Exciting news for Marvel aficionados: Avengers: Doomsday is now officially in production. Marvel Studios thrilled fans with a live stream cast announcement that unveiled a surprising lineup featuring numerous X-Men actors. The announcement, which lasted an astonishing five and a half hours, left fans buzzing about the noticeable absence of several key characters. As the dust settles on the reveals, one burning question remains: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, yet the list was dominated by members from the Fox X-Men franchise, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, with only a few traditional Avengers making the cut. This shift in focus could have significant implications for the storylines of both Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Secret Wars. Let's delve 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 announced who are 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 characters not typically being part of the team. Other characters like Namor and the Fantastic Four have had brief stints with the Avengers in the comics but aren't major players.

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, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange? The answer might lie with the Thunderbolts*. The asterisk in the title has sparked fan theories, and while some international posters suggest it means “Avengers are not available,” it could be a clever marketing tactic.

Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. Why the emphasis on a team that's not typically seen as powerful (except for the Sentry) or considered Avengers? It appears the MCU is setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a major role in Doomsday, it's hinted that they might be rebranded as the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian seems to be the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" moniker, while Bucky insists they "can’t call ourselves that." The lack of a team name could be a humorous subplot, but with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine acquiring Avengers Tower and mentioning the absence of Avengers, it's clear the Thunderbolts are poised to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

This rebranding makes sense, especially with the Sentry's significant role and the likely appearance of his evil counterpart, the Void, as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was introduced in a 2000 miniseries and later became part of the Marvel universe in Brian Michael Bendis' 2005 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 team, potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. In Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross asks Sam to help rebuild the team. Lacking access to traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, setting them up for a challenging first encounter with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of Doomsday's main goals is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a formidable antagonist. With Doom absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus will take the villain's role (though a cameo might occur in a post-credits scene), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the Multiverse Saga’s ultimate adversary. Much like Thanos in Infinity War, Doom could eliminate several beloved characters, with the Fox X-Men appearing to be the most vulnerable.

If Doom wipes out the Fox X-Men, it would not only create a dramatic moment but also free up resources for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. The concept of Incursions, where universes collide, has been mentioned in Multiverse of Madness and is crucial to the 2015 Secret Wars comic storyline. An Incursion could be the perfect way to show Doom's power and set the stakes for Secret Wars, likely involving the destruction of the Fox X-Men universe.

This scenario would allow characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Captain Marvel to return in Secret Wars, seeking vengeance against Doom and providing a thrilling conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. It's a potential strategy for Marvel Studios to recapture the excitement of Endgame, which they have been trying and failing to replicate in Phases 4 and 5. While we won't know for certain until Avengers: Doomsday premieres on May 1, 2026, this explanation seems the most plausible for the limited presence of Avengers in the film's cast.