Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige recently explained how Marvel Studios' surprise live stream revealed a cavalcade of confirmed cast whose Marvel movie characters are typically part of distinct teams, except for one notable cohort. The five-hour-long stream shook the MCU fandom to its core as it revealed such returning actors as Alan Cumming, who hasn't starred in a Marvel movie since 2003's X2.
Arguably just as surprising as the appearance of such names was the absence of others. Fans were initially perturbed by the absence of such names as Mark Ruffalo, though it has since been clarified by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige that more names are to be added. Nevertheless, of the names that have been announced so far, and Kevin Feige's confirmation of the teams, these are the ones that are officially due to star in Avengers: Doomsday thus far.
The Avengers
5 Confirmed
The Avengers haven't assembled since 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which featured the deaths of two of its founding , Black Widow and Iron Man, and the retirement of its leader, Captain America. Their absence has reverberated throughout the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene confirmed that he followed through with despite initially balking at the idea.
The Avengers |
||
|---|---|---|
Confirmed Cast |
Character |
Last Seen |
Anthony Mackie |
Sam Wilson/Captain America |
Captain America: Brave New World (2025) |
Danny Ramirez |
Joaquin Torres/Falcon |
Captain America: Brave New World (2025) |
Chris Hemsworth |
Thor |
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) |
Paul Rudd |
Scott Lang/Ant-Man |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
Simu Liu |
Shang-Chi |
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) |
Potential Avengers |
||
Unconfirmed Cast |
Character |
Last Seen |
Mark Ruffalo |
Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk |
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022) |
Benedict Cumberbatch |
Doctor Strange |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Brie Larson |
Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel |
The Marvels (2023) |
Paul Bettany |
White Vision |
WandaVision (2021) |
Tom Holland |
Peter Parker/Spider-Man |
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) |
Don Cheadle |
James Rhodes/War Machine |
Secret Invasion (2023) |
Jeremy Renner |
Clint Barton/Hawkeye |
Hawkeye (2021) |
Although an MCU movie between now and May 2025. Nevertheless, as founding of the original team, it stands to reason that both he and Bruce Banner will re in its newest iteration.
Bruce Banner was last seen in California with his family, including his Sakaaran son, Skaar.
As yet, none of the actors portraying Young Avengers candidates, such as Iman Vellani or Hailee Steinfeld, have been confirmed to star in Avengers: Doomsday. They are likely, however, to be modeled off of the Avengers, with direct parallels to original Avengers like Kate Bishop mirroring Hawkeye and Wiccan mirroring his mother, the Scarlet Witch. Additionally, if the MCU faithfully adapts the comics, then the core Avengers member Vision (now White Vision) might play a crucial role in forming the Young Avengers team.
The New Avengers
6 Confirmed
The end of Thunderbolts* thankfully clarified the meaning of the titular asterisk as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine declared the team that saved New York from the wrath of the void to be the New Avengers. It was a shrewd move from de Fontaine after her failed attempt to replace the Avengers with a single entity, the Sentry, brought the team together in the first place. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene then confirmed that this band of misfits has fully embraced their new roles and even calls the old Avengers tower their base of operations.
The New Avengers |
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|---|---|---|
Confirmed Cast |
Character |
Last Seen |
Florence Pugh |
Yelena Belova |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
Sebastian Stan |
Bucky Barnes |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
David Harbour |
Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
Wyatt Russell |
John Walker/U.S. Agent |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
Hannah John-Kamen |
Ava Starr/Ghost |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
Lewis Pullman |
Bob Reynolds/Sentry/The Void |
Thunderbolts* (2025) |
The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene also confirms that the New Avengers are now at odds with Sam Wilson's Avengers, with Wilson reportedly copyrighting the Avengers name. This should make for an interesting dynamic when Avengers: Doomsday releases, especially given that Wilson will head up the most powerful of the two teams. Then again, the New Avengers offer a viable alternative for potential new who may not want to Captain America's team.
Thunderbolts* Spoiler Guide: Biggest Reveals Cameos & Who Dies?
Thunderbolts* plays with audience expectations to deliver a few unexpected twists that add a new meaning to past and future MCU titles.
War Machine, for example, might feel more affinity towards the government-sanctioned New Avengers given his close working relationship with the US government. He may additionally feel less inclined to the team of one of his opponents in Captain America: Civil War. Additionally, New York-based superheroes like the Defenders might feel more at home ing up with the team that operates in the heart of their city, should they also be announced as characters in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Fantastic Four
All 4 Confirmed
The four stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps were all announced to star in Avengers: Doomsday in the first wave of the cast announcement. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene showed the team's distinctive spaceship entering Earth-616 for what might be the first time in a scene that could lead directly into the events of Avengers: Doomsday. Their arrival may put them at odds with the natives of Earth-616, especially if they bring an incursion and Doctor Doom with them.
