‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast — Every Returning Marvel Star

The Avengers films are already known for their huge crossover events, but Avengers: Doomsday, coming in 2026, promises to be even bigger with a massive cast featuring characters from throughout Marvel’s cinematic history. Unlike previous Avengers movies which usually introduced at least one new hero, Doomsday will largely focus on celebrating the franchise’s legacy and established characters.

The next Avengers movie was originally planned to focus on Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, and the heroes who would defeat him. While it would have brought together different heroes, it wasn’t expected to be as massive a crossover as the upcoming Doomsday event. However, after issues with Jonathan Majors led to his removal, Marvel needed a new villain and a new story. The actor chosen as his replacement quickly became popular, and this change also led to the return of several well-known characters from across the Marvel universe.

Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Iron Man’ (2008)

Paramount Pictures

Robert Downey Jr. is most famous for playing Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. He was the first major star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in the 2008 film Iron Man – which kicked off the entire interconnected series. His character’s death in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame was a deeply emotional moment for fans, and many are still saddened by it. In July 2024, it was announced that Downey Jr. will return to the franchise, this time playing the villain Dr. Doom.

The announcement sparked both positive and negative reactions, with some people criticizing it as a last-ditch effort to recapture the success of the MCU’s earlier films. However, many fans are eager to see how Robert Downey Jr.’s appearance alongside the Avengers: Endgame cast connects to his iconic portrayal of Tony Stark. From a story perspective, it’s hard to dismiss the possibility of a larger connection. There’s a lot of speculation that this new version of Doctor Doom might be a darker, alternate-universe version of Tony Stark, though that hasn’t been officially confirmed or ruled out.

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Fantastic Four’ (2005)

Chris Evans first became known for playing a comic book hero in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, but he actually played another superhero, Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), in two Fantastic Four movies even earlier. While his character, Steve Rogers, hasn’t died in the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Iron Man, he appeared quite old at the end of Endgame. Many thought his story was finished, so it was a surprise when Marvel announced Steve’s return in a preview at the end of 2025.

Chris Evans reprised his role as the Human Torch in the 2024 film Deadpool and Wolverine, but his character died during the course of the movie.

Chris Evans is likely to return as Steve Rogers, focusing on scenes from his life with Peggy Carter that happened after the events of Endgame. He’s currently listed in credits as Steve Rogers, not Captain America – that title now belongs to Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie. While it’s possible Steve could become Captain America again, it’s more probable he’ll appear as an older Steve Rogers, now a father, when he makes future appearances.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor Odinson

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Thor’ (2011)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Chris Hemsworth’s return as Thor in the upcoming movie is a relatively straightforward continuation of his story. While he last appeared in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, his character’s journey hasn’t been as dramatically altered as some other Marvel heroes’. Because Hemsworth has only ever played Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s easy for audiences to follow his character, and that’s likely to remain true in the new film. A key element of his return is his character’s newfound fatherhood – he adopted a daughter, Love, (played by Hemsworth’s real daughter, India Rose Hemsworth) at the end of Love and Thunder, and she will also appear in the upcoming movie.

Anthony Mackie as Sam “Captain America” Wilson

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Sam Wilson, initially known as the Falcon, took on the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers in the movie Avengers: Endgame. He officially became Captain America in the 2021 Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and continued the role in the 2025 film, Captain America: Brave New World, making him a recent addition to the returning cast of Marvel characters.

With Steve Rogers expected to return in Doomsday, it’s uncertain if Chris Evans’ character will take back the Captain America shield and title from Sam Wilson. That would be unfair to Anthony Mackie’s character, so it’s more probable that Sam will remain the only Captain America in the movie. Additionally, Danny Ramirez will reprise his role as Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, in Doomsday.

Sebastian Stan as Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ (2011)

Disney/Marvel Studios

I’ve followed Bucky’s journey through the MCU, and it’s been a wild ride – from villain to hero! I’m really expecting him to be on the hero side in Avengers: Doomsday. Although he’ll have a small appearance in Brave New World, and a bigger part in the Thunderbolts movie coming out in 2025, it feels like his return in the next Endgame sequel isn’t getting quite as much hype. I’m definitely excited to see him reunite with Steve – that’s going to be powerful! But honestly, compared to some other characters coming back, it seems like Bucky might not be a central figure in Doomsday, especially considering how much screen time he’s already gotten since Endgame.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Thor’ (2011)

Disney

The Loki we knew died at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, but the time travel in Endgame created a new version who ended up in a different kind of trouble and starred in the Loki series for two seasons. Over the course of the Disney+ show, Loki slowly changed for the better, ultimately sacrificing himself to become the God of Stories and save the entire multiverse. It’s hard to imagine how they could bring Loki back in a Doomsday movie without ruining the meaningful ending he got in Season 2, but a film dealing with the multiverse might be the only way to do it.

Paul Rudd as Scott “Ant-Man” Lang

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Ant-Man’ (2015)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Even though the Ant-Man movies haven’t always been critically successful, Paul Rudd remains a popular actor thanks to his charming portrayal of Scott Lang. While Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) received mostly negative reviews, it heavily featured Jonathan Majors, likely as a way to introduce his character for the planned Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, with changes to the MCU’s plans, that didn’t happen. Rudd is consistently well-received whenever he appears in other Marvel projects, and he probably would have had a larger part in The Kang Dynasty. Hopefully, he’ll still have a meaningful role to play in the upcoming Doomsday movie.

