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

It's happening, Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios has set the superhero world abuzz with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, which included an unexpected lineup featuring many actors from the Fox X-Men franchise. The reveal was a marathon, clocking in at a whopping five and a half hours! As fans digest these announcements, one question looms large: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The cast announcement confirmed 27 characters, but traditional Avengers members are noticeably scarce. The roster is dominated by actors from the Fox X-Men, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, leaving only a few classic Avengers. This intriguing shift in focus could provide significant clues about the plots of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper into what this might 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 traditionally associated with the Avengers in either the comics or the MCU who were revealed 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, even though Joaquin Torres and Shuri aren't typical members. Additionally, characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have occasionally been part of the Avengers in the comics but aren't central to the team's narrative.

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, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, and others? The answer might be linked to the Thunderbolts and the mysterious asterisk in their title that has been the subject of fan speculation for months. While some international posters suggest the asterisk hints at "Avengers are not available," this could be more than just a marketing gimmick.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all confirmed for *Avengers: Doomsday*. Why such emphasis on a team of less powerful characters (except for the Sentry) who aren't traditionally Avengers? It seems the MCU is planning a major shift. With the Thunderbolts set to play a significant role in *Doomsday*, the asterisk might indicate they will become the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one who seems to like the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky insists they "can't call ourselves that." The lack of a team name could be a humorous recurring theme, but with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers, it's clear the Thunderbolts are poised to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

Naming the Thunderbolts as the New Avengers at the film's conclusion would fit well with the Sentry being a major player and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely being the main antagonist. The Sentry was introduced in a 2000 miniseries and reintroduced 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 them up for a challenging initial confrontation with Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of Doomsday's key objectives is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a credible threat. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role (though a cameo might still occur in a post-credits scene), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the ultimate antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. What better way to achieve this than by having Doom eliminate major characters that fans thought were safe? Just as Thanos snapped away half of all life and many fan favorites in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be poised to wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday's cast, with the Fox X-Men seemingly most at risk.

Doctor Doom eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only create a dramatic "you bastard!" moment but also free up space and budget for the more traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. Consider this: Secret Wars is on the horizon, and Incursions, a major plot point from the 2015 comic, have already been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness. Witnessing an Incursion firsthand is likely the best way to set up the stakes for Secret Wars, which means an entire universe will need to be destroyed by Doctor Doom. 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 make for a triumphant finale to the Multiverse Saga. This approach might be Marvel Studios' best shot at recapturing the excitement of Endgame's epic conclusion, which they've struggled to match in Phases 4 and 5. While we won't know for sure until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, this theory offers a compelling explanation for the noticeable absence of traditional Avengers in the film's 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!