The Avengers Connections Hidden in Marvel's Doomsday Cast Tease

A lot has changed in the MCU since the events of Avengers: Endgame, including the fact that there isn’t actually an Avengers team anymore. New heroes have been rising up to fill the void left by Iron Man and Captain America, but it’s going to be a while before we get a proper Avengers movie again. Even Captain America: Brave New World stops short of reuniting Earth's Mightiest heroes.

Only at the end of Phase 6, when Marvel delivers the one-two-punch of Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, will we see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes reunited. Who will answer the call? Now we know, with Marvel revealing the full Doomsday cast on a livestream.

Who made the cut in Marvel's newest Avengers lineup? More importantly, why are these characters being included? How does this roster build on the Multiverse Saga so far? Here’s the cast of characters you can expect to assemble in Phase 6.

The X-Men

Easily one of the biggest surprises in Marvel's Doomsday cast list is the presence of multiple veterans of Fox's X-Men universe, including Kelsey Grammer's Beast, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, James Marsden's Cyclops, and Channing Tatum's Gambit. The only thing more shocking than this X-Men-heavy lineup is the fact that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine wasn’t named. Logan, along with Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey and Halle Berry’s Storm, appear to be sitting this one out.

Obviously, this isn't the same version of Xavier we saw in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as he didn't make it out of that movie alive. It also seems like Marvel is making something out of that deleted Deadpool & Wolverine scene that revealed Gambit survived the final battle.

Whether any of these X-Men will actually become Avengers in the new movie is unclear, but characters like Beast do seem poised to play a key role in the fight to stop Incursions from destroying the multiverse. We're likely seeing the X-Men of Earth-10005, the world teased in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, and one world where Xavier and his team are alive and fully active. The X-Men will be fighting to keep it that way. There's even a possibility that Doomsday is secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth)

With most of the original Avengers either dead or moving into the background in Phase 4, Thor may be the last hero carrying the torch for that era of the team. That’s reason enough to make him a member of the new team. Fortunately, Thor: Love and Thunder’s ending leaves Thor in a perfect position to pick up his hammers and fly to Earth’s defense. Maybe he’ll even bring his adopted daughter Love along for the ride.

We may see a whole lot of Thors in Avengers: Secret Wars. In the 2015 Secret Wars comic, God Emperor Doom assembles a team called the Thor Corps, all of whom serve as Doom’s peacekeepers and personal police force. Chris Hemsworth may be one Thor among many.

Loki (Tom Hiddleston)

Not only is Thor back in action, but so is his brother Loki. Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role, despite Loki being killed off in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. That's because the time-displaced version of Loki seen in 2019's Avengers: Endgame has gone on to play a pivotal role in The Multiverse Saga. Loki joined the time cops known as The Time Variance Authority and clashed with multiple versions of Kang the Conqueror. Following the dramatic finale of the Loki TV series, Loki now sits on the throne at the center of the multiverse. He literally holds the strands of space and time in his hands, which makes him integral to the conflict as the mutliverse collapses around him.

Shang-Chi

Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi is finally returning to join the Avengers in Phase 6, which is welcome but unsurprising news. For one thing, we already saw him summoned by Wong at the end of 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. For another, before it was reworked, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. That has to mean that Marvel has big plans for Shang-Chi’s MCU future.

Shang-Chi is certainly an asset to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, now that he controls the mystical Ten Rings in place of his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung). The mid-credits scene in The Legend of the Ten Rings hints at a deeper mystery surrounding these artifacts, one that could very well come into play in Avengers: Doomsday.

Captain America

Is any Avengers roster really complete without a Captain America? Fortunately, even though Chris Evans' Steve Rogers retired to finally have his dance with Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter in the past, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson has now taken up the shield as the new Cap. 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed Sam reluctantly accepting that burden, and 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World chronicles the next step in his superhero evolution.

Based on how Brave New World plays out, Sam will likely be instrumental when it comes to getting the gang back together. Harrison Ford's President Ross pitches Sam on the idea of forming a new, government-sanctioned team of Avengers. And though it isn't long before the two have a falling-out, Sam ends the movie finally ready to embrace his role as Avengers team leader.

Can Sam be the inspirational figurehead Steve was? That’s a question we suspect Doomsday and Secret Wars will answer. As much as he wants to be his own hero, Sam will continue to struggle to live up to Steve's example.

The Falcon (Danny Ramirez)

Where Captain America goes, the Falcon usually isn't far behind. Danny Ramirez will reprise his role as Sam Wilson's partner Joaquin Torres. This is sure to be great news for Joaquin, who's definitely a bit of a fanboy for the Avengers in general and Paul Rudd's Ant-Man in particular. We imagine Sam is going to face some friction as he tries to assert his leadership over the Avengers, but he'll never have to worry about The Falcon following his playbook.

