"Doomsday's Avengers Absence Hints at Secret Wars, X-Men"

Exciting news for Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is now officially in production. Marvel Studios thrilled audiences with a live stream cast announcement for the upcoming film, which included a surprising number of X-Men actors. However, fans were left puzzled by the absence of several key characters, and the marathon length of the announcement—clocking in at over five hours! As the dust settles on this massive reveal, one burning question remains: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The announcement confirmed 27 characters, yet only a few are traditional Avengers members. The roster is heavily populated with actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans to wonder about the implications for both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper into what this could mean.

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

So, where are the likes of 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 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 set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Why the focus on a team of less powerful characters (except for the Sentry) who aren't typically Avengers? It seems the MCU is setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a key role in Doomsday, the asterisk might indicate that 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" moniker, while Bucky insists they "can’t call ourselves that." This could be a humorous running gag throughout the movie. Moreover, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the lack 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 would align with the Sentry's significant role and the anticipated appearance of his evil counterpart, the Void, as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was first introduced in a 2000 miniseries and later integrated 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. With many traditional Avengers unavailable, Sam might have to rely on the less powerful Thunderbolts, setting the stage for a challenging initial confrontation with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of the major concerns for Avengers: Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom 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 beloved characters that fans thought were safe? Just as Thanos decimated half of all life in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be poised to wipe out a significant portion of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, with the Fox X-Men appearing to be the most vulnerable.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic "you bastard!" moment for Doom but also free up resources for the return of more traditional MCU characters in Secret Wars. We know that Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions—a key plot element from the 2015 comic storyline—have already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand would effectively set the stakes for Secret Wars, requiring the destruction of an entire universe at Doctor Doom’s hands. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe aligns perfectly with this narrative.

Having characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others return to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe would provide a thrilling conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. This approach could be Marvel Studios' best chance 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 certain until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but this theory offers a compelling explanation for the limited presence of traditional Avengers in the film's cast.