Avengers Absence in Doomsday Hints at Secret Wars and X-Men

Exciting news for Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios thrilled audiences with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, which included a surprising mix of X-Men actors. However, fans noticed that several key characters were missing entirely. The event, which ran for a whopping five and a half hours, left fans buzzing and processing the reveals. The most pressing question on everyone's mind? Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, but only a few are official Avengers members. The majority of the announced cast comprises actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with a scant number of traditional Avengers. Delving into both the in-universe and real-world implications of this casting choice might offer significant clues about the plots 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 announced with 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 join the Avengers, despite their counterparts, Joaquin Torres and Shuri, not typically being part of the team. Characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have also occasionally been Avengers in the comics, but they aren't central to 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 linked to the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk that has sparked fan theories for months. Some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” but this could just be a marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Why such a focus on a team of less powerful characters (with the notable exception of the Sentry) who aren't typically considered Avengers? It seems the MCU is set to change this narrative significantly. With the Thunderbolts poised to play a major role in Doomsday, the asterisk might indicate their eventual rebranding as the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one who seems to favor the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists they "can’t call ourselves that." This could be a humorous running gag throughout the movie. Moreover, with team benefactor Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and mentioning the absence of Avengers in the trailer, it appears the Thunderbolts are set to take over the Avengers' role as the MCU's primary superhero team.

This rebranding makes sense with the Sentry as a key player and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely serving as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was first introduced in his own miniseries in 2000 and reintroduced 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

11 Images

Once established in the MCU, the Thunderbolts could be recruited to form a new Avengers roster, potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Remember, in Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. Without access to many traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the less powerful Thunderbolts, placing them at a disadvantage in their first encounter with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of Doomsday's primary goals is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a formidable threat. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes on the villain role (though a cameo might appear in a post-credits scene), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. What better way to do this than by having Doom eliminate several beloved characters? Similar to how Thanos decimated half of all life in Infinity War, Doom might be ready to wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday’s cast. Given the confirmed characters, the Fox X-Men seem most vulnerable.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would also free up space and budget for the return of traditional MCU characters in Secret Wars. Consider this: Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions (collisions of multiple universes causing 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 Doctor Doom’s hands. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe makes the most sense. Not only would it serve as a shocking moment for Doom, but it would also allow Marvel Studios to focus on the original Avengers in Secret Wars, much like Infinity War paved the way for Endgame to focus on the original six Avengers.

Having characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others return to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe would provide a triumphant conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. This could be Marvel Studios' best chance 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 know for sure until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but for now, this seems the most plausible explanation for the limited presence of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.