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)

Given that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was the first MCU movie to feature Jonathan Majors’ Kang, we have to assume those heroes had an important part to play in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The same will probably still hold true for Avengers: Doomsday, even if Kang himself is no longer the main threat.

The Quantum Realm is sure to remain a major plot point during the Multiverse Saga. It’s how the Avengers managed to reverse Thanos’ destruction, and it could be how Doom will bring a new level of destruction to the universe. Ant-Man got the chance to join the Avengers already, and now it’s time to up the ante. As for the Wasp, she was not announced as part of the Doomsday cast during Marvel’s livestream.

Black Panther (Letitia Wright) and M'Baku (Winston Duke)

It’s debatable whether Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther ever technically qualified as an Avenger during the Infinity Saga. Still, he lent vital aid to Captain America’s team after the events of Captain America: Civil War, and Wakanda was the site of a major battleground in Avengers: Infinity War. Wakanda has the technology and resources the Avengers need to stand a fighting chance against all-powerful villains like Thanos and Doom.

Given that, we can see why Black Panther would continue to play a part in the team going forward. The only difference is that now Letitia Wright’s Shuri is wearing the suit. Will Shuri give the new Avengers the support they need? And how does Winston Duke’s M’Baku fit in, now that he’s the new monarch of Wakanda?

Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía)

Few would have predicted that Tenoch Huerta Mejía would reprise his role as Namor for Doomsday. Marvel is definitely casting a wide net here. But if Wakanda is instrumental in the fight to save Earth from destruction, maybe it's only fair that their new allies in Atlantis do the same.

Interestingly, Namor is a core member of the Illuminati in the comics, a shadowy group that plays a big part in the march toward the Secret Wars storyline. (We saw an alternate universe version of them in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.) Will Doomsday follow suit? And does Namor's inclusion in the movie mean we'll see some sexual tension between he and Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm? Probably.

The Thunderbolts

Marvel's Thunderbolts* movie is introducing that particular super-team to the MCU, and it seems multiple members of the team will be returning for Doomsday. Marvel clearly isn't above spoiling the outcome of that movie before it even releases.

Fans can expect to see Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, an ex-Black Widow now trying to find her purpose in the world after the death of her sister and the destruction of the Red Room. If the Thunderbolts thing doesn't work out, maybe becoming a full-fledged Avenger will do the trick? Or will she lead the Thunderbolts in opposition to the Avengers?

Yelena's father Red Guardian (David Harbour) is joining the fun. Alexei is a bit kooky ever since he spent a stint inside a Russian gulag, but he's a handy guy to have in a fight.

Wyatt Russell's U.S. Agent will also return. We saw John Walker try and fail to become the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Does he still have Avenging potential? Whatever happens, we expect more tension between John and Cap's true successor, Sam Wilson.

Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost is returning, as she continues her evolution from tragic villain to full-fledged defender of the world.

Finally, Lewis Pullman's Bob Reynolds, aka The Sentry, will return for Doomsday (which apparently means he won't be dying in Thunderbolts*). As ever, this massively powerful but deeply troubled hero could either be the Avengers' greatest weapon or their biggest nightmare. Probably both.

The Fantastic Four

No sooner will 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduce a new version of Marvel's First Family than they'll return for Doomsday. Pedro Pascal's Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby's Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn's Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's The Thing are all returning. Here, again, we don't know that the FF will be officially deputized as Avengers, but they'll have a big part to play in defending the multiverse from collapse and battling Doctor Doom. Doom is, after all, the numero uno of Fantastic Four villains. It'd be weird if they didn't show up.

We know that the FF currently call a different universe home. They live in a retro-futuristic, 1960s version of the MCU where they're as much celebrities as superheroes. But one of the big questions leading into the movie is what becomes of their world once Galactus pays a visit. Can they save their home? And what causes them to cross over into the MCU? And then there's the biggest question of all - is Downey's Doom also from the First Steps universe, or somewhere else entirely?

Honorable Mention: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Wong may be Sorcerer Supreme now, but that doesn’t mean Stephen Strange won’t continue to play an important role in whatever version of the Avengers exists in Phase 6. He’s a superhero veteran now, and the Avengers need his expertise in both magic and the multiverse. Strange reportedly won’t be in Doomsday, but will return for Secret Wars.

It’s worth remembering that Doctor Strange is currently in another universe, helping Charlize Theron’s Clea deal with the Incursion problem. It’s looking like we're not going to get another Doctor Strange sequel before Doomsday, but that tease in Multiverse of Madness is sure to pay off when the Avengers assemble to battle Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Which hero are you most surprised didn't make the cut in Avengers: Doomsday? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know in the comments below.

For more on the future of the MCU, learn how Robert Downey, Jr. can be playing Doctor Doom and brush up on every Marvel movie and series in development.

Note - this article was originally published on July 28, 2022 and updated on March 26, 2025 with the latest MCU developments.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.