The amount of days until Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters are whittling down and fans are ready for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's big extravaganza. The crossover movie will go bigger than the franchise ever has before, bringing heroes from across the multiverse together in a bid to save their worlds and defeat Doctor Doom, who poses the biggest threat that Earth's Mightiest Heroes have ever faced.
With a cast of 30+ Marvel stars at its disposal, the MCU movie is going to feature a who's who of heroes, villains, and everything in between. Unlike previous Avengers movies, however, there is no single, established Avengers team right out of the gate - which has made predicting the main characters pretty difficult. Honestly, there is a case for multiple characters to take the reins, and that certainly keeps things interesting.
However, a new report has seemingly confirmed who the emotional leads will be, and some might find that surprising.
Avengers: Doomsday's three emotional leads have had little to no involvement in the Multiverse Saga
According to industry insider Alex Perez, the three emotional leads of Avengers: Doomsday will be its villain Doctor Doom, as well as Avengers Thor and Steve Rogers. The reveal came via the scooper's monthly Q&As with fans (via The Cosmic Circus) when they were asked about Doom's role in the movie, to which they responded: "Doom, Steve, and Thor are essentially the main emotional “protagonists” in Avengers: Doomsday" before adding that "most of the cast will have their own standout emotional moments in the film as well."
While Doom being at the core of the movie isn't too surprising considering that previous reports suggested that he would be to this film what Thanos was to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War - which was praised for adding nuance to its villain by making him one of the core characters, with much of the storytelling taking place through his eyes. With Doom having suffered a multiverse-related tragedy ahead of the movie's release, it would make sense that explaining his arc will be one of the core emotional elements of the movie. And yet, there is one gripe that fans have about that - one that also resonates with the other fan-favorite leads.
On paper, Thor and Steve Rogers being at the core of the movie make complete sense too; they are the only two original Avengers in the movie, so why wouldn't it lean on their involvement to ensure that the fans come out. And considering that Doom's actor, Robert Downey Jr., also played one of the original Avengers (Iron Man / Tony Stark), we have the three original Avengers leads at the center of the next Avengers movie. Makes total sense, right? Yes, but also not quite.
Avengers: Doomsday is the culmination of the Multiverse Saga, bringing together a ton of storylines that the franchise has been slowly telling over the course of the past five or six years. And yet, two of these characters have not yet made a significant appearance in that saga; Doom has had cameos and / or references made to him in both The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers Endgame: Encore, while the latter technically acts as Steve Rogers' only appearance in the saga too. As for Thor? Chris Hemsworth has only brought the God of Thunder to life once in the Multiverse Saga thus far, headlining the controversial Thor: Love and Thunder - which was not well-received by fans and has aged very poorly in just a few years.
On the flip side, there are plenty of characters in Avengers: Doomsday who have played important, recurring, and main roles throughout the Multiverse Saga. The two that come to mind immediately are Sam Wilson and Yelena Belova. Sam is Captain America after having taken over the mantle from Steve in 2019's Avengers: Endgame and he has since starred in 2021 Disney Plus miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2025's Captain America: Brave New World - the latter of which actually saw him begin the journey of rebuilding the Avengers. So, yes, he would effectively serve as the team's new leader.
Meanwhile, Yelena is arguably the most successful addition to the MCU that the Multiverse Saga has given us. Portrayed by Florence Pugh, the character first made her debut in 2021's Black Widow and has since returned in Hawkeye that same year as well as 2025's Thunderbolts*, and 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day - making her the main character with most Multiverse Saga appearances thus far. Her critically-acclaimed breakout in Thunderbolts* saw her lead a new team of villains-turned-heroes who eventually became the New Avengers.
That makes Sam and Yelena the two leaders of the Avengers, which in a way, should make them the leads of a movie called Avengers: Doomsday. Moreover, as the next Captain America and Black Widow, they are honoring their predecessors (Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff) while also carving out their own legacies. There is an argument to be made that, while Yelena has been allowed to do that in the aftermath of Natasha's defeat in Avengers: Endgame, Sam runs the risk of being overshadowed by Steve's return.
Looking back at previous trailers, it's clear that Marvel Studios has already laid the groundwork for Thor, Steve, and Doom's major roles. With a new trailer for the movie expected in the coming days and / or weeks, it's unlikely that this will change. The fact that Yelena and Sam haven't gotten much of a look-in in those previous trailers isn't the most reassuring sign either.
Now, don't get us wrong: We know that both of these characters are destined for some big moments throughout Avengers: Doomsday and the idea of Thor, Steve, and Doctor Doom being the primary leads doesn't change that, but as this is the Multiverse Saga's big Endgame, if you will, it would make more sense if that saga's biggest characters took center stage.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google