Summary
WithAvengers: Doomsdaynow taking shape, recentMCUannouncements give a pretty good steer on who is expected to form the next Avengers lineup. The Avengers haven’t teamed up sinceAvengers: Endgamein 2019, which not only ended with the departure and deaths of three founding members, but left the team in disarray as other founders like Bruce Banner, Thor, and Hawkeye went their separate ways.Captain America: Brave New Worldmay seethe new Captain Americabeing tasked with forming the newest iteration of the team, though they are unlikely to band together untilAvengers: Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsdaybecame the highlight of theMCU’s panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Conas it was revealed to be the new title of what was onceAvengers: The Kang Dynasty. The title change confirmed that the MCU is pivoting from Kang the Conqueror as the Multiverse Saga’s arch-villain andsupplanting him with Doctor Doom. Despite the change in villain, many of the characters due to appear inAvengers 5are likely to remain the same.
Who Are Avengers 5’s 60 Returning Characters? Predicting The Record-Breaking MCU Cast
Avengers 5 will reportedly include more than 60 returning characters, but what if we told you it could be more like 100?
The Thing/Ben Grimm
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
So far, only a handful of MCU characters have been confirmed to appear inAvengers: Doomsday. Most of these were confirmed at SDCC, while time will tell who is sure to join them. They will join Robert Downey Jr. who is returning to the MCU as the titular villain in one of the most surprising reveals of the SDCC panel.
Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed in an interview with Netflixthat he is working onAvengers: Doomsday. This is no surprise, as Doctor Strange is now intimately connected to the multiverse afterthe events ofSpider-Man: No Way HomeandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesssaw him embroiled in multiversal chaos before causing an incursion. WhetherDoctor Strange 3will precede or followAvengers: Doomsdayremains to be seen, but Doctor Strange is sure to play a central role nonetheless.
The Fantastic Four
Kevin Feige confirmed at this year’s SDCC that the Fantastic Four will be returningforAvengers: Doomsday. The team will debut inThe Fantastic Four: First Stepson June 02, 2025, which may introduce Doctor Doom. If so,Avengers: Doomsdaywill likely follow on from this debut, making the Fantastic Four key players in the new Avengers movie. The Fantastic Four have been members of different Avengers lineups in the comics, but never as a team. Nevertheless, if they are to be central toAvengers: Doomsday, it stands to reason that they will join up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
MCU Phase 4, 5 & 6 Heroes Most Likely To Be On The Avengers In Doomsday
While they have yet to be confirmed, there is a litany of MCU mainstays that are highly likely to be inAvengers: Doomsday. These include characters whose most recent appearances left them open to reprise their roles in addition to Avengers team veterans. Of the entire MCU cast, these are the most likely to join the Avengers inAvengers: Doomsday.
Captain America/Sam Wilson
Footage fromCaptain America: Brave New Worldsaw President Thaddeus Ross task Captain America with reforming the Avengers. Not only is it fitting for Captain America to do this, but it is also likely, whether at Ross' behest or his own. Sam Wilson doesn’t quite have the same amount of experience with the Avengers as some of his colleagues, but he has been among their ranks sincethe end ofAvengers: Age of Ultron.Avengers: Doomsdaymay be the first opportunity for Wilson to embody a leadership role, promising a fresh dynamic for the new iteration.
Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers
Captain Marvel has only tenuously involved herself with the Avengers, dealing with cosmic threats solo inAvengers: Infinity Warbefore joining the fight against Thanos inAvengers: Endgame. Danvers was a core member of the team in the five years between the snap and the blip and has since been seen collaborating with Bruce Banner and Wong, though they seemingly don’t operate under the Avengers banner.Danvers now has a vested interest in visiting another universe,as Monica Rambeau was trapped in a universe containing the X-Men and avariant of Maria Rambeau at the end ofThe Marvels.
Hulk/Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner hasn’t appeared in a solo movie since 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkand is instead consigned to being a secondary character in the solo outings of other characters. His most recent appearance was inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where he revealed the existence of his Sakaaran son, Skaar. With this huge plot thread, his Avengers allegiance, and the fact that Marvel only ever rolls him out in ensemble movies in mind, there’s little reason to think he won’t be a part of the team.
Thor
Thor was last seen with his adoptive daughter, Love, defending the galaxy from threats after leaving the Guardians of the Galaxy.Thor: Love and Thunderset up his reappearance down the line in the MCU with the introduction of Hercules, whom Zeus has sicked on the God of Thunder. GivenThor’s heroic MO seemingly remains the same, it is likely that he will help his longtime colleagues defend against whatever threat Doctor Doom poses inAvengers: Doomsday.
Wong
As the current Sorcerer Supreme, it is Wong’s responsibility to defend Earth-616 from interdimensional threats. AsAvengers: EndgameandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessproved, this responsibility seemingly extends to defending Earth from threats within this dimension. WithWong being in contact with Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner, it stands to reason that he will lend his aidin the fight against Doom
Black Panther/Shuri
Shuri aided the Avengers inAvengers: Infinity War, nearly removing the Mind Stone from Vision before time ran out. After her brother’s death, she then took on the mantle of Black Panther but relinquished the Wakandan throne to M’Baku. Despite not being politically responsible for her homeland,Shuri’s role as the new Black Panthershould bring her to the Avengers' cause as she still expresses a desire to protect Wakanda and Earth from external threats.
