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

Marvel fans, brace yourselves: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios stunned us with a live stream cast announcement for this highly anticipated film, which included a surprising number of X-Men actors. However, the absence of key characters was equally shocking, and the lengthy reveal took a whopping five and a half hours. As fans process these announcements, one burning question emerges: Where are the Avengers in this new “Avengers” movie?

Out of the 27 characters confirmed in the video, only a few are official Avengers members. The roster is dominated by actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with a scant selection of traditional Avengers. Delving into both the in-universe and real-world implications of this lineup could provide significant clues about the narratives of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's explore further.

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 revealed in the announcement traditionally associated with 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 are likely to be Avengers, despite Joaquin Torres and Shuri not being typical team members. Additionally, characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have had brief stints with the Avengers in the comics but aren't considered core members.

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 may lie in the Thunderbolts* and the mysterious asterisk that fans have speculated about for months. Some international posters hint that the asterisk might signify that the “Avengers are not available,” but it could also be a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Why focus on this group of less powerful characters (excluding the Sentry) who aren't typically considered Avengers? The MCU seems to be shifting this narrative significantly. With the Thunderbolts poised to play a significant role in Doomsday, the asterisk could indicate that they will be dubbed 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 argues they “can’t call ourselves that.” The absence of a team name might serve as a running gag throughout the film. Moreover, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the lack of Avengers, it's evident that the Thunderbolts are stepping up as the MCU's new superhero team.

The Thunderbolts being renamed as the New Avengers or a similar title by the film's conclusion aligns with the Sentry's prominence and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the primary antagonist. The Sentry was initially introduced in a 2000 miniseries but was fully integrated 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 roster, potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Recall that in Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross asked Sam to help rebuild the team. Without access to many traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the less powerful Thunderbolts, setting the stage for a challenging confrontation with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of the biggest challenges for Avengers: Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal of Doctor Doom as a formidable threat. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role (though a cameo might still occur in a post-credits scene), it's up to Doomsday to lay the groundwork for Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. What better way to showcase his menace than by eliminating several major characters fans believed were safe? Similar to how Thanos decimated half of all life in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be set to obliterate a significant portion of Doomsday’s cast, with the Fox X-Men being the most likely victims.

Doctor Doom annihilating the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic moment but also free up resources 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 destruction) have already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand is likely crucial for setting the stakes in Secret Wars, which means an entire universe must perish at Doctor Doom’s hands. The destruction of the Fox X-Men universe aligns perfectly with this narrative. Just as Infinity War temporarily removed newer characters to focus on the original six Avengers in Endgame, Doom's actions could clear the way for characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to return and confront Doom, avenging the destroyed universe in a climactic finale to the Multiverse Saga.

This approach could be Marvel Studios' strategy to recapture the excitement of Endgame's epic conclusion, which they've 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 these theories, but for now, this seems the most plausible explanation for the absence of many Avengers in the Avengers: Doomsday cast.