Several important figures within theMCUare steadily confirming cast members forAvengers: Doomsday. The fifth Avengers movie, previously titledAvengers: The Kang Dynasty,pivoted into a new direction as of San Diego Comic-Con 2024, officially confirming that Doctor Doom will be the central villain instead ofJonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. TheAvengers: Doomsdayrelease date, meanwhile, remains August 16, 2025. While story details emerge, what is certain is that it will begin to concludethe MCU’s Multiverse SagabeforeAvengers: Secret Warsbrings it to a definitive end one year later.
Avengers: Doomsdaywill have been seven years in the making as the first Avengers movie to hit theaters sinceAvengers: Endgameraked in a record-breaking $2.5 billion worldwide gross for Marvel in 2019. Suffice it to say that the success of the MCU’s last Avengers movie was largely thanks to its ensemble cast, withAvengers: Doomsdaylikely to follow suit. Marvel Studios made a major announcement during a livestream presentation,revealing the main cast ofAvengers: Doomsday.
Doctor Doom & The Fantastic Four
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
It’s safe to say thatRobert Downey Jr. stole the show at SDCC 2024.The confirmation that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning vindicated rumorsthat had been swirling for several months. His casting as Doctor Doom came as a big surprise, however, as his potential return to the MCU was previously presumed to be as a variant of Tony Stark. Until further details aboutAvengers: Doomsdayemerge, it remains unclear whether this will be the case forRobert Downey Jr.’s version of Doctor Doom, or whether he will embody an entirely original character.
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Avengers: Endgame
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Since leaving the MCU after Tony Stark’s demise inAvengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. has starred in 2020’sDolittleas the eponymous character and 2023’sOppenheimeras Lewis Strauss, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the latter. While there is no doubt a deeper reason for bringing him back, Robert Downey Jr. is one of Marvel’s strongest casting decisions, with an unassailable track record as one of the MCU’s most iconic contributors. For now, the only comment that the actor has made about his new role is the cryptic, “New mask, same task.”
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards A.K.A. Mister Fantastic
Pedro Pascal steps into the role of Reed Richards, A.K.A. Mister Fantastic, who is largely recognized as the leader of The Fantastic Four. Reed Richards has the ability to stretch his body, and is considered one of the world’s smartest people. His first appearance in the MCU was in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pedro Pascal is the second actor to portray Reed Richards in the MCU, after John Krasinski inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm, A.K.A. The Invisible Woman
Vanessa Kirby will reprise her role as Sue Storm inAvengers: Doomsday,following her appearance as the character inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. Sue Storm, along with her Fantastic Four family, will be closely linked to Doctor Doom, which could continue to be explored in the upcoming Avengers film. Sue Storm has the ability to become invisible as well as creating force fields by bending the surrounding light.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, A.K.A. The Thing
Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing, will join the rest of The Fantastic Four inAvengers: Doomsday. The Thing is the most tragic member of The Fantastic Four, as his powers also changed his appearance, giving him a rock-like look that never goes away. Still, Ben Grimm is an incredibly strong character who could do some major damage in a battle, which will be needed.
Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, A.K.A. The Human Torch
Like Pascal’s Reed Richards, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm will be the second iteration of the character to appear in the MCU, afterChris Evans recently reprised the role inDeadpool & Wolverine. Quinn will be the definitive version of the character as he joins The Fantastic Four inAvengers: Doomsday. The Human Torch is an impetuous hothead who will be an interesting addition to the MCU lineup, given very few characters match his personality. His interactions with Spider-Man, meanwhile - with whom Storm is best friends in Marvel Comics - are also an exciting prospect for the next ensemble movie.
The Avengers
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Chris Hemsworth has been a staple of the MCU sinceThorin 2011, who then went on to be one of the original members of the Avengers. Over the course of his time in the MCU, Hemsworth has helped transform Thor into one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise, especially followingThor: RagnarokandAvengers: Infinity War. Given how powerful the character is, it only makes sense that he will be around forAvengers: Doomsday.
