Marvel Studios just reminded the world who runs the superhero game with a jaw-dropping, over five-hour livestream announcing the colossal cast of Avengers: Doomsday. Forget a flashy teaser trailer or a press release—this was Marvel going full throttle in the most grandiose way possible. The livestream, streamed globally on YouTube, turned what could’ve been a basic cast drop into a mega event full of teases, nostalgia bombs, and enough surprises to send the internet into meltdown.
And yes—it was long. Painfully long in places, with extended pauses and recycled behind-the-scenes footage—but when Robert Downey Jr. stepped into frame wearing a Doctor Doom mask and casually confirmed his return as the MCU’s new villain, all was forgiven.
Full Cast Reveal
Here’s a table of all the confirmed cast members for Avengers: Doomsday based on the livestream announcement:
| Actor | Character | Franchise/Group |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Downey Jr. | Doctor Doom | MCU (new role) |
| Chris Hemsworth | Thor | Original Avengers |
| Anthony Mackie | Sam Wilson / Captain America | Falcon & Winter Soldier |
| Sebastian Stan | Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier | Falcon & Winter Soldier |
| Paul Rudd | Scott Lang / Ant-Man | Ant-Man Trilogy |
| Tom Hiddleston | Loki | Loki Series / Thor |
| Letitia Wright | Shuri / Black Panther | Black Panther Franchise |
| Simu Liu | Shang-Chi | Shang-Chi Franchise |
| Florence Pugh | Yelena Belova | Black Widow / Thunderbolts |
| Winston Duke | M’Baku | Black Panther Franchise |
| Danny Ramirez | Joaquin Torres / Falcon | Falcon & Winter Soldier |
| Tenoch Huerta | Namor | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
| David Harbour | Red Guardian | Black Widow / Thunderbolts |
| Wyatt Russell | U.S. Agent | Falcon & Winter Soldier |
| Hannah John-Kamen | Ghost | Ant-Man & the Wasp / Thunderbolts |
| Lewis Pullman | Sentry | New Character |
| Pedro Pascal | Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic | Fantastic Four |
| Vanessa Kirby | Sue Storm / Invisible Woman | Fantastic Four |
| Joseph Quinn | Johnny Storm / Human Torch | Fantastic Four |
| Ebon Moss-Bachrach | Ben Grimm / The Thing | Fantastic Four |
| Patrick Stewart | Professor X | X-Men (Fox) |
| Ian McKellen | Magneto | X-Men (Fox) |
| Kelsey Grammer | Beast | X-Men (Fox) |
| Rebecca Romijn | Mystique | X-Men (Fox) |
| James Marsden | Cyclops | X-Men (Fox) |
| Alan Cumming | Nightcrawler | X-Men (Fox) |
| Channing Tatum | Gambit | Deadpool & Wolverine (upcoming) |
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom: The Comeback No One Saw Coming
RDJ’s return to the MCU was always a matter of when, not if—but no one predicted it would be as Victor von Doom. The character, long anticipated by fans and comic readers as one of Marvel’s most layered and dangerous villains, now has arguably the most charismatic actor in the MCU’s history stepping into his armor. Downey’s appearance was brief but unforgettable: “New mask. Same task,” he smirked, before teasing Doom as “a man of reason in a world gone mad.”
This reimagining of Doom—played by a former Iron Man—flips the script on MCU legacy and opens doors for endless philosophical tension between power, progress, and morality. In the comics, Doom isn’t a mustache-twirling villain; he’s a genius, a monarch, and a man who believes only he can save the world. Giving that complexity to Downey Jr. is a stroke of brilliance—and might signal the start of Marvel’s darker, more morally complex storytelling phase.
The Old Guard Returns: MCU Veterans Reassemble
The cast list reads like a who’s-who of modern Marvel icons. Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, joined by Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, and Paul Rudd’s ever-charming Ant-Man. Letitia Wright returns as Shuri, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, and Florence Pugh continues to step into the spotlight as Yelena Belova. Add in Namor (Tenoch Huerta), Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and you’ve got a veritable smorgasbord of Marvel’s Phase 4 and 5 standouts.
One surprising addition? Lewis Pullman as Sentry—an unstable super-being with Superman-level power and a split identity known as the Void. That’s right: Marvel is bringing in one of its most mentally complex characters, potentially setting up a psychological showdown unlike anything the MCU’s tackled before.
The X-Men Enter the Chat—And They’re the Originals
For years, fans speculated if Marvel would soft-reboot the X-Men or bring back familiar faces. The answer? Both.
The livestream revealed that legendary actors from Fox’s original X-Men films are returning. Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), James Marsden (Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) are all on board. These aren’t cameos—Marvel confirmed their roles will have real narrative weight. This signals a full-blown multiversal convergence, with these characters now woven into MCU canon in meaningful ways.
Also announced was Channing Tatum’s long-lost Gambit finally getting his due after years in development limbo—fresh off an appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The Fantastic Four Are Now Core Avengers
If Avengers: Doomsday needed another layer of hype, Marvel made sure to include their newly announced Fantastic Four. Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm) are not just guest stars—they’re central to the unfolding saga. Their inclusion ties directly into Fantastic Four: First Steps, set to debut just a year before Doomsday, which reportedly ends with a cliffhanger leading straight into the Avengers film.
This interconnectivity is giving early Infinity Saga vibes—only now, with multiverse mechanics in play, the stakes are exponentially higher.
Notable Absences & Wild Speculation
Conspicuously missing from the announcement: Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. While fans hoped to see the web-slinger entangled in this multiversal madness, his absence suggests either a surprise appearance—or Marvel saving Spidey for Secret Wars. Also MIA: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (the latter having already confirmed she won’t return here). And no new updates on Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine beyond Deadpool & Wolverine—though some insiders claim he’s being reserved for a later Phase 7 title.
Marvel also kept quiet about Kang the Conqueror and any continuation of that arc, which could signal a full pivot away from the Quantumania-linked storyline following recent legal complications with actor Jonathan Majors.
The Russo Brothers Return—and They’re Talking Villains
With Anthony and Joe Russo back in the director’s chairs, Doomsday already has pedigree. These are the guys who gave us Infinity War and Endgame. Joe Russo hinted at a darker, character-driven story, saying, “We love villains who think they’re heroes. When you have Robert [Downey Jr.], you don’t write a villain—you write a protagonist whose beliefs threaten the world.”
Expect political intrigue, philosophical monologues, and Marvel at its most Shakespearean.
With a May 1, 2026 release date, Avengers: Doomsday has already broken the internet once—and it hasn’t even started filming yet. It’s a multiversal collision of legacy franchises, fresh heroes, and storytelling ambition not seen since Endgame. Whether Marvel can stick the landing with such an enormous cast remains to be seen—but one thing’s for sure: the hype train has left the station, and it’s loaded with mutants, mystics, monarchs, and one very ominous man in a green cloak.
