Marvel Scraps Multiple Heroes From ‘Avengers’ Lineup, Including Captain Marvel and Spider-Man
We finally know who will be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and the cast list is nothing short of surprising. With a mix of longtime MCU heroes, Thunderbolts anti-heroes, returning X-Men icons, and even members of the Fantastic Four, Marvel is pulling out all the stops for its latest crossover event.
Every major blockbuster faces its share of challenges, but Avengers: Doomsday has endured an unusually rocky path, even by Hollywood standards. From behind-the-scenes shake-ups to shifting release dates, the film has been at the center of intense speculation. Now, with its official cast lineup revealed, Marvel has signaled its commitment to delivering an ambitious, universe-spanning spectacle – but it will be doing so without several major superheroes.
The Rocky Road to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the initial plan was for Jonathan Majors to lead as the film’s antagonist – the Thanos of the Multiverse Saga, if you will.
But in 2023, that all fell apart. Majors was arrested on allegations that he choked, assaulted, and harassed his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Later that year, Majors was found guilty and sentenced to 52 weeks of a domestic violence intervention program and probation. The Walt Disney Company cut ties with Majors just hours later.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe struggling in general – experiencing lower box office returns and considerably more mixed critical responses than its Avengers: Endgame (2019) heyday – the big question was how it would salvage the franchise’s second saga. One of the biggest issues was that, compared to the Infinity Saga, this saga seemed (and still seems) to lack a strong underlying narrative, with no clear path to an Avengers: Infinity War (2018) level event.
Enter Robert Downey Jr.
Last year, Marvel seemed to settle on a solution to recapture waning interest: bringing back the man who defined its most financially and critically successful era.
The studio announced that Robert Downey Jr., the actor behind Tony Stark/Iron Man who famously died in Endgame just five years prior, would return to the MCU. This time, however, he wouldn’t play the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist but Doctor Doom, the saga’s new “big bad.”
At the same time, it revealed that it would bring back Anthony and Joe Russo, AKA the Russo Brothers, the directors behind Marvel hits such as Endgame and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
What’s followed is a string of theories about who else Marvel will bring back into the fray. As an Avengers film, a large ensemble is inevitable. As a film tying together the loose threads of the Multiverse, the opportunities for this ensemble are more wild and varied than ever.
Marvel Unveils Cast of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Yesterday, Marvel gave us our first concrete info about who will appear in the film. Over the course of several hours, the studio dropped the names of more and more actors whose superhero personas would appear in the film.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a powerhouse of a cast, blending returning heroes, anti-heroes, and long-awaited newcomers. Marvel old-hats confirmed for the film include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Winston Duke as M’Baku.
Newer favorites are also set to appear, including those featured in Marvel’s upcoming film Thunderbolts* (2025). Florence Pugh is back as Yelena Belova, while Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent and David Harbour’s Red Guardian will also return. Hannah John-Kamen returns as Ghost, and Lewis Pullman will play a mysterious character named Bob (who we assume will be unveiled as Sentry in Thunderbolts*).
Other returning stars include Danny Ramirez’s Falcon and Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who will reprise the role of Namor from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). The latter is somewhat of a surprise, considering accusations of sexual misconduct in June 2023, which he denied as “false and completely unsubstantiated.”
More Surprising Additions
Among the most surprising announcements is a string of X-Men veterans, following in the footsteps of last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Patrick Stewart returns as Charles Xavier/Professor X, joined by Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden’s Cyclops, and Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique. These actors helped launch the modern superhero era with X-Men (2000), a film that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige worked on early in his career.
More X-Men alums joining the ensemble include Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Kelsey Grammer as Beast, both of whom played pivotal roles in Fox’s X-Men saga. Channing Tatum, whose long-rumored Gambit project never materialized, will reprise his role as the card-wielding mutant after making his debut in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Marvel’s first family is also stepping into the action, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
Who’s Missing?
While several of the names listed above were surprises, the biggest surprise in our eyes was the number of characters missing from the Avengers lineup. We may not have been holding out hope for Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) to reprise her role, but several superheroes who are very much still active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe don’t seem to be set to return for Avengers: Doomsday.
Perhaps the biggest omissions are Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Tom Holland has a busy year ahead, with both Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and the follow-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) on his plate. While we’re fairly confident that he’ll at least pop up in the sequel, it does feel like a missed opportunity, considering the fact that Doctor Doom will bear the same as his long-lost mentor.
Other missing stars include Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, who is now back on Earth after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023), and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. The latter, however, isn’t quite as surprising, considering the fact that Cumberbatch himself previously noted that his character likely wouldn’t pop up until Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is also missing, despite rumors in 2024 suggesting that she’d lead the new Avengers lineup. The Marvels (2023) may have been a major flop for the studio – and the Brie Larson hate train seems to carry an unlimited amount of steam – but one of the franchise’s most highly powered characters forgoing a literal doomsday event does seem odd. We’ll just chalk this one up to Carol Danvers still being deep in space.
The same is true of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, who, last we saw in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is busy training his son, Skaar, somewhere on Earth. The show’s eponymous lead, played by Tatiana Maslany, is also MIA.
Despite the likes of Gambit and Professor X starring in the film, both Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are also amiss.
Expect More Casting Announcements
Of course, there’s every chance that some of the actors above will indeed appear in Avengers: Doomsday. The studio is notorious for its secrets, so if it’s already giving away a cast list that is hefty at the start of production, then we can only imagine that there will be plenty of major surprises in store once the film hits theaters.
As per the Hollywood Reporter, sources have also claimed that there are more revelations ahead for the film. Considering its Multiverse setting, there’s also a chance that we’ll see a range of variants for iconic characters, with some fans likely rooting for the long-rumored alternate Iron Man played by Tom Cruise to appear. Even with the current cast alone, however, we’re already in for one heck of a superhero reunion.
What do you think of the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday?
