"Doomsday's Lack of Avengers Hints at Major Secret Wars and X-Men Reveals"

Exciting news for Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios thrilled audiences with a live stream cast announcement for the upcoming film, which included a surprising lineup of X-Men actors. Notably, several key characters were missing entirely, and the announcement stretched over an astonishing five and a half hours! As fans process these reveals, the burning question remains: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, but traditional Avengers members were notably scarce. Instead, the roster is heavily weighted towards actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving only a few actual Avengers. Delving into the in-universe and real-world implications of this choice might provide significant clues about the plotlines of both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's explore this further.

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 announced who have traditional ties to the Avengers in either the comics or the MCU are 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 likely to be considered Avengers, despite Joaquin Torres and Shuri not typically being part of the team. Some characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have had brief stints with the Avengers in the comics, but they aren't central figures in the team's history.

So, where are 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 tied to the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk that has sparked fan theories for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” it could be a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Why the focus on a team of less powerful characters (with the notable exception of the Sentry) who aren't traditionally Avengers? The MCU seems to be setting the stage for a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts prominently featured in Doomsday, the asterisk suggests they might be rebranded as the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian appears to be the only one fond of the “Thunderbolts” moniker, while Bucky insists they “can’t call ourselves that.” This could be a humorous subplot throughout the film. Moreover, with team benefactor Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine acquiring Avengers Tower and her comments on the Avengers' absence in the trailer, it seems the Thunderbolts are poised to take on the role of the MCU's primary superhero team.

The Thunderbolts transitioning to the New Avengers would fit well with the Sentry's significant role and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the main antagonist. Originally introduced in a 2000 miniseries, the Sentry was reincorporated 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 lineup, potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Recall the plot point in Captain America: Brave New World where President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. Without access to many traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, placing them at a disadvantage in their initial battle against Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Speaking of Doom, a major goal for Doomsday is to establish RDJ’s version of the character as a formidable threat. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role (though a cameo might appear in a post-credits scene), Doomsday must lay the groundwork for Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. What better way to do this than having Doom eliminate several characters fans assumed were safe? Just as Thanos decimated half of all life and many fan favorites in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be set to wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday's cast. The Fox X-Men appear to be the most likely victims.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic "you bastard!" moment for Doom but also clear space and budget for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. Consider this: Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions (multiple universes colliding and causing widespread destruction) were mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand would effectively set the stakes for Secret Wars, requiring an entire universe to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe would be a logical choice. Similar to how Infinity War temporarily removed newer characters so Endgame could focus on the original six Avengers, Doom's actions would allow the return of characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe in a triumphant finale to the Multiverse Saga. This could be Marvel Studios' strategy to recapture the excitement of Endgame's conclusion, which they have been trying and failing to replicate in Phases 4 and 5. We'll have to wait until the film's release on May 1, 2026, to confirm this theory, but it provides a compelling explanation for the sparse presence of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.