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

It's happening, Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios has set the internet abuzz with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, featuring a surprising lineup of X-Men actors, some notable absences, and a marathon session that lasted five and a half hours. As fans digest all the exciting reveals, one pressing question stands out: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, yet only a few are traditional Avengers members. The roster is predominantly filled with actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving us with a scant number of proper Avengers. Delving into the in-universe and real-world implications of this casting choice might provide significant clues about the plot of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's dive in.

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 announced who are traditionally associated with 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, though their comic counterparts, Joaquin Torres and Shuri, aren't typically part of the team. Additionally, characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been Avengers in the comics but aren't central to the team's history.

So, where are 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 lie in the Thunderbolts and the mysterious asterisk in their title, which fans have been speculating about for months. Some international posters suggest the asterisk means "Avengers are not available," but it could be just a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all confirmed for *Avengers: Doomsday*. Why the focus on a team of less powerful characters (except for the Sentry) who aren't traditionally Avengers? The MCU seems poised to change this dynamic significantly. With the Thunderbolts playing a major role in *Doomsday*, the asterisk might signify that they will be dubbed the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian seems to be the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists they "can't call ourselves that." The lack of a team name could be a running gag throughout the film. Additionally, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers in the trailer, it appears the Thunderbolts are set to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

Naming the Thunderbolts the New Avengers would align with the Sentry's significant role and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was introduced in a self-titled miniseries in 2000 and was reincorporated 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 fill out a proper Avengers roster, likely led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Recall that in Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. Given Cap's limited access to traditional Avengers, he might have to rely on the less powerful Thunderbolts, putting the team at a disadvantage when facing Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of Doomsday's primary goals is to establish Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a formidable antagonist. 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), Doomsday will set the stage for Doom as the ultimate adversary of the Multiverse Saga. What better way to do this than by having Doom eliminate major characters thought to be safe? Just as Thanos decimated half of all life and many fan favorites in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be set to wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday's cast, with the Fox X-Men most likely on the chopping block.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would free up space and budget for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. We know Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions—multiple universes colliding and causing widespread destruction—have been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand is crucial for setting the stakes for Secret Wars, which means an entire universe will need to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. The Fox X-Men universe being obliterated makes sense, not only as a dramatic "you bastard!" moment for Doom but also to streamline the focus on the original MCU cast, similar to how Infinity War set the stage for Endgame.

Bringing back characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe would provide a triumphant conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. It might be the only way for Marvel Studios to replicate the excitement of Endgame's epic finale, which they've struggled to match in Phases 4 and 5. We won't know Marvel's exact plan until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but for now, this seems the most plausible explanation for the limited number of Avengers in the cast.

Do you think the X-Men are goners in Avengers: Doomsday? --------------------------------------------------------

They're doomed!They'll survive at least until Secret Wars!Let's discuss in the Danger Room... uh, in the comments!

AnswerSee ResultsWhat do you think will happen in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!