Six years after "Avengers: Endgame" etched its name among the pantheon of cinematic giants, the Avengers have finallymustered their forces once more. In a mesmerizing livestream spanning nearly five-and-a-half hours, Marvel Studios pulled back the curtain on the ensemble for "Avengers: Doomsday," unveiling a blend of stalwarts from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actors from the late 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" universe, and burgeoning stars from "Fantastic Four: First Steps." Notably absent from the lineup were Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Chris Evans as Captain America, the latter rumored to make at least a cameo in one part of the two-part saga.
Among those announced were Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Mackie stepping into Captain America's boots, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Danny Ramirez as The Falcon, and Winston Duke as M'Baku.
The cast of Marvel's upcoming anti-hero ensemble film, "Thunderbolts*," due in May, was also spotlighted. Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Lewis Pullman, whose character is affectionately known only as Bob, occupied chairs on the soundstage, as shown during the livestream.
Adding to the excitement, X-Men alumni Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, who kickstarted the modern superhero movie era with 2000's "X-Men," were also part of the reveal. They were joined by "X2: X-Men United" stars Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Kelsey Grammer as Beast, who featured in "X-Men: The Last Stand" for 20th Century Fox and made a cameo in "The Marvels." Channing Tatum, once attached to a never-materialized Gambit film, will debut in "Doomsday" after his introduction in "Deadpool & Wolverine."
Members of the Fantastic Four were also included, with Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as The Human Torch rounding out the team.
A genuine shocker of the casting event was Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who portrayed Namor in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." His return to Marvel was questioned after sexual misconduct allegations in June 2023, which he vehemently denied as "false and completely unsubstantiated." Amid the media furore, he withdrew from a Netflix project but later guested at Marvel's "Echo" premiere, hinting at amicable relations with the studio.
Sources indicate that despite announcing 26 actors, Marvel isn't done unveiling the full ensemble, though the timing and manner of the next reveal remain uncertain.
The reveal event was straightforward yet captivating. It featured a director's chair with a star's name on the back. Approximately every twelve minutes, the soundtrack of the next actor's film would play, and the camera would pan to a new chair and name. The event culminated with a stirring rendition of composer Alan Silvestri's "Avengers" theme, revealing Robert Downey Jr. (as Doctor Doom) in a suit and tie, shushing the camera with a playful gesture.
Marvel first announced "Avengers: Doomsday" to great fanfare at San Diego Comic-Con in July, surprising everyone by revealing Downey's return to the MCU after retiring from the role of Iron Man in "Endgame." This move reunited Downey, Marvel's most bankable star, with the Russo Bros., Marvel's most bankable directors, who had likewise departed the MCU after "Endgame."
Marvel boss Kevin Feige first pitched the idea of Downey returning as Doom, while Downey himself persuaded the Russo Bros. to return after half a decade in the streaming sphere. They opted to rejoin after their frequent screenwriter collaborator Stephen McFeely pitched his vision.
"Doomsday" is slated for May 1, 2026, with its sequel, "Avengers: Secret Wars," penciled in for May 7, 2027. The Russos recently shared with The Hollywood Reporter the casting challenges and the intricacies of managing the plethora of characters, confirming they use baseball cards featuring every Marvel actor and character. This was a practice they also employed during "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame."
"Now they have magnets so we can stick them on a board and examine them. It's the only way to keep track of the myriad characters we're working with," said Joe Russo. Anthony Russo added, "As for deciding who's in the movies, it's a lengthy creative journey of exploring where we want the story to go. What's the most surprising and exhilarating territory for us to venture into, and which characters will propel us forward in that endeavor?"
