"Doomsday's Missing Avengers Hint at Secret Wars and X-Men Secrets"

It's official, Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is now in production. Marvel Studios unveiled a live stream cast announcement for the much-anticipated film, which left many fans astonished by the inclusion of numerous X-Men actors, the absence of several key characters, and the marathon length of the event—clocking in at five and a half hours! As fans process these revelations, a pressing question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, but only a select few are official Avengers members. The majority of the cast list comprises actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with a sparse representation of traditional Avengers. However, exploring both the in-universe and real-world implications of this casting choice could provide significant clues about the plots 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 are likely to join the Avengers, despite Joaquin Torres and Shuri not typically being part of the team. Some characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have occasionally been Avengers in the comics, but they aren't central to the team's history.

So, why are major 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 missing? The answer might be tied to the Thunderbolts*, with the asterisk that has sparked fan theories for months. (Although some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” it could just be a marketing gimmick.)

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Why the emphasis on a team of less powerful characters (except for the Sentry) who aren't typically Avengers? The MCU seems to be setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a key role in Doomsday, the asterisk might indicate they'll be dubbed 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." The lack of a team name could be a running gag throughout the movie. Moreover, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers in the trailer, it appears the Thunderbolts are poised to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

The Thunderbolts becoming the New Avengers or a similar designation by the film's conclusion would align with the Sentry's significant role and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the main antagonist. The Sentry was first introduced in a 2000 miniseries but was 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

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Once established in the MCU, the Thunderbolts could be recruited to form a new Avengers roster, likely 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, putting them at a disadvantage in their initial confrontation with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Speaking of Doom, one of Doomsday's primary goals is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal of the character as a formidable threat. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role (though we might see a Doom cameo in a post-credits scene), Avengers: 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 major characters fans thought were safe? Just as Thanos snapped away half of all life and many fan favorites in Infinity War, Doctor Doom may be poised to wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday’s cast. Given the confirmed characters, the Fox X-Men seem most at risk.

Doctor Doom wiping out the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic "you bastard!" moment but also free up space and budget for the more traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. Consider this: We know Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions (multiple universes colliding, leading to widespread destruction), a key plot point in the 2015 Secret Wars comic storyline, have already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand is likely the best way to set the stakes for Secret Wars, which means an entire universe will need to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. The Fox X-Men universe being obliterated makes the most sense. Similar to how Infinity War temporarily killed off many newer characters so Endgame could focus on the original six Avengers, Doom wiping out the Fox X-Men would allow for the return of characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe in a triumphant finale to the Multiverse Saga. This approach could be Marvel Studios' way of recapturing the excitement of Endgame's epic conclusion, 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 this seems like the most plausible explanation for the limited presence of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.