
- Marvel Studios has announced the official cast of Avengers: Doomsday
- A live feed appeared on the comic titan's YouTube page at 11AM ET today (March 26)
- There are big names who aren't part of proceedings
Update: Marvel has implied that it isn't done with its Doomsday cast reveals. So, if you're disappointed that your favorite superhuman isn't part of proceedings, there's still hope yet!
Original story follows.
Marvel has announced the full cast roster for Avengers: Doomsday, aka the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) next big team-up movie.
There were tentative rumors yesterday (March 25) that the comic book giant would make a big announcement today (March 26) at 11AM ET / 3PM GMT. As if by magic, a live video appeared on the studio's YouTube channel, as well as the likes of X/Twitter and Instagram, at that exact time.
The live feed began with an out-of-focus individual walking into frame to place a chair bearing Chris Hemsworth's name. Unsurprisingly, that made MCU fans frenzy over a possible Thor 5 reveal.
Though it would be fun to get confirmation that another Thor movie is on the way, that's not the big announcement I expected Marvel to make, especially one devoting an entire live feed.
18 minutes later, another chair bearing the name of Vanessa Kirby, who'll play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, was placed next to Hemsworth's. 23 minutes into the live feed, the Avengers' iconic MCU theme began to play before slowly softening as it ended.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Marvel Unlimited monthly subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at Marvel
The ultimate digital comics subscription for Marvel fans is offering new and returning customers 50% off their first month, which is much cheaper than a streaming subscription to watch all the best superhero movies. To gain access to a library of more than 30,000 comics, use the code 'SPIDEY50' at checkout. You're able to use the Marvel Unlimited app on all iOS and Android devices, including the web, too. But, be quick – the deal expires on May 5!
More chairs were periodically added, too. One minute after the Avengers musical score began, a third chair adorned with Anthony Mackie, aka the latest actor to play Captain America, was brought in. At the 40-minute mark, Sebastian Stan's (i.e. Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier) seat was added to the mix.
At 11:50AM ET, 12:05PM ET, and 12:15PM ET, respectively, current Black Panther star Letitia Wright, whose character Shuri assumed the mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Wyatt Russell's John Walker/US Agent, who'll next appear in Thunderbolts* in early May, joined the aforementioned quartet on the confirmed cast roster.
In perhaps the most surprising cast reveal, Tenoch Huerta Meija's anti-hero Namor was confirmed to feature. Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm/The Thing was also added to the cast before Simu Liu's Shang-Chi – yes, he's finally in another MCU project! – was revealed to be part of the cast.
Two hours in, and the reveals kept coming. Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova was added to the roster ahead of Kelsey Grammer's Beast – yes, he of X-Men fame who was last seen in The Marvels' mid-credits scene – doing likewise, so there'll be at least one mutant in Doomsday! Then, Lewis Pullman's Bob Reynolds/Sentry was announced.
Following hot on Pullman's heels, Danny Ramirez's Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and David Harbour's Alexei Shoshtakov/Red Guardian have bagged roles in Avengers 5. So has Winston Duke, whose MCU character M'Baku was last spotted in Black Panther 2, and Hannah John-Kamen's Ava Starr/Ghost.
And what a way to introduce the next batch of heroes – fire up that theremin, ladies and gents, because Tom Hiddleston's Loki (and current multiverse savior) is in Avengers 5, too. Oh, and then keep the musical hits coming because the iconic X-Men theme is played as Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier/Professor X is back. Again. For, what, the sixth time now? Eh, who cares! So is Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, but no one is complaining about that, either.
The X-Men reveals kept on coming soon after. Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden, who portrayed Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Raven Darkholme/Mystique, and Scott Summers/Cyclops in Fox's original X-Men timeline, are back for more comic book adventures. Meanwhile, Channing Tatum's Remy LeBeau/Gambit, who finally made his big-screen debut in Deadpool and Wolverine, is on board.
Following that, Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic rounded out The Fantastic Four's full inclusion. Lastly, the Doomsday cast reveal that was made at San Diego Comic-Con 2024: Robert Downey Jr, who we already knew to be playing Doctor Victor von Doom.
It's in Marvel's best interests to take control of the cast roster narrative. With filming expected to start on Doomsday and Secret Wars in April, there has been, and would've continued to be, plenty of speculation about which heroes might appear in either or both films. This is Marvel's way of getting ahead of any industry leaks or rumored appearances before principal photography begins.
There are, though, some big names who seemingly aren't part of Avengers: Doomsday, aka one of the many Marvel Phase 6 projects that are in development.
Indeed, Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Hugh Jackman's James 'Logan Howlett/Wolverine, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel, Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk, Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton/Hawkeye, and Chris Pratt's Peter Quill/Star-Lord are just some of those who apparently won't appear in Avengers 5. Unless their appearances are being withheld for now, hopefully, they'll all be part of the Avengers: Secret War' cast.
For more Marvel content, read exclusive coverage from my recent chat with Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Joe and Anthony Russo, plus some other interesting tidbits, below.
You might also like
- 'We take the comprehensive view': Joe and Anthony Russo drop big hint over Marvel heroes from Disney+ shows appearing in Avengers 5 and 6
- 'We will draw inspiration': Joe and Anthony Russo reveal which of Marvel's Secret Wars comic book series have influenced Avengers 5 and 6's plot
- Marvel fans are already tired of Doomsday and Secret Wars cast gossip as two more superheroes get linked with roles in the next two Avengers movies
As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.