in the trailer hint at the Thunderbolts stepping into the Avengers' shoes.
The Sentry's inclusion and his evil counterpart, the Void, being the main antagonist support the idea of the Thunderbolts becoming the New Avengers. The Sentry was reintroduced to the Marvel Universe in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers comic, adding weight to this theory.
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 lineup, potentially led by Sam Wilson's Captain America. This move aligns with a plot point from Captain America: Brave New World, where President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. With access to fewer traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, setting the stage for a challenging confrontation with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.
Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?
Establishing Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a formidable threat is crucial for Avengers: Doomsday. With Doom absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role, Doomsday must set the groundwork for Doom as the Multiverse Saga's ultimate antagonist. Similar to Thanos's snap in Infinity War, Doom could eliminate significant characters, with the Fox X-Men most likely on the chopping block.
Eliminating the Fox X-Men would clear space and budget for the return of traditional MCU characters in Secret Wars. With Incursions—a key plot point from the 2015 Secret Wars comic—already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, witnessing an Incursion firsthand could set the stage for Secret Wars. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe would be a dramatic move, paving the way for characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to return and confront Doom, culminating in a triumphant finale to the Multiverse Saga.
This approach could be Marvel Studios' attempt to recapture the excitement of Endgame, which they've been trying and failing to match in Phases 4 and 5. While we won't know the full story until Avengers: Doomsday premieres on May 1, 2026, this theory offers a compelling explanation for the limited presence of Avengers in the current cast.
AnswerSee ResultsWhat do you think will happen in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!
