The Apparent Lack of Actual Avengers in Doomsday May Give Us Big Secret Wars (and X-Men) Hints

It's happening, 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 number of X-Men actors. However, many fans were left puzzled by the absence of several key characters, missing entirely, and the marathon length of the announcement (a whopping five and a half hours!). As fans process these reveals, one burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, yet only a few are official Avengers members. The roster is heavily populated by actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with a scant number of traditional Avengers. Delving into 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 dive deeper.

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 in the announcement traditionally associated with the Avengers 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 being typical team members. Additionally, characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been part of the 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 lie with the Thunderbolts* and the mysterious asterisk that has sparked fan theories for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means "Avengers are not available," this could be a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Why the focus 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 embrace the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists they "can't call ourselves that." The lack of a team name could be a running gag, but with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers, it appears the Thunderbolts are poised to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

Naming the Thunderbolts the New Avengers at the film's conclusion would align with the Sentry's prominence and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the main antagonist. The Sentry 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, 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, 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 a cameo might appear 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 might be poised to decimate 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 shocking moment but also free up space and budget for the more traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. We know Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions (multiple universes colliding, leading to widespread destruction) have been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand would effectively set the stakes for Secret Wars, requiring an entire universe to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe makes the most sense. This move would not only serve as a dramatic "you bastard!" moment for Doom but also 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 could be Marvel Studios' way to recapture the excitement of Endgame, 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 theory seems to explain the scarcity of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.