There is very little disputing it: Avengers: Doomsday will be the cinematic event of 2026. Oh, there will undoubtedly be some stiff competition for that title, from the movie that will share its own release date Dune: Messiah to fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe juggernaut Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it's clear that the upcoming Avengers reunion has all the makings of a villion-dollar phenomenon.
As Marvel Studios continues to recalibrate ahead of the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, buzz for the upcoming film is continuing to grow. Ever since the studio unveiled that initial cast list, fans have been anticipating all of the surprises and returns - surprises and returns that have and have not been announced. And with that, the speculation for who could still be involved remains at an all-time high.
However, it sounds like one major comeback that was not previously announced may have been spoiled.
Joe Locke's Wiccan may actually be in Avengers: Doomsday
Is Avengers: Doomsday set to get a bit magical? Possibly, especially if the comments from legendary stage actor Steven Sater turn out to be true. Appearing on a TikTok live with fans, the actor spoke about some beloved British talent, including Shadow and Bone and West End star Jack Wolfe. However, when he was asked about Joe Locke, he revealed that he had not connected with him in London this time around because of Locke's busy schedule, which seemingly involves "doing a Marvel movie":
"I didn't see him, I didn't reach out. I know he's doing a Marvel movie and he's doing Heartstopper, so he's been crazy, and my friends are producing the play he's about to do on the West End, so I just know how crazy his schedule is, so I left him alone."
Locke is currently filming the Heartstopper movie for Netflix, which will serve as a series finale to the beloved show that turned its cast into overnight sensations and became a global phenomenon. However, the only Marvel movie currently in production is Avengers: Doomsday, which Locke has not been confirmed to appear in. So, the question is: Does this mean he's set to make a surprise cameo in the film?
Locke portrayed Billy Maximoff / William Kaplan / Teen in Agatha All Along, becoming Wiccan in the show's penultimate episode to help Agatha Harkness in her battle against Death. Although Agatha died to save his life, she became a ghost and the two set out to find Billy's brother Tommy. This storyline is expected to continue on through fellow WandaVision spinoff Vision Quest, so it's entirely possible that the "movie" Sater was referring to is actually the upcoming Disney Plus show.
What is interesting about all of this is that some concept art for Avengers: Doomsday leaked out earlier this year, with one of the pieces featuring Locke's Wiccan alongside the Young Avengers (which he is expected to join in the near-future). Although the Russo Brothers claim that this artwork wasn't for their specific version of the film, speculation has continued about whether the Young Avengers might get involved in the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. After all, what better project for these young heroes to make their debut as a unit in? It could serve as something of a backdoor pilot for their long-rumored Disney Plus show.
Locke did recently reveal that his MCU return is inevitable as he "signed for [his] whole life" when he first joined the Marvel Studios machine, so it is only a matter of time until Wiccan returns. The Multiverse Saga has usually resulted in longer waits until a character's comeback manifests itself simply because of the increased amount of releases, but Avengers: Doomsday or Vision Quest, it sounds like we could be seeing Joe Locke return as Wiccan in the not-too-distant future after all. Will Billy find Tommy, and will he be bringing Agatha along for the ride too? Here's hoping that both of those questions are answered with a resounding "Yes".
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