Attention, Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios delighted fans with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, featuring an unexpected lineup of X-Men actors and some notable characters missing entirely. The marathon announcement, lasting a whopping five and a half hours, has left fans buzzing. As the dust settles, one burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, yet the roster is surprisingly light on official Avengers members. Instead, it's dominated by actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans scratching their heads about the absence of key Avengers. However, delving into the in-universe and real-world implications might offer clues to the overarching plots of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper into this intriguing development.

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 revealed who have a traditional association with the Avengers, either in the comics or the MCU, 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 Joaquin Torres and Shuri not typically being part of the team. Additionally, characters like Namor or the Fantastic Four have had brief stints with the Avengers in the comics but aren't considered core members.

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 be connected to the Thunderbolts*, and the intriguing asterisk that has fueled fan theories for months. While international posters suggest the asterisk might indicate "Avengers are not available," this could be a clever marketing tactic.

Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry are confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Why focus on these less powerful characters, aside from the Sentry? The MCU seems to be setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a central role in Doomsday, the asterisk might signify that they will become the New Avengers by the film's end. In the trailers, Red Guardian appears to be the only one fond of the "Thunderbolts" name, while Bucky argues they "can’t call ourselves that." This could be a humorous subplot, but with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine purchasing Avengers Tower and commenting on the absence of Avengers, it appears the Thunderbolts are poised to take over as the MCU's primary superhero team.

Having the Thunderbolts rebranded as the New Avengers, especially with the Sentry as a key player and his evil counterpart the Void as the main antagonist, aligns with the Sentry’s introduction in the 2000 miniseries and his integration into the Marvel Universe in 2005's New Avengers comic by Brian Michael Bendis.

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. Recall that in Captain America: Brave New World, President Ross asked Sam to help rebuild the team. With many traditional Avengers unavailable, Sam might have to rely on the Thunderbolts, putting them at a disadvantage in their initial clash with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Are the X-Men Doomed in Avengers: Doomsday?

One of Doomsday's primary objectives is to establish Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as a formidable villain. Since Doom is absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus will take center stage (though a cameo might still occur in a post-credits scene), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the Multiverse Saga's ultimate antagonist. What better way to do this than having Doom eliminate several fan-favorite characters presumed to be safe? Much like Thanos' snap in Infinity War, Doom could wipe out a significant portion of Doomsday's cast, with the Fox X-Men likely facing the brunt of the destruction.

Eliminating the Fox X-Men would not only create a shocking moment for Doom but also free up resources and screen time for the traditional MCU cast to return in Secret Wars. With Incursions—a key plot element from the 2015 Secret Wars comic—already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, witnessing an Incursion could set the stage for the high stakes of Secret Wars, necessitating the destruction of an entire universe by Doctor Doom. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe would be a strategic move, allowing characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Captain Marvel to return and confront Doom, avenging the lost universe in a thrilling finale to the Multiverse Saga.

This approach could potentially match the excitement of Endgame's epic conclusion, which Marvel Studios has been trying and failing to replicate in Phases 4 and 5. We won't know for certain until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but this theory seems to be the most plausible explanation for the noticeable absence of Avengers in the Doomsday cast.