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Thor: Love and Thunder
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Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, A.K.A. Captain America
Anthony Mackie started out in the MCU by playing Sam Wilson inCaptain America: The WinterSoldier, who took up the mantle of Falcon to help Steve Rogers take down SHIELD. He remained Falcon for most of his time in the MCU until Steve Rogers gave Sam his Captain America shield following his retirement inAvengers: Endgame. He eventually takes up the mantle andCaptain America: Brave New Worldfully explores the character as the new Captain America, and the movie ends with him hoping to bring together a new Avengers team.
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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
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Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, A.K.A. Ant-Man
When Ant-Man was first introduced in the MCU, it was unclear how it was going to go, given the sillier aspects of the character, butAnt-Manproved to be a major success and Paul Rudd stole the show as Scott Lang. Since then, the character has become a key part of the entire MCU, where his ability to change his size and will is a powerful ability.
Ant-Man played a significant role inAvengers: Endgame, where he miraculously came back from the Quantum Realm. Ant-Man has proven his worth as an Avenger multiple times over, with his defeat of Kang being a major show of strength for him.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
2023
Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Bucky Barnes first appeared inCaptain America: The First Avengeras the best friend of Steve Rogers. Following his death in that film, and his subsequent revival, Bucky appeared inCaptain America: The Winter Soldieras the titular villain, and spent the rest of his time in the MCU trying to move past the brainwashing inflicted upon him and what he did when he was The Winter Soldier. Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes has been a staple since the MCU’s Phase One.
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, A.K.A. Black Widow
Yelena Belova was introduced as the “sister” of Natasha Romanoff inBlack Widow, where Romanoff’s history was seen, including her surrogate family’s time undercover as Russian spies. Following the events ofBlack Widow, Yelena Belova goes off on her own, appearing inHawkeyewhere she confronts Barton about her sister’s death. Her MCU journey continued inThunderbolts*before joining the cast ofAvengers: Doomsday.
Wyatt Russell as John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent
John Walker first appeared inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldieras the government’s official replacement for Captain America following the end of Steve Rogers' story inAvengers: Endgame. Despite Rogers passing on the shield to Sam Wilson, the US government saw it best to let Walker take up the shield, but his actions duringThe Falcon and the Winter Soldiersaw Walker being stripped of his Captain America title, eventually falling under the eye of Valentina, who helps him become US Agent, who plays a major role inThunderbolts*.
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, A.K.A. Red Guardian
Alexei Shostakov was the adoptive father to Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova as they worked undercover as Russian spies. In fact, he was Russia’s answer to Captain America, as he was injected with the super soldier serum and became Red Guardian, though his prime is behind him. David Harbour was a blast as the character during his appearance inBlack Widow, andThunderbolts*sees him reunited with Yelena Belova, working together once again after he seems to be living alone in squalor prior to the events of the film.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts*: Everything You Need To Know
With the MCU’s Thunderbolts* movie having now officially released, here’s everything you need to know about the Marvel film and its story.
Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr, A.K.A. Ghost
Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost made her first MCU appearance inAnt-Man and the Wasp, as the antagonist of the titular characters. She has the ability to make herself tangible as well as generate huge amounts of power, but her biggest issue inAnt-Man and the Waspwas her lack of being able to control them to the extent that she wanted to, making her a liability. After getting them under control, she has become a powerful asset in bothThunderbolts*andAvengers: Doomsday.
Lewis Pullman as Bob, A.K.A. Sentry
Lewis Pullman made his MCU debut inThunderbolts*, where he played Bob, also known as Sentry, and was initially an adversary for the Thunderbolts team. Sentry is one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel Comics, and looks to be one of the heavy hitters inAvengers: Doomsday, given that the heroes will need all the power they can get.
Other Major MCU Characters
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Loki has been a significant character in the MCU since 2011, when Tom Hiddleston first played the role inThor. He was even the reason the Avengers were formed in the first place. Loki’s character slowly evolved throughout the MCU, before he was killed by Thanos inInfinity War. Thanks to time travel shenanigans, Loki was able to star in his own series, where he became the hero fans always thought he could be. He was last seen holding the multiverse together at the end ofLokiseason 2.
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Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
Simu Liu took on the role of Shang-Chi inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Incredibly proficient in martial arts, Shang-Chi is actually the son of The Mandarin, who uses the Ten Rings to give himself nearly absolute power. There has been little of Shang-Chi in the MCU following his solo film, withWhat If…?being his only other appearance. Given that Shang-Chi is now in possession of the Ten Rings after his father’s death, he is one of the most powerful characters.
