"Doomsday's Missing Avengers Hint at Secret Wars, X-Men Secrets"

Excitement is brewing in the Marvel community as Avengers: Doomsday has officially entered production. Marvel Studios kicked things off with a live stream cast announcement that left fans buzzing. The announcement introduced a surprising mix of X-Men actors, alongside characters from the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four, with many of the expected Avengers noticeably missing entirely. The marathon event stretched over five and a half hours, and as fans process the flood of information, one question looms large: Where are all the Avengers in this new “Avengers” movie?

The announcement confirmed 27 characters, yet only a few are official Avengers members. The bulk of the roster comprises actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans puzzled about the whereabouts of key Avengers. This shift in focus could offer significant clues about the plots of both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper into what this could 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 from the announcement traditionally linked 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, despite their counterparts not being typical team members in the comics. Additionally, characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have had brief associations with the Avengers, but they're not central to the team's history.

So where are the heavy hitters like 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 be tied to the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk that has sparked fan theories. While some international posters suggest the asterisk means "Avengers are not available," this could be a clever marketing ploy.

Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. Why such emphasis on a less powerful team, aside from the Sentry? It appears the MCU is setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a key role in Doomsday, the asterisk might indicate they'll be known as the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian is the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" moniker, while Bucky insists they “can’t call ourselves that.” This might hint at a humorous running gag throughout the movie. Moreover, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine acquiring Avengers Tower and commenting on the Avengers' absence in the trailer, it seems the Thunderbolts are poised to step into the Avengers' shoes as the MCU's primary superhero team.

The Thunderbolts being renamed as the New Avengers aligns with the Sentry's significant role and the introduction of his evil counterpart, the Void, likely as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was first introduced in a miniseries in 2000 and later became a key part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic in 2005.

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, possibly 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 limited access to traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, which could put them at a disadvantage in their initial battle against Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

A major focus of Avengers: Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a formidable adversary. 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), Avengers: Doomsday must set the stage for Doom's prominence in the Multiverse Saga. One effective way to showcase Doom's threat is by having him eliminate key characters, much like Thanos did in Infinity War. Given the cast list, the Fox X-Men appear to be the most vulnerable.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only be a shocking move for Doom but also free up resources and screen time for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. With Incursions, a pivotal plot element from the 2015 Secret Wars comic, already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, witnessing an Incursion firsthand could set the stakes for Secret Wars. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe would be a dramatic way to do this, akin to how Infinity War temporarily removed newer characters to focus on the original Avengers in Endgame.

Bringing back characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe could provide a thrilling conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. This approach might be Marvel Studios' best chance to replicate the excitement of Endgame, which they've been trying and failing to match in Phases 4 and 5. While we won't know for certain until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, this theory offers a compelling explanation for the absence of many Avengers in the film's cast.