Exciting news for Marvel aficionados: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in the works. Marvel Studios kicked off the buzz with a live stream cast announcement that left fans reeling with the inclusion of several X-Men actors, the absence of some beloved characters, and the marathon length of the reveal (a whopping five and a half hours!). As the dust settles and fans process the news, one burning question emerges: Where are the iconic Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The announcement confirmed 27 characters, yet only a scant few are official Avengers members. The roster is heavily populated with actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, alongside members of the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four. This leaves us pondering the implications for both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's delve into the details.

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 linked to the Avengers in the announcement 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 characters not typically being part of the team. Additionally, some characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have had brief stints with the Avengers in the comics, but they aren't core members.

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 lie in the Thunderbolts* and the intriguing asterisk in their title. Fans have speculated about this for months, and while some international posters hint at the asterisk indicating "Avengers are not available," it could also be a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are all set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. The focus on this less powerful, non-traditional Avengers team raises questions. It appears the MCU is set to redefine their role significantly. With the Thunderbolts slated to play a major part in Doomsday, it hints that by the film's end, they might be rebranded as the New Avengers. In the trailers, Red Guardian seems fond of the "Thunderbolts" moniker, but Bucky argues against it, suggesting a humorous ongoing debate over the team's name. Additionally, with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine acquiring Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers, it seems clear that the Thunderbolts are poised to step into the Avengers' shoes as the MCU's primary superhero team.

The Thunderbolts becoming the New Avengers would align perfectly with the Sentry's significant role and the anticipated presence of his evil counterpart, the Void, as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry, first introduced in a 2000 miniseries, was reintroduced in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic, adding weight to this theory.

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. This plotline aligns with the events in Captain America: Brave New World, where President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. With traditional Avengers unavailable, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, setting the stage for a challenging confrontation with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

Speaking of Doctor Doom, a key aspect of Avengers: Doomsday is establishing Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal as a formidable antagonist. With Doom missing from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus will take the villain's role (though we might see a Doom cameo in a post-credits scene), Doomsday needs to cement Doom's status as the ultimate threat of the Multiverse Saga. Just as Thanos snapped away half of all life in Infinity War, Doom could eliminate a significant portion of Doomsday's cast, particularly the Fox X-Men.

This move would not only serve as a shocking twist but also free up resources and screen time for the more traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. With Incursions, the universe-colliding events from the 2015 Secret Wars comic, already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, witnessing an Incursion firsthand would set high stakes for Secret Wars. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe at Doom's hands would be a dramatic "you bastard!" moment, echoing the way Infinity War temporarily removed newer characters to focus on the original Avengers in Endgame.

The return of characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and others to confront Doom and avenge the destroyed universe would provide a thrilling climax to the Multiverse Saga. This approach could be Marvel Studios' way to recapture the magic of Endgame's epic conclusion, which they've been trying and failing to replicate 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 limited presence of Avengers in the film's cast.