Marvel Assembles an Epic Cast for Avengers: Doomsday—A Bold Step Toward the Future

Source of Picture: https://deadline.com/gallery/avengers-doomsday-cast-photos-marvel/

Marvel Studios made an announcement on Wednesday, revealing an all-star cast for their upcoming blockbuster film, Avengers: Doomsday, which aims to revitalize the franchise and prove its box office strength. A key highlight is the return of actors from the original X-Men films, which Marvel acquired when Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019. Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) are all set to reprise their roles. These actors were last seen together in X2: X-Men United (2003).

Additionally, Kelsey Grammer, who played Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and appeared in a post-credits scene in The Marvels (2023), will return for Doomsday.

The extensive cast for Doomsday, scheduled for release in 2026, was unveiled during a five-hour livestream, showcasing a total of 27 actors. Alongside the X-Men stars, MCU mainstays such as Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi) are returning. Also confirmed are Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Channing Tatum, who will reprise his role as Gambit after a brief cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine (2023).

Other MCU favorites, including Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor), Letitia Wright (Shuri), and Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), are also part of the cast. The film will introduce new actors from Fantastic Four: First Steps—Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn.

While many of these actors have appeared in prior Marvel films, it remains unclear how substantial their roles will be in Doomsday or future MCU projects.

Notably absent from the cast are Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), with Johansson expressing doubts about returning to the MCU.

The last Avengers team-up was in 2019's Endgame, which marked the defeat of Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the death of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Downey Jr. is set to return for Doomsday, but this time as the villainous Doctor Doom. His appearance was teased at the end of the livestream.

Following Endgame, the MCU has faced some box office challenges with films like Eternals (2021) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), though successes such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine have helped maintain momentum. With Captain America and Thunderbolts expected to underperform, the star-studded Doomsday cast may be Marvel's strategy to regain its former glory.

Avengers: Doomsday is currently in production and set for release on May 1, 2026.