Robert Downey Jr. unveiled as Doctor Doom at Comic-Con
Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to Marvel in the 2026 film “Avengers: Doomsday,” playing the iconic villain Doctor Doom.
Some of Earth’s mightiest heroes may be taking some PTO.
Marvel caused a stir on Wednesday by unveiling the star-studded cast of “Avengers: Doomsday,” which consists of almost 30 actors, from Chris Hemsworth to Patrick Stewart.
But numerous major stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who fans assumed would be in the movie, were conspicuously left off the cast list.
For one, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland was not mentioned. Holland is set to lead his own “Spider-Man” film in July 2026, two months after “Avengers: Doomsday” hits theaters. But he has not been confirmed as part of “Doomsday” despite appearing in both previous “Avengers” installments.
Other characters with significant roles in the MCU who were surprisingly missing from the list include Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
Some fans also thought Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would have roles in “Doomsday” after the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but they weren’t on Wednesday’s list. Reports previously indicated Chris Evans would return for “Doomsday,” but the list didn’t include him, either.
It’s possible some of these heroes will show up in the movie unannounced given Marvel traditionally conceals some surprises from its marketing materials. It could also be that Marvel still plans to announce additional casting at a later date. The studio hinted as much, commenting on a video of the casting announcement that “there’s always room for more.”
Another possibility is that some Marvel characters will be absent from “Doomsday” but return for the follow-up film, “Avengers: Secret Wars.” There would be precedent for this: In 2018, fans wondered why Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man were nowhere to be found in “Avengers: Infinity War,” but they returned the following year in “Avengers: Endgame.” For both characters, their absence from “Infinity War” was a key plot point. Some of the heroes from “Infinity War,” in turn, had a smaller role in “Endgame,” allowing the pair of films to balance the large cast.
Cumberbatch previously told Variety that he wouldn’t play Doctor Strange in “Avengers: Doomsday,” explaining this is due to his character “not aligning with this part of the story.” He said, however, that Strange is “in a lot” of “Secret Wars.” The actor later caused confusion by walking his comments back by telling Business Insider, “I got that wrong, I am in the next one.”
Olsen, meanwhile, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Monday that she won’t appear in either “Doomsday” or “Secret Wars.”
One other reason some MCU heroes might not have a role in “Doomsday” is that the existing cast list suggests there will be a heavy focus on the X-Men. Original “X-Men” stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden and Kelsey Grammer were all confirmed to be returning. Their X-Men characters exist in a separate world from the main MCU, hinting at a plot that could involve multiple universes coming together.
Which Marvel actors are missing from the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast list?
The list of Marvel actors who were notably missing from the “Avengers: Doomsday” cast announcement on Wednesday include:
- Paul Bettany
- Don Cheadle
- Charlie Cox
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Chris Evans
- Xochitl Gomez
- Tom Holland
- Oscar Isaac
- Hugh Jackman
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Brie Larson
- Evangeline Lilly
- Tatiana Maslany
- Elizabeth Olsen
- Teyonah Parris
- Chris Pratt
- Jeremy Renner
- Ryan Reynolds
- Mark Ruffalo
- Hailee Steinfeld
- Tessa Thompson
- Dominique Thorne
- Iman Vellani
- Benedict Wong
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ release dates
If the plan is to sideline some Marvel characters so they can return in “Avengers: Secret Wars,” fans wouldn’t have to wait long to see their favorites again. Discover everything you need to know on our website at https://8days.in/.
“Avengers: Doomsday” hits theaters on May 1, 2026, while “Avengers: Secret Wars” will be released on May 7, 2027.
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