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

Excitement is reaching fever pitch among Marvel fans as Avengers: Doomsday officially enters production. Marvel Studios recently unveiled a live stream cast announcement that not only introduced a surprising array of X-Men actors but also left many fans puzzled by the absence of key characters. The marathon announcement, clocking in at a whopping five and a half hours, has left the Marvel community buzzing with speculation and questions. Chief among them: Where are the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The reveal showcased 27 characters, yet the traditional Avengers members were notably sparse. Instead, the lineup heavily features actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans to wonder about the narrative direction of both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's delve deeper into what this might mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

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 confirmed in the announcement traditionally linked to the Avengers 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 characters not being typical team members in the comics. Other characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been part of the Avengers, but they aren't central to the team's history.

So where are the heavy hitters 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 tied to the Thunderbolts* and the asterisk in their title, which has sparked fan theories. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means “Avengers are not available,” it might also be a clever marketing ploy.

Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. Why such a focus on a less powerful team not traditionally considered Avengers? The MCU seems to be setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts prominently featured in Doomsday, it's hinted that they might be dubbed the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one who seems fond of the "Thunderbolts" moniker, while Bucky dismisses it, suggesting a running gag throughout the film. Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, the team’s benefactor, has purchased Avengers Tower and comments on the Avengers' absence in the trailer, indicating that the Thunderbolts might step into the Avengers' shoes as the MCU’s primary superhero team.

This transformation aligns with the Sentry's inclusion, a character who first appeared in a 2000 miniseries and was reintroduced in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic. His evil counterpart, the Void, is likely to be the film's main antagonist. Once established, the Thunderbolts could be recruited to form a new Avengers lineup, possibly led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. This move could tie into a plot point from Captain America: Brave New World, where President Ross enlists Sam to rebuild the team. Given the limited availability of traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, setting the stage for an initial confrontation with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

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

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Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Another pressing concern is the establishment of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a formidable antagonist. With Doom absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus is the main villain (though a post-credits cameo is possible), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom's role in the Multiverse Saga. Much like Thanos in Infinity War, Doom could eliminate a significant portion of the cast, particularly the Fox X-Men, to solidify his threat level.

This strategic move would not only make for a dramatic "you bastard!" moment but also clear the narrative and budgetary space for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. The concept of Incursions, where multiple universes collide, has already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, hinting at the stakes for Secret Wars. If an entire universe is destroyed by Doom, the Fox X-Men universe is a likely candidate. This would allow characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to return and confront Doom, avenging the lost universe and culminating the Multiverse Saga with a triumphant finale.

Such a narrative could provide the excitement Marvel has been trying and failing to recapture since the epic conclusion of Endgame. While we won't know Marvel's exact plan until Avengers: Doomsday premieres on May 1, 2026, the current setup offers a compelling explanation for the limited presence of Avengers in the film's cast.