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ (2021)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

While Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings didn’t achieve huge box office numbers, it was a hit with both critics and audiences. The COVID-19 pandemic definitely made it harder for the film to succeed, and Marvel hasn’t announced a direct sequel yet. Simu Liu has reprised his role by voicing different versions of Shang-Chi in animated series like What If and Marvel Zombies, but Doomsday signals his return to live-action Marvel films as the original Shang-Chi. It’s not the sequel fans might be hoping for, but it’s exciting to have Simu Liu back in the role.

Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Black Panther’ (2018)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Although Shuri takes on the role of Black Panther in the comics, Chadwick Boseman likely would have continued playing the character in future films if he hadn’t passed away. Now, Letitia Wright is the MCU’s Black Panther and will reprise the role in a movie coming out in 2026. The previous film, Wakanda Forever, focused on Shuri becoming the Black Panther after her brother’s death, so the upcoming Doomsday film will be the first time audiences see her begin a story as Black Panther from the start.

Winston Duke as M’Baku

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Black Panther’ (2018)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

M’Baku, the leader of the Jabari Tribe, is now the king of Wakanda in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given that Wakanda is one of the most powerful countries on Earth in the MCU, it’s not surprising Winston Duke will reprise his role in Avengers: Doomsday. The heroes will need as much support as possible when facing Doctor Doom, and Wakanda’s Vibranium will be a crucial asset. This film will mark Duke’s fifth time playing M’Baku.

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Even though Namor wasn’t a standout villain in Wakanda Forever, Marvel has decided to bring him back for Avengers: Doomsday. He finished the last movie as an ally to Shuri and, by extension, Earth’s heroes. However, with Doomsday already packed with popular and well-known Marvel characters, Namor will likely have a smaller, supporting role in the film.

The ‘Thunderbolts*’ Cast

The 2025 film Thunderbolts felt like a major team-up event. Aside from Lewis Pullman, who played Bob “Sentry” Reynolds as a new face in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the cast was made up of characters audiences had already seen in previous Marvel films. Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian), Hannah John-Kamen as Ava (Ghost), Wyatt Russell as John Walker (US Agent), and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier) are all returning favorites. Pullman, however, is quickly being introduced to the interconnected world of Marvel with multiple crossover appearances.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Cast

All 4 Main Cast Members Made Their Marvel Debuts in 2025

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Both Thunderbolts and First Steps were early films to feature the villain Doomsday. Interestingly, a quick appearance of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom happens in First Steps, and we see the Fantastic Four’s spaceship in Thunderbolts after its travels through the multiverse. Because of this connection, the main actors from both movies—Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing)—are all returning for Avengers: Doomsday. It’s notable that before this project, each of these actors had only appeared in one Marvel film, which is unusual.

Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier – A.K.A. “Professor X”

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘X-Men’ (2000)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Patrick Stewart is known for playing Professor X in the main X-Men films, which used to exist as their own separate Marvel universe. He also appeared as a different version of the character in the 2022 film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. While it’s not confirmed if he’ll return as the original Professor X – his character died in the 2017 movie Logan, so it would require a complicated storyline – it’s more probable he’ll play another version of the character, similar to his role in Multiverse of Madness.

Ian McKellen as Erik “Magneto” Lehnsherr

Actor’s First Marvel Appearance: ‘X-Men’ (2000)

20th Century Studios

Ian McKellen, known for playing Magneto, is reportedly joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday. He previously played the character only within the X-Men films produced by Fox. While often portrayed as a villain, Magneto has sometimes worked alongside heroes. Considering the powerful threat of Doctor Doom, it’s logical to assume he’ll team up with the X-Men and other Marvel heroes. However, it’s still unconfirmed whether that will be his role in the movie.

Some Other ‘X-Men’ Stars (But Not All)

20th Century Fox

Avengers: Doomsday will feature a significant tribute to the X-Men films. Since Marvel hasn’t yet introduced new versions of these characters, it’s a nice way to acknowledge the previous movies. Although the X-Men films have had their ups and downs with fans, the actors chosen to portray the heroes and villains were consistently well-received. It’s good that these versions will get one last moment in the spotlight before being replaced.

Channing Tatum is joining the Marvel universe, and while he’s appeared as Gambit before, his return in Doomsday is a bit unusual. Taylor Kitsch originally played Gambit in the X-Men films made by Fox. Tatum’s version of Gambit was initially intended to star in his own movie. So, even though Tatum has played this Marvel character before, it’s worth pointing out that this Gambit is different from the one Taylor Kitsch portrayed in X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009.

Notable Marvel Absentees Currently Unannounced For ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Deadpool & Spider-Man Are Just 2 Examples

Marvel Studios

The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie, set to release in 2026, is expected to have some unexpected characters appear. While the full cast hasn’t been announced, several heroes could still make a cameo. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is a likely possibility, though Disney might be hesitant to feature him too much since a new Spider-Man movie, Brand New Day, is also coming out that year. The same situation applies to Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, who is confirmed for Brand New Day but not currently listed in the Doomsday cast.

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I’m also really hoping to see some familiar faces join the team! Right now, it looks like Deadpool, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, and Daredevil aren’t confirmed to be in the movie, but there’s still a chance they could show up. We haven’t gotten any official word about them joining the cast yet, and it’s possible we won’t know for sure until Avengers: Doomsday comes out on December 18, 2026. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

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2025-12-28 03:41