We're still a whole year out from the release of Avengers: Doomsday and it's still dominating so many conversations. That's just another example of the power of the Marvel Cinematic Universe machine that is able to steal the spotlight long before its projects ever arrive in theaters. If you've been along for the ride since the early days, you'll already know this.
Doomsday will bring together Marvel stars old and new as the franchise prepares to put the finishing touches on its Multiverse Saga. Robert Downey Jr. is coming back as the MCU's new villain Doctor Doom and he will be joined by a who's who of familiar faces. And that's one of the many exciting things about this movie because - just like with previous Avengers movies - you really never know who might appear.
The cast listing was just scratching the surface, but we know more names will come. Unfortunately, it looks like one of the most charismatic MCU characters won't return in the movie.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus won't appear in Avengers: Doomsday as Valentina
Hollywood legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus has revealed that she won't return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday. The star is one of the more recent additions to the franchise and she's currently one of the stars of its newest film Thunderbolts*, but don't expect that to lead to an appearance in next year's MCU game-changer.
This comes from Dreyfus herself, who recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and directly answered the question that so many Marvel actors wish to avoid: "Is she in the new Avengers movie?". Her immediate answer was no, but the good news is that it comes with the promise of more for her character.
"Well, no, I'm not gonna be in that movie, but I'm very happy to be a part of the Marvel universe, and I'm not allowed to say anything beyond that."
Dreyfus portrays Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and she made her debut in the franchise back in 2021's Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Her appearances are typically surprises, as she subsequently appeared in a post-credits scene of Black Widow and then again a year later in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her role in Thunderbolts* is her biggest in the franchise yet, as she is indirectly responsible for putting the titular team of antiheroes together (after a failed attempt to use them to take each other out actually results in them teaming up).
The majority of the Thunderbolts* cast members are set to return for Avengers: Doomsday, with the cast announcement just a few weeks ago confirming that Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour and Lewis Pullman would all be back. Naturally, there was speculation about whether Valentina would be back too given her prominence in the film.
Dreyfus' comments suggest otherwise, but they aren't entirely unexpected either. It's unlikely that the Thunderbolts would want to work with her after she tried to have them killed but that also doesn't mean it's the last we've seen of her. Dreyfus' comments also suggest that there is more to her story in the MCU, even if that story doesn't take place in Avengers: Doomsday.
Or it's quite possible that Valentina will simply surprise us with another unexpected appearance in the movie. That's what Dreyfus has done for the majority of her Marvel tenure thus far, so why not do it all again one more time. After all, this isn't the first time that an MCU star has claimed they aren't in a project only for them to inevitably appear.
Valentina is an unpredictable force so it's only right that her next appearance - wherever that may be - catches us off-guard.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on May 1, 2026.