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

Excitement is building in the Marvel universe as Avengers: Doomsday officially kicks off production. Marvel Studios thrilled fans with a live stream cast announcement that unveiled a mix of X-Men actors, along with other surprising characters, while notably missing entirely many beloved Avengers. The marathon announcement, which lasted a whopping five and a half hours, left fans buzzing as they process the extensive reveals. Amidst the excitement, a burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The cast announcement confirmed 27 characters, but only a handful are traditional Avengers members. Instead, the roster is heavily populated by actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four. This unexpected lineup hints at major plot developments for both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's delve deeper into what this could mean.

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 revealed who traditionally align with the Avengers in 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 also expected to join the Avengers, despite their characters not typically being part of the team. Additionally, characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been associated with the Avengers in the comics, but they aren’t considered core members.

So, where are 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 connected to the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk in their title, which fans have speculated about for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” it might just be a clever marketing tactic.

Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday from the Thunderbolts include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. The focus on this group, which isn’t typically known for their power (except for the Sentry), suggests a significant shift in the MCU. The Thunderbolts' inclusion hints that they might be rebranded as the New Avengers by the film's end. This theory is supported by the trailers, where Red Guardian is the only one who seems to favor the “Thunderbolts” name, while Bucky insists they “can’t call ourselves that.” Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine's purchase of Avengers Tower and her comments on the absence of Avengers further indicate that the Thunderbolts are poised to take on the Avengers' role as the MCU's primary superhero team.

This transformation aligns well with the Sentry's pivotal role and the looming threat of his evil counterpart, the Void, who is likely to be the film's main antagonist. The Sentry's introduction in the MCU mirrors his integration into the Marvel universe in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic, adding a layer of authenticity to this narrative shift.

The Thunderbolts: The Tumultuous History of Marvel's Twisted Super-Team

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Once established as the New Avengers, the Thunderbolts can then be recruited to fill out a more traditional Avengers roster, likely led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. This plot point ties into 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, potentially putting them at a disadvantage in their initial battle against Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Another major concern for Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a formidable adversary. Since Doom won't appear in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villainous spotlight, Doomsday must lay the groundwork for Doom's role as the Multiverse Saga's ultimate antagonist. A strategy similar to Thanos' in Infinity War could see Doom eliminating significant characters, with the Fox X-Men being the most vulnerable.

Wiping out the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic moment for Doom but also clear the way for the return of traditional MCU heroes in Secret Wars. With Incursions—a key element of the 2015 Secret Wars comic storyline—already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, witnessing an Incursion firsthand would set the stage for Secret Wars by showcasing the destruction of an entire universe. The Fox X-Men universe seems the most likely candidate for this catastrophic event.

This scenario would allow characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to return and confront Doom, avenging the destroyed universe and culminating the Multiverse Saga on a high note. Marvel Studios has been trying and failing to replicate the excitement of Endgame's conclusion in Phases 4 and 5, and this approach could be their chance to do so. While we won't know the full story until Avengers: Doomsday premieres on May 1, 2026, this theory offers a compelling explanation for the scarcity of Avengers in the current cast.