Danny Ramirez as Falcon
When Sam Wilson took up the shield and became Captain America, the MCU needed another Falcon, which led to Danny Ramirez making his debut as Joaquin Torres inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After working with Sam Wilson a bit in the show, he came back inCaptain America: Brave New World, and officially stepped into the role of Falcon.
Letitia Wright as Shuri, A.K.A. Black Panther
Shuri was initially introduced inBlack Pantheras the younger sister of King T’Challa. She was shown to be one of the smartest people in the world, and was able to utilize Wakanda’s vibranium to make some incredible pieces of technology, including her brother’s Black Panther suit. Following her brother’s death, Shuri eventually took up the mantle of Black Panther to fight off Namor and his army of Talokans inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, a significant feat for his first battle as the character.
Winston Duke as M’Baku
M’Baku first appeared in the MCU inBlack Panther, challenging T’Challa for the throne of Wakanda. While he was an antagonist for most of the film, he fought alongside T’Challa against Killmonger to take back Wakanda. Following his parts inInfinity WarandEndgame,he returned inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, fighting alongside Shuri as the new Black Panther against Namor and his army.
Tenoch Huerta Mejia as King Ch’ah Toh Almehen, A.K.A. Namor
Namor made his MCU debut withBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever.He is the king of Talokan, an underwater kingdom that chooses to go to war with Wakanda to protect his people from the surface world.Namor is one of the biggest surprise additions toAvengers: Doomsday, given that it was unclear when he would actually return to the MCU followingBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. He is certainly a welcome addition, though, as he is a formidable warrior as well as a mutant.
The X-Men
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
The leader of the X-Men, Patrick Stewart first played the role of Charles Xavier inX-Menback in 2000, and many thought his last appearance would be inLoganfollowing the character’s death.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessbrought Patrick Stewart back into the fray, though, as he played a variant of Charles Xavier who was part of that universe’s Illuminati. His appearance inAvengers: Doomsdayis a pleasant surprise, given his variant inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas killed by the Scarlet Witch.
Ian McKellen as Magneto
Charles Xavier and the rest of the X-Men aren’t complete without Magneto, one of Marvel’s greatest villains. Ian McKellen initially played the role inX-Men, appearing as essentially the main antagonist for most of the original Fox films. With Ian McKellen’s last role as Magneto being in the incredibleX-Men: Days of Future Past, it is a pleasure to see him come back to the character once again.
James Marsden as Cyclops
Cyclops was largely the leader of the X-Men alongside Charles Xavier inX-Men, but was unfortunately killed off by Jean Grey near the beginning ofX-Men: The Last Stand. He briefly returned at the end ofDays of Future Past, but that was James Marsden’s last appearance as the character. His relationship with Jean Grey in the original trilogy was one of the driving forces behind those films, as was his antagonistic relationship with Hugh Jackman’s Logan.
Kelsey Grammer as Beast
Kelsey Grammer reprises his role as Beast, after first appearing in the role withX-Men: The Last Standin 2006. He returned to the role in a brief cameo forThe Marvels, setting up more of the Multiverse Saga that has been building up toAvengers: Doomsday. Given that Beast is part of the X-Men, his inclusion in the MCU has been a big deal.
Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler initially appeared inX2: X-Men United, with one of the best opening scenes in comic book history, as the character infiltrated the White House using his incredibly cool teleporting powers. Alan Cumming played the character in the film, but never reprised his role, asX-Men: Apocalypsebrought back another version of the character. His appearance inAvengers: Doomsdayis shocking, but a welcome return for a memorable character.
Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
Alongside many members of the original X-Men films, Rebecca Romijn reprises her role as Mystique, whom she played in all three films in the original trilogy. She worked closely with Magneto throughout her appearances, only to be left behind by him after she accidently loses her mutant abilities due to getting injected with the cure. It will be interesting to see what her relationship with him is like inAvengers: Doomsday.
Channing Tatum as Gambit
Years after Channing Tatum was attached to Gambit, with his solo movie never coming to fruition, he was finally able to play the character inDeadpool & Wolverine. He was one of the best cameos in that film, and it is exciting to see him back inAvengers: Doomsday, as Channing Tatum expressed interest in playing the character once more.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
