‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Bets Big on ‘X-Men,’ ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Thunderbolts,’ but Will Fans Care Without the Original Stars?

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Pull up a chair: The Avengers are assembling once again.

As a passionate cinephile, I was absolutely thrilled to witness Marvel’s grand reveal on Wednesday, unveiling their star-studded cast for the 2026 blockbuster “Avengers: Doomsday.” Over an extended period of more than five hours, the epic superhero ensemble kept us all on the edge of our seats with their constant buzz and a flood of memes as we eagerly followed along with a livestream that meticulously unveiled each cast member’s name, one by one, etched on directors’ chairs.

For the first time, details have emerged about who will spearhead the initial segment of a two-part finale for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, and Marvel has left no stone unturned. It appears that nearly everyone in Kevin Feige’s contacts book is featured on the cast list. Actors from “Captain America,” “Black Panther,” “Thor,” and “Ant-Man” are included, along with some promising newcomers from upcoming projects like “The Fantastic Four: First Footsteps” and “Thunderbolts.” However, it remains to be seen if “Doomsday” can match the $2.79 billion box office success of “Endgame.”

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Information has been released about who will lead the first part of a two-part finale for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, and Marvel has pulled out all the stops. It seems that just about everyone in Kevin Feige’s address book is on the cast list. Actors from “Captain America,” “Black Panther,” “Thor,” and “Ant-Man” are part of the lineup, as well as some potential new stars from upcoming films such as “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and “Thunderbolts.” But it remains to be seen if “Doomsday” can achieve the $2.79 billion box office earnings that “Endgame” did.

Despite some people expressing fatigue from superhero franchises, especially Marvel titles, it’s worth noting that over 100,000 viewers simultaneously tuned into the YouTube livestream, and “Avengers: Doomsday” was the top trend on X/Twitter. To put it simply, every time a new cast member was announced, there were countless memes flying around. In other words, the film certainly made an impact!

Absolutely, the livestream was quite similar to the 2017 publicity stunt for the “Game of Thrones” Season 7 release date, where people watched an ice block melt to find out about the show’s return. Just like that event, this one was criticized for its slowness, but it’s hard to imagine another show or movie attempting such a bold (yet painstakingly slow) approach for something as routine as a release date or cast announcement.

Although no other Marvel film has matched the success of “Endgame,” the corporation experienced a surge in power with the earnings of “$1.3 billion” from “Deadpool & Wolverine” last year, following underwhelming income from “The Marvel,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and “Eternals.” The upcoming movie titled “Doomsday” is set to release seven years after “Endgame,” coinciding with a creative overhaul. Notable characters like Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson are no longer part of the cast, making way for new superhero teams such as Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts.

After this extended reveal, will the “Avengers” cast’s actions lead to doom for Marvel or mark a fresh start? Let me share some key points from the event.

The X-Men Are Right Around the Corner

Apart from “Deadpool & Wolverine” from the previous year, “Doomsday” is anticipated to have the largest collection of mutant characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. The cast for “Doomsday” has expanded significantly with the inclusion of Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen from the “X-Men” series, as well as Kelsey Grammer playing Beast, James Marsden portraying Cyclops, Alan Cumming assuming the role of Nightcrawler, Channing Tatum taking on Gambit, and Rebecca Romijn reprising her role as Mystique.

In recent Marvel movies, actors like Stewart, Tatum, and Grammer have reappeared as their X-Men characters, while McKellen, Cumming, Marsden, and Romijn haven’t been seen for years. The upcoming movie “Doomsday” suggests a return of some beloved mutants before potentially restarting the X-Men franchise altogether. Although no official casting has been confirmed for future projects, fans speculate that “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink might take on the role of Jean Grey in “Spider-Man 4.” “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” could erase the existing X-Men storyline to pave the way for a fresh start with mutants.

Will Fans Love these Avengers as Much as the Old Ones?

One of the joys of the first “Avengers” film and subsequent cinema outings was seeing these well-loved superheroes united on a Quinjet – Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor, all characters significant enough to lead their own solo stories. Over time, the team grew to incorporate other fan favorites like Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, keeping things exciting. However, as Marvel progressed into its fourth, fifth, and sixth phases, it has found difficulty in creating new costumed heroes who captivate audiences as much as the original group did.

Instead of relying on an actual Brink’s truck filled with cash parked in Chris Evans’ driveway, the upcoming Avengers film will heavily feature newer characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These include Simu Lu as Shang-Chi, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, along with characters that viewers have not yet met (under these actors’ portrayals), such as Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman. Will the new team members generate the same chemistry as the original Avengers or will they seem more like a tribute band playing old favorites without the original spark?

Where are Cumberbatch, Olsen, Jackman, Renner, Ruffalo, Reynolds, Holland, Larson and Pratt?

Multiple notable actors were missing from the cast list for “Avengers: Doomsday”. Given that Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen have confirmed they won’t be in this film due to changes prompted by Jonathan Majors’ departure, their omission was predictable. However, fans might have been surprised to learn that Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chris Pratt (Star Lord), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) are also not appearing. This doesn’t necessarily mean these popular stars won’t feature in future Avengers movies, such as “Avengers: Secret Wars”. For example, Benedict Cumberbatch hinted to EbMaster that Doctor Strange will play a significant role in the 2027 team-up film. Tom Holland is currently preparing for “Spider-Man 4”, which starts production this summer after he finishes filming Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”, making it difficult to fit “Doomsday” into his schedule. Rest assured, there’s always space at the Avengers Mansion if more heroes are needed in the next movie.

Marvel Is Going All In on ‘Fantastic Four’

Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are carrying significant responsibility as they prepare to headline the reboot of Fantastic Four, a team that has previously had two unsuccessful film adaptations by Fox. With “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” set for release on July 25, this film aims to live up (and potentially spawn sequels) to its title. A highlight of “Endgame” was watching the Avengers interact with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it appears that the Fantastic Four are poised to cross into other dimensions and meet the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These four actors are also rapidly rising stars: Pascal is set to appear in HBO’s “The Last of Us” Season 2, Quinn gained notable roles in “Stranger Things” and last year’s “Gladiator II,” Moss-Bachrach won two Emmys for “The Bear,” and Kirby has starred in popular films and series such as “Mission: Impossible” and “The Crown.” As the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares for its next chapter, these four actors could be an excellent addition.

Are the Thunderbolts Here to Stay?

The Thunderbolts, a group consisting of anti-heroes and villains from previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) productions, will hit theaters on May 2nd. However, Marvel has grand plans for this band of outcasts that are reminiscent of the Avengers’ scale. Actors Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman have been confirmed to be part of “Doomsday,” which leaves the fate of their characters in the upcoming “Thunderbolts” less enigmatic. This diverse team of characters appears ready to make it through their debut this summer (though possibly not Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine). Set to become one of Marvel’s main teams moving forward, they are now stepping into the limelight!

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2025-03-27 00:48