No one expected March 26, 2025 to be a red letter date for comic book film fans, but Marvel Studios pulled a cheeky, five-and-a-half hour long PR stunt that revealed the cast list of the much-awaited Avengers: Doomsday film. Rumours of returning and new cast members have been circling for a while, but other than Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU, now as Doctor Doom instead of Tony Stark/Iron Man, most of the ensemble had not yet been confirmed.
Now that 26 new actors have been revealed to be starring in Avengers: Doomsday, questions, controversies, concerns and anticipation have already begun. No matter what Marvel does, the expectations of what Doomsday will be about, who will be in it, who will have the larger role, and what secrets are yet to be revealed, will leave fans wanting more. The hype is at an all-time high, but will it lead to disappointing lows if fans’ desires are not met? Because let’s be honest here, there’s no way any film, especially not Doomsday, can satisfy every single viewer.
Avengers: Doomsday can’t be a film for everyone
We’re in the thick of the Multiverse saga, which will seemingly culminate in the two-parter Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. When it comes to surprises and reveals, Marvel has set the bar really high. What started as quick and fun cameos in Phase One of the MCU, has now turned into a full-blown fan-fest. Nowadays, a single cameo isn’t enough; we’re expecting all our dreams to come true. And films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine have certainly gone a long way to make impossible crossovers seem possible.
But that also means we expect nothing to be off the table. Steve Rogers may be 90 and has officially given up the shield, but fans continue to clamour for Chris Evans to return as Captain America. Even though we currently have a Captain America—Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson.
Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch is dead, and actor Elizabeth Olsen has categorically stated she will not be returning to the franchise. And yet, we are hoping she’s lying because we want her back. In our defense, Scarlet Witch was done dirty in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Marvel needs to right that wrong. #JusticeforWanda in Avengers: Doomsday.
Since some X-Men cast members have been revealed, we’re all thinking the same thing, where’s Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine? And where are the MCU TV characters? The list of missing characters is endless, though we have a handy break down of the most shocking ones here.
Till the film is released, fans will be eager to know whether their favourite will be added to the roster. That’s not an expectation that can be met.
Being cast in Avengers: Doomsday is only one step in the process
Franchises are tricky—invariably, there’ll come a time when some characters are going to feel underserved, while others are going to act out of character. This is particularly true for an ensemble film with a massive cast. Over 36 films and even more TV shows, Marvel has built a huge catalogue of characters that are well-loved to varying degrees. Not all characters can get to be the hero.
We remember how Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) become persona non grata after Avengers: Infinity War because he let Thanos (Josh Brolin) escape. The treatment of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Avengers: Endgame continues to be divisive, as are the life choices made by Steve Rogers. And no, we still have not forgiven the Russo brothers for killing off not one, but two of the precious few female characters the MCU has in the final two Avengers films of the Infinity Saga.
So now we’re left wondering, and worrying, who’s on the chopping block, and how little will we see of someone we’re really looking forward to seeing in Avengers: Doomsday.
Admittedly, all this speculation is exactly the kind of hype Marvel is looking for but can the film live up to the hype? As exciting as the cast announcement is, Marvel isn’t perfect. They’ve chosen the Russo brothers to direct this massive tentpole blockbuster even though the directors have had a steadily poor track record when it comes to film quality since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Doomsday can’t just be a bunch of characters thrown at the fans; it needs to transcend fan-service while also being a wholesome viewing experience.
One of Infinity War’s greatest strengths was that it was a Thanos film first and foremost, which enabled the heroes to get their moments in the sun without any one hero hogging the limelight. Doomsday might be wise to follow a similar formula, especially given that fan-favourite Robert Downey Jr is returning as the comic book villain Doctor Doom.
Valid criticisms circling Avengers: Doomsday
It’s not just the fans’ impossible expectations, nor critics’ standards that signal doom for the film. Looking at the cast that’s been announced (so far) does raise concerns. For one, why was the Avengers: Doomsday announcement made prior to Thunderbolts* being released? That seemingly negates any stakes for the characters in the film. Then there’s the inclusion of Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor. Huerta Mejía was outstanding in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but has since been accused of sexual misconduct, and the claims have not been withdrawn yet. Unless Marvel Studios knows something the rest of us don’t, this is yet another instance of Hollywood trivializing sexism and gender-based violence.
Speaking of women, there’s a definite lack of them in the ensemble cast revealed. Of the 27 confirmed cast members, only five are women. There was a time when the MCU had very few female heroes, but that was 2012, and we’re 30+ films older. But somehow, the confirmed cast has less women than Avengers: Endgame, even though the MCU has even more women leading properties. None of the female leads from The Marvels, Eternals, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, or Agatha All Along are in Doomsday.
What’s particularly striking is that, among the Fox X-Men film cast members, the only actress is Rebecca Romijn—what happened to Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and Dafne Keen? At least they’d bulk up the roster. Are all these characters being saved for Avengers: Secret Wars? Considering the gender imbalance, wouldn’t it have made more sense for Marvel to have announced the Secret Wars cast, as well? Or at least alluded to it in some way to ease the imbalance concerns?
One casting announcement and the internet is already in a frenzy about this film. Expectedly, fans are excited for Doomsday, but now that the shine has worn off the cast announcement, the pitchforks are out. Marvel could have addressed some of the concerns around the casting by dropping hints at what is to come. But the way some fans are already pillorying the film before its even released demonstrates how, once again, fans are planning to walk into the cinema wanting to watch their version of the film. That is a desire that can never be satisfied. It’s time for fans, and all viewers, to check their expectations at the door, and judge Doomsday based on its own merits.