Spider-Man/Peter Parker
Peter Parker has been left in an interesting position now that his anonymity has returned followingSpider-Man: No Way Home. Nevertheless, while nobody will remember Peter Parker, Spider-Man is still a main player in the Avengers and is likely to resume his role as a newly minted member of the Avengers. The most compelling theory thatSpider-Man will returnsurroundsRobert Downey Jr. being cast as Doctor Doom and what his interaction with Peter might look like given he will look identical to Tony Stark.
The post-credits scene ofSpider-Man: No Way Homeestablished that a symbiote now lives in the MCU, teasing the possibility that Spider-Man will don the first iteration of his symbiote suit in the first run of the “Secret Wars” comics.
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi is already in contact with some of the core members of the Avengers after his solo outing ended with hisTen Rings emanating a beaconand piquing the interest of Carol Danvers, Bruce Banner, and Wong.This beacon may be an important plot in the next team-up, as these Avengers are now involved, and Shang-Chi is overdue for another stint in the spotlight. Should he join up with the Avengers, Shang-Chi will likely be the greenest member, which should lend itself to an interesting dynamic.
James Rhodes/War Machine
AfterSecret Invasionrevealed that Rhodey had been replaced by a Skrull for an undetermined amount of time, he will likely be keen to clear his name and champion Tony Stark’s legacy.War Machine is due to head upArmor Wars, which is where the bulk of this arc is likely to play out. Short of his death or retirement, however,there is little reason to suggest that he would sitAvengers: Doomsdayout, especially considering the narrative potential of interacting with a villain that looks identical to his late best friend.
Star-Lord/Peter Quill
Peter Quill has officially left the Guardians of the Galaxy and now dwells on Earth with his grandfather. The surest sign that Quill will return forAvengers: Doomsdaycame with the line that flashed up at the end ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3that promised Star-Lord’s return to the MCU.
Given this is unlikely to be inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol.4,Avengers: Doomsdayis the most sensible place, especially given his established relationship with myraid Avengers established inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.
MCU Heroes Unlikely To Be On The Main Avengers Team In Doomsday
The MCU is currently stuffed with new and returning characters, and it will behard to explain how any established hero won’t join the fight against Doctor Doom. While this means thatAvengers: Doomsdaymay boast the biggest ensemble of MCU heroes ever seen on screen, even trouncing the Battle of Earth inAvengers: Endgame, this doesn’t necessarily mean that every character will be Avengers members. Instead, new teams of heroes have emerged recently that will join the fight under their own banner instead.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Wiccan/Billy Maximoff
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The Young Avengers are officially en route thanks to Ms. Marvel getting the ball rolling inthe post-credits scene ofThe Marvels. As the presumed leader of this new team, the impossibly likableMs. Marvel will likely bring this currently disparate group of new, young MCU heroes together inAvengers: Doomsday. There is even a chance for the team to take center stage, especially if Marvel Studios hopes to ensure that enthusiasm for these largely lesser-known characters improves.
Yes (But previously not a core member)
Phyla
No
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3saw the original Guardians disband and a new one form, though four original members remain as Rocket now replaces Quill as their leader. WhileAvengers: Endgamesaw Rocket join the Avengers in the 5 years between the snap and the blip,the Guardians are less likely to disband inAvengers: Doomsday, especially since they have only just formed the new lineup. Though they are scattered, certain original members of the Guardians like Drax, Nebula, and Gamora, may also find themselves rejoining this team to fight Doom.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
US Agent/John Walker
The Thunderbolts is a team of more morally grey heroes that will make their cinematic debut in 2025’sThunderbolts*. Their clandestine operations in this movie are seemingly going to put them in the path of Sentry, one of Marvel Comics' most powerful characters. Provided they all survive,this will set them in good stead to go up against a threat as vast as Doctor Doomdespite their comparatively diminutive power set, and they’ll no doubt bring a compelling dynamic as a result.
There is a theory that suggests that Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk may also be joining the ranks of the Thunderbolts, given the proximity of his debut and the name of the team.
Last Seen on the Domo or with Arishem
Eros
Domo
Unless Marvel Studios intends to renege on the promise made at the end of 2021’sEternalsthat the team would return, it makes sense for the team to reappear inAvengers: Doomsday. They are, after all, cosmic defenders who recently broke their Celestial-given directive tostart rallying Eternals to a more virtuous cause than ensuring the destruction of the worlds within their universe.The reveal of Harry Styles' Eros, who is traditionally Thanos' brother, could be paid off while providing an interesting interaction inAvengers: Doomsdayas the Avengers confront their last arch-nemesis’s relative.
Avengers: Doomsday May Include Multiple Superhero Teams
Avengers: Doomsdaymay have the Avengers in its title, but the likelihood is that they may not be as central as they once were. With so many characters now present in the MCU,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsmay instead feature the Avengers as one of the numerous teams rallying together to prevent the destruction of their universe. Suffice it to say, the stakes will be exceptionally high if multiversal destruction is on the cards, necessitating a team-up unlike anything the MCU has seen before.
This may mean that the Fantastic Four, who are traditionally Doctor Doom’s biggest rivals, will maintain their own team and fight alongside the Avengers instead of within them. The Thunderbolts, meanwhile, are antiheroes who don’t exactly gel as well with the Avengers banner - especially given they have been the enemies of some members. Whatever happens, it can be safely assumed thatAvengers: Doomsdaywill boast a stacked cast - which is an exciting prospect.
