The Avengers have assembled once again. Marvel slowly revealed the full cast of “Avengers: Doomsday” in a livestream that began Wednesday morning.
Among the returning cast members are Chris Hemsworth as Thor; Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who debuted as Captain America in last month’s “Brave New World”; his co-star Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon; Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier; Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man; Tom Hiddleston as Loki; Letitia Wright as Shuri, who took over the Black Panther mantle in “Wakanda Forever,” and her co-star Winston Duke as M’Baku. As previously announced, Robert Downey Jr. will be back as the villain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man.
The biggest surprises were several returning “X-Men” stars for “Avengers: Doomsday.” The mutant cast includes Patrick Stewart, whose Professor Charles Xavier was killed off in both “Logan” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” but appears to be back; Ian McKellen, who was last seen as Magneto in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”; Kelsey Grammer as Beast, who made a cameo in the post-credits scene of “The Marvels”; Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler from “X2”; James Marsden as Cyclops; Channing Tatum, who played Gambit in “Deadpool & Wolverine”; and Rebecca Romijn, who originated the shape-shifting role of Mystique before Jennifer Lawrence took it over in the “X-Men” prequels.
Some recent Marvel newcomers are also being introduced to the “Avengers” ensemble. They include Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing from this summer’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”; “Thunderbolts*” stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as the mysterious Bob; Simu Liu as Shang-Chi; and Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who played the underwater antagonist Namor in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
It’s been six years since the Avengers team got together on screen, when they defeated Thanos (Josh Brolin) in 2019’s “Endgame.” That film said goodbye to Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Evans’ Captain America and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. In the years since, the MCU has introduced characters like Liu’s Shang-Chi, Wright’s Black Panther and the Eternals.
However, Iron Man’s death turned out not to be the last fans will see of Downey in the MCU. In July of last year, the actor revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that he will portray the villainous Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers” film. “New mask, same task,” he told the crowd.
Joe and Anthony Russo are also making their own return to Marvel — after directing “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” “Civil War” and the last two “Avengers” — to helm “Doomsday.”
On the horizon, Marvel is releasing “Thunderbolts*” on May 2 and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” on July 25. “Avengers: Doomsday” hits theaters on May 1, 2026.
Watch the livestream below:
From Variety US