Marvel Studios has unveiled the complete cast for the upcoming 2026 film, Avengers: Doomsday, as production commenced this week. On Wednesday, the studio adopted a creative method to announce the cast by showcasing production chairs during a multi-hour Instagram live stream. This approach led to numerous surprises, including the return of beloved characters and the introduction of new faces to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The returning giants of the MCU

Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Thor, Anthony Mackie returns as Captain America, Sebastian Stan is back as Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd returns as Ant-Man, and Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki in the Avengers team, where they will be accompanied by a number of the original X-Men from cinema.

The OG X-Men are back

Marvel has revealed that five veterans from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be part of the cast for the upcoming 2026 film, Avengers: Doomsday. This announcement was made through a series of social media videos released gradually on Wednesday.

Among the cast are Patrick Stewart, 84, known for his role as Professor X in the early 2000s X-Men films produced by Fox, and Ian McKellen, 85, who portrayed his formidable adversary Magneto. Additionally, Kelsey Grammer, who played Hank McCoy, is included in the cast, along with Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler. This move reflects Disney and Marvel's strategy to leverage the assets acquired from Fox's film library.

New MCU entrants get top billing too

Veteran superheroes will be accompanied by newer characters, including some who have not yet appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Vanessa Kirby, who is cast as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps this July, is also slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Pedro Pascal will portray Reed Richards and will join the Avengers as well. Additionally, both films will feature Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

Simu Liu, known for his role as the titular character in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is part of the newly revealed cast, alongside Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who portrayed the underwater villain Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Letitia Wright, returning as Shuri from the Black Panther series, will also join the Avengers, along with her co-star Winston Duke.

Florence Pugh is set to reprise her role as Yelena Belova from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Thunderbolts, and she will appear again in Doomsday. Additionally, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman are confirmed for both projects.

Danny Ramirez, who has taken on the role of Falcon in the Marvel franchise, is also included in the cast. However, some of the most prominent and eagerly awaited names were not part of the 27 announced, suggesting that Marvel and Disney may be keeping them under wraps for the time being.

The names that were missing

The announcement did not reference Hugh Jackman's Wolverine or Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool; however, it did include Channing Tatum, who portrayed Gambit from the X-Men in last year's Deadpool & Wolverine. 

Additionally, Tom Holland's name was absent. His portrayal of Spider-Man, which was featured as an Avenger in earlier films through a partnership with Sony, has been a contentious issue due to the complex dynamics between Sony and Marvel regarding the character.

Robert Downey Jr rounds up the stellar cast

The Avengers are set to confront Doctor Doom in the upcoming film, assuming the plot aligns with the Doomsday arc from Marvel Comics. Last summer, Robert Downey Jr. announced his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he will portray the antagonist Doctor Doom in the forthcoming Avengers series.

Titled Avengers: Doomsday, this film is scheduled for release in May 2026. It will mark the fifth installment in the Avengers franchise and the first since 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which achieved remarkable box office success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in history.

Read Also: Avengers: Doomsday – MCU, X-Men & Fantastic Four Stars Unite as Robert Downey Jr. Returns!

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