The Fantastic Four |
||
|---|---|---|
Confirmed Cast |
Character |
Last Seen |
Pedro Pascal |
Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic |
N/A |
Vanessa Kirby |
Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman |
N/A |
Joseph Quinn |
Johnny Storm/The Human Torch |
N/A |
Ebon Moss-Bachrach |
Ben Grimm/The Thing |
N/A |
The Fantastic Four will play a central role in Avengers: Doomsday. This is to be expected as the movie's arch-villain, Doctor Doom, is traditionally the nemesis of the Fantastic Four first and foremost. While story details for The Fantastic Four: First Steps are still forthcoming, it is safe to say that the titular team survived its events to the MCU's main universe by the time Avengers: Doomsday is released. Although certain of the Fantastic Four have been substituted in Marvel Comics before, it is highly unlikely that the current iteration of the team will change in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Wakandans
2 Wakandans Confirmed
Kevin Feige mentioned the Wakandans in the same list as the other teams due to arrive in Avengers Doomsday during a at 2025's CinemaCon. Although the Wakandans are a nation rather than a team in the traditional sense of the word, Feige's comments suggest that prominent Wakandan figures will be operating as a cohesive unit independent of teams like the Avengers, although they will likely ally with the superheroes of Earth-616 like T'Challa did with the last Avengers team. Although he is not Wakandan, Namor's truce with the nation could also see him fight alongside them.
The Wakandans |
||
|---|---|---|
Confirmed Cast Member |
Character |
Last Seen |
Letitia Wright |
Shuri/Black Panther |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Winston Duke |
M'Baku |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Potential Returning Wakandans |
||
Unconfirmed Cast Member |
Character |
Last Seen |
Danai Gurira |
Okoye |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Lupita Nyong'o |
Nakia |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
The Wakandans are likely to play a key role in amassing troops to fight against the main threat of Avengers: Doomsday, as the other superhero teams don't have armies at their beck and call. The combined forces of Wakanda and Talokan are possibly the most formidable armies that Earth could muster. They may also find themselves at loggerheads with the New Avengers as the team's figurehead, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, takes issue with Wakanda's protective approach to its stores of vibranium.
The X-Men
7 Confirmed
Many of the stars of Fox's X-Men movies are confirmed to be reprising their roles in Avengers: Doomsday. Although Patrick Stewart's Professor X and his team of X-Men are traditionally rivals of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants, the no doubt cataclysmic events that will occur in Avengers: Doomsday will likely compel them to band together against a common threat like they did in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Although he was absent from all but one of the X-Men movies, Channing Tatum's Gambit is also likely to take his traditional place alongside his fellow mutants in Avengers: Doomsday.
The X-Men |
||
|---|---|---|
Confirmed Cast Member |
Character |
Last Seen |
Kelsey Grammer |
Hank McCoy/Beast |
The Marvels (2023) |
Patrick Stewart |
Charles Xavier/Professor X |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Ian McKellen |
Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto |
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
Alan Cumming |
Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler |
X2 (2003) |
Rebecca Romijn |
Raven Darkhölme/Mystique |
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
James Marsden |
Scott Summers/Cyclops |
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
Channing Tatum |
Remy LeBeau/Gambit |
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Potential X-Men |
||
Unconfirmed Cast Member |
Character |
Last Seen |
Hugh Jackman |
James "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine |
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Ryan Reynolds |
Wade Wilson/Deadpool |
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Halle Berry |
Ororo Munroe/Storm |
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) |
Shawn Ashmore |
Bobby Drake/Iceman |
|
Anna Paquin |
Marie D’Ancanto/Rogue |
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
Evan Peters |
Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver |
Dark Phoenix (2019) |
Famke Janssen |
Jean Grey |
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) |
Aaron Stanford |
John Allerdyce/Pyro |
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Kevin Feige stated at CinemaCon that these five superhero teams, including the X-Men, will be fighting Doctor Doom together. This seemingly flies in the face of suspicions that Avengers: Doomsday was going to adapt a classic Avengers vs. X-Men story, which many believed would have transpired as the inhabitants of Earth-616 and Earth-10005 strove to prevent the destruction of their universes via incursions. Instead, it remains to be seen how the X-Men of an entirely different universe will the MCU to fight alongside the other superhero teams.
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Thunderbolts*
8/10- Release Date
- May 2, 2025
- Runtime
- 127 minutes
- Director
- Jake Schreier
- Writers
- Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo
- Producers
- Kevin Feige
Cast
Yelena Belova
Bucky Barnes
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
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Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Thor
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
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