Six years ago, Avengers: Endgame dominated the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever, but now, the Avengers are finally reuniting for their next chapter. During a five-and-a-half-hour live stream, Marvel Studios announced the official cast for Avengers: Doomsday. As fans rush to social media to share their excitement for Marvel’s next big blockbuster, one must ask if this can bring back intrigue to the superhero genre that’s been waning over the years.
Doomsday will feature Familial MCU veterans, actors from Fox’s former X-Men franchise, and new faces from the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. Although the lineup includes several surprises, fans have noticed that key players like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Chris Evans’s Captain America were nowhere to be found in the initial reveal. Despite absence, rumors suggest that Evans may make an appearance; however, Holland’s involvement remains unclear. As a result, his role in the highly anticipated film has left fans speculating if Spider-Man will join the action.
With this announcement, Marvel brought back interest in the superhero genre that had surely been missing. Although some fan-favorite characters are missing from the lineup, the star-studded cast promises an epic crossover event. That said, the returning MCU stars for the film include:
To make this announcement more epic, Marvel is also bringing back the X-Men actors who helped launch the modern superhero era. First appearing in the 2000’s X-Men, the film gave Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, his start as a young assistant. Alongside the MCU actors, the X-Men characters set to appear in the film include:
Additionally, the inclusion of returning MCU stars and iconic X-Men characters bridges two major Marvel universes, setting the stage for an unprecedented team-up. Moreover, fans are already storming through social media with their insights and opinions regarding these heroes and villains, speculating about the team-ups and how they’ll collide in the film.
Even with these great additions, Marvel Studios had more surprises up their sleeve, particularly by including more superhero alumni in Doomsday. Other notable Fox X-Men actors joining the film include Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Kelsey Grammer as Beast. Additional cast members include Channing Tatum reprising his role as Gambit after appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Not only that, but the Fantastic Four will return in Doomsday, following their own movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps, which includes Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as The Human Torch. Similarly, The Thunderbolts will also come back following their film, The Thunderbolts*, with appearances from Lewis Pullman (Bob), David Harbour (Red Guardian), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost).
As another surprising addition to the cast, Marvel brought back Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who played the Sub-Mariner in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Particularly, Mejía’s involvement in the Doomsday comes as a surprise in itself as it takes place after he denied allegations of misconduct in June 2023. Although Mejía initially dropped out of a Netflix project due to these allegations, he appeared at Marvel’s Echo premiere event, indicating a relationship with the studio is still in good standing.
Marvel has officially brought the love for superheroes back with this casting announcement and its highly anticipated crossover films. While Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, Avengers: Secret Wars will follow a year later, on March 7, 2026. As great as the casting announcement was, its execution remains a standout among fans. By showing the actors’ names throughout, fans will be excited about the on-screen presence of the ensemble cast as their beloved heroes.
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