"Doomsday's Avengers Absence Hints at Secret Wars, X-Men Involvement"

Attention all Marvel enthusiasts: the much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday is now officially in production. Marvel Studios thrilled fans with a live stream cast announcement that not only confirmed the involvement of several X-Men actors but also left many beloved characters notably missing entirely. The announcement, which stretched over an impressive five and a half hours, has sparked a flurry of excitement and speculation. As fans process these revelations, one pressing question looms large: Where are the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The live stream confirmed 27 characters, yet the list was surprisingly light on official Avengers members. Instead, it featured a significant number of actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, alongside those associated with the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four. This leaves us with just a few classic Avengers, prompting a deeper look into both the in-universe and real-world implications that might hint at the storylines for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper.

The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for Doomsday

12 ImagesWhy the Thunderbolts Are More Important to Doomsday Than We Thought

The only characters from the announcement traditionally linked 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. Danny Ramirez’s Falcon and Letitia Wright’s Black Panther, while not typically part of the team, will likely join the Avengers ranks. Additionally, characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have occasionally been part of the Avengers in the comics, though they aren't central figures in the team's history.

So, where are the key Avengers 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? The answer might be tied to the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk that has fueled fan theories for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk indicates "Avengers are not available," it might just be a playful marketing twist.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Why such emphasis on a team known for less traditional power levels (with the notable exception of the Sentry) and not typically seen as Avengers? The MCU seems poised to redefine their role significantly. With the Thunderbolts set to play a crucial part in Doomsday, the asterisk could hint at their transformation into the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky firmly rejects it. This could be a running gag throughout the film, but given Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine’s purchase of Avengers Tower and her comments on the absence of Avengers in the trailer, it’s clear the Thunderbolts are stepping up to fill the Avengers' shoes.

This shift to the New Avengers aligns well with the Sentry's inclusion and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the film's main antagonist. The Sentry, introduced in a 2000 miniseries, was later reintegrated 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 primed to fill out a new Avengers roster, possibly under the leadership of Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Recall that in Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross sought Sam's assistance to rebuild the team. With many traditional Avengers unavailable, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, putting them at a strategic disadvantage when facing Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Speaking of Doom, one of the central challenges for Doomsday is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.’s portrayal of the character as a formidable adversary. Given that Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villainous spotlight (though a post-credits cameo might still occur), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. What better way than to have Doom eliminate key characters that fans believed were safe? Much like Thanos’ snap in Infinity War, Doom might be ready to decimate a significant portion of the Doomsday cast. The Fox X-Men, as confirmed in the cast announcement, seem to be the most vulnerable.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only serve as a dramatic "you bastard!" moment for Doom but also clear the way for the return of more traditional MCU characters in Secret Wars. We know that Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions—collisions of multiple universes leading to widespread destruction—have already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand would effectively set the stakes for Secret Wars, necessitating the destruction of an entire universe at Doom's hands. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe aligns perfectly with this narrative, echoing how Infinity War temporarily killed off newer characters to focus on the original Avengers in Endgame.

Bringing back characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the fallen universe could lead to a triumphant conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. This approach might be the key for Marvel Studios to recapture the excitement of Endgame's epic finale, which they've been trying and failing to replicate in Phases 4 and 5. We won't have all the answers until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but for now, this seems to be the most plausible explanation for the scarcity of Avengers in the film's cast.