Another Marvel Star Exits ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as Production Continues
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is racing toward its next major chapter, but as the story expands, questions remain about who will ultimately carry the torch into the franchise’s future.
Marvel Studios officially kicked off Phase Six at the end of July with Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). The reboot welcomed Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the long-awaited Marvel team of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The arrival of Marvel’s “First Family” had been a top request from fans for years, and expectations were sky-high.
The film hit theaters with impact, opening to $118 million domestically and $218 million worldwide. That made it the first Marvel release of 2025 to crack the $100 million debut threshold. But the numbers dipped quickly. Its second weekend saw a 66% drop, bringing in just under $40 million. Box Office Mojo reports its global total now sits at $514.9 million, a sign of Marvel’s ongoing challenge in maintaining momentum after big premieres. Analysts remain split on whether this reflects broader superhero fatigue or today’s front-loaded box office climate.
Pascal’s introduction as Reed Richards won’t be limited to the Fantastic Four reboot. The actor has already wrapped his work on Avengers: Doomsday (2026), even as his name is attached to Behemoth!, the upcoming project from Star Wars: Andor creator Tony Gilroy.
“Fantastic Four kicked off the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Pascal recently wrapped production on the next Avengers movie, Avengers: Doomsday, which will premiere in 2026,” Deadline wrote. “Also in 2026, Pedro will reprise his role as Din Djarin in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
While Doomsday only began filming in April 2025, it’s not unusual for some actors to complete their roles early. Still, given Reed Richards’ likely prominence in Marvel’s future Avengers team, Pascal’s quick exit from the shoot has caught attention.
The Avengers roster remains a mystery heading into the next slate of films. Both Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025) teased divisions that could directly impact the group’s next formation. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has already noted that the teams assembled in Doomsday and even Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) may not hold together permanently. He has confirmed a franchise reset is planned, seemingly tied to Franklin Richards’ debut in First Steps and the events of Secret Wars. Beyond that reset, the X-Men are expected to take center stage.
Shortly after Pascal, another Marvel veteran completed his filming. Alan Cumming, who first played Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), confirmed that his work on Avengers: Doomsday is finished.
As announced earlier this year, several X-Men actors from the 20th Century Studios films are returning in Doomsday, including James Marsden as Cyclops, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Cumming as Nightcrawler. Rumors also persist that Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey and Halle Berry’s Storm will make appearances.
Speaking after his Emmy win for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program, Cumming confirmed he’d wrapped filming, telling reporters he’s “finished it.”
“I did a lot of stunt work and training. That was amazing,” he said of preparing to reprise the role (via Comic Book Movie). “The stunt people couldn’t believe that I could get up, let alone jump around and do this boxing and training.”
The Russo Brothers’ upcoming film is shaping up to echo the sprawling cast of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). One rumor suggests that Steve Rogers’ reunion with Peggy Carter caused an incursion impacting Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), setting him on a destructive path.
Audiences will have to wait until 2026 to see how those threads unfold, but Doomsday is already being framed as a pivotal entry for Marvel’s evolving future.
How do you feel about how big the cast is for Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments down below!
