Exciting news for Marvel fans: Avengers: Doomsday is officially in production. Marvel Studios has thrilled audiences with a live stream cast announcement for the new film, featuring an unexpected ensemble of X-Men actors, some notable character absences, and a marathon reveal session lasting five and a half hours. As fans process the extensive lineup, one burning question emerges: Where are all the Avengers in this new "Avengers" movie?

The video confirmed 27 characters, yet only a few are official Avengers members. The cast is heavily populated with actors from the Fox X-Men franchise, the Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic Four, leaving fans puzzled about the whereabouts of iconic Avengers. Delving into both the in-universe and real-world implications of this casting choice might offer significant clues about the narratives of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's dive deeper.

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 in the announcement traditionally linked to the Avengers 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 their characters 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 major figures in the team’s history.

So, where are key Avengers like 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 tied to the Thunderbolts*, with the asterisk sparking fan theories for months. Some international posters suggest the asterisk indicates an “Avengers are not available” message, possibly a marketing gimmick.

Confirmed members of Avengers: Doomsday from the Thunderbolts include Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and the Sentry. Why the focus on this team, which isn't traditionally powerful (except for the Sentry)? The MCU seems to be setting up a significant shift. With the Thunderbolts playing a crucial role in Doomsday, the asterisk might hint that they'll be rebranded as 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 against it. The lack of a team name could be a recurring theme, but with Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine buying Avengers Tower and mentioning the absence of Avengers, it's clear the Thunderbolts are poised to step into the Avengers' shoes.

If the Thunderbolts become the New Avengers, it aligns with the Sentry’s prominence and his evil counterpart, the Void, likely serving as the film's main antagonist. The Sentry was reintroduced into the Marvel universe in 2005 as part of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comic, adding weight to this theory.

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, potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America. A plot point in Captain America: Brave New World involves President Ross asking Sam to rebuild the team. Without access to many traditional Avengers, Sam might have to rely on the less powerful 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 tasks is to establish Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a formidable threat. Since Doom seems absent from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, where Galactus takes the villain role (though a post-credits cameo isn't ruled out), Doomsday must set the stage for Doom as the Multiverse Saga’s ultimate antagonist. What better way than for Doom to eliminate several key characters fans assumed were safe? Similar to Thanos' snap in Infinity War, Doctor Doom might be ready to decimate a large portion of Doomsday’s cast, with the Fox X-Men being prime targets.

Doom wiping out the Fox X-Men would free up resources for the traditional MCU cast to make a comeback in Secret Wars. With Incursions—a major plot point from the 2015 Secret Wars comic—already mentioned in Multiverse of Madness, showcasing an Incursion firsthand could elevate the stakes for Secret Wars. Destroying the Fox X-Men universe would not only make for a shocking moment for Doom but also clear the way for characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, and Captain Marvel to return and confront Doom, avenging the lost universe. This could set the stage for a triumphant finale to the Multiverse Saga, possibly rivaling the excitement of Endgame, which Marvel has been trying and failing to replicate in Phases 4 and 5. We won't know the full story until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, but this theory explains the scarcity of Avengers in the current cast list.