- Two more superpowered individuals are rumored to appear in Avengers 5 and 6
- She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany has been linked with roles in one or both Marvel movies
- Scarlet Witch actor Elizabeth Olsen has seemingly ruled herself out of showing up
I hope you're ready for a packed year of Marvel casting rumors, as two more stars have been linked with roles in the next two Avengers movies.
With filming due to begin on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in the near future, speculation is rife over who'll actually appear in the cinematic double-header. And, depending on whether you choose to believe or disregard the latest gossip, She-Hulk and/or Scarlet Witch may be in line to feature.
Let's start with the latter because we have actual quotes from Elizabeth Olsen, the actor behind Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, about her potential involvement.
Or, should I say, lack of involvement. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Olsen implied she won't show up in the films that'll likely cap the Marvel Multiverse Saga, due to her shooting the pilot for a new FX TV show called Seven Sisters. That project will be filmed in LA – i.e. half a world away from principal photography beginning in earnest on Doomsday in London.
Olsen isn't the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star to deny they're part of a movie's cast, only to actually appear, mind you (I'm primarily looking at you, Andrew Garfield!).
Sure, Maximoff is still thought to be dead, having seemingly perished in Doctor Strange 2. Marvel fans don't need reminding, though, that nobody ever stays dead in the Marvel Universe, comic books or otherwise. We didn't actually see Scarlet Witch bite the dust in the aforementioned film, either – and we all know that, unless we actually see the body, there's no guarantee that someone is gone for good.
It's for those reasons that MCU devotees have raised a collective eyebrow over Olsen's latest comments, with many believing she's bluffing over a potential appearance. I guess we'll find out if Olsen was telling the truth or not when Avengers 5 and 6 make their theatrical debuts.
Green with envy
As for Maslany's possible casting in one or both Marvel Phase 6 projects, that's similarly difficult to quantify. There is firm evidence, though, that Bruce Banner's cousin could make her first MCU appearance since 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in Doomsday and/or its sequel.
On March 20, a post on the Comic-Con Liverpool X/Twitter account confirmed that Maslany, who was set to attend the event, had to pull out due to "filming commitments".
Now, a quick scan of Maslany's IMDb page suggests principal photography is due to begin on one of three new projects she's set to star in – none of which are Marvel-related. That hasn't stopped MCU fans from jumping to conclusions, though, and theorizing that She-Hulk will make her big-screen debut very soon.
It would be easy to scoff at such speculation. However, She-Hulk featured in a couple of leaked concept art images for Avengers 5 and 6 earlier in March. Is that artwork the driving force behind this gossip? Perhaps. For what it's worth, Doomsday and Secret Wars' directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, say that concept art has nothing to do with the next two Avengers flicks.
So, read into that what you will – and many have. Indeed, whether it's on various Reddit threads, ResetEra, or other social media outlets and forums, fans are debating if the pair will appear. Some think they will, others aren't so sure, and some are simply sitting on the fence. All of them, though, are bound by the same thing: they're already tired of the sheer number of cast rumors that are circulating online.
All of that said, with pre-production set to make way for principal photography shortly, a clearer picture is starting to emerge about what we can expect from this movie pairing.
On the storytelling front, the Russos exclusively told me that Doomsday and Secret Wars will "draw inspiration" from both 'Secret Wars' comic book series. The pair also didn't deny that heroes from Marvel TV shows on Disney+ will appear in Avengers 5 and 6. Oh, and the two films will herald "a new beginning" for the MCU in more ways than one.
As for other cast rumors, Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch initially said he wouldn't appear in Doomsday, before backtracking on those comments days later. Robert Downey Jr, who's set to play the Multiverse Saga's new Big Bad in Doctor Doom, isn't the only original Avenger who'll reportedly return to the MCU, either, as former Captain America star Chris Evans has also been linked with the flicks. However, Scarlett Johansson has poured cold water on her returning as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow.
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