The big Marvel Cinematic Universe crossovers aren't just the ideal place to bring together characters we met in previous projects, but also to feature the debut of unexpected heroes. Who can forget when Captain America: Civil War introduced us to both Black Panther and Spider-Man? Besides, Channing Tatum's Gambit stole the spotlight for the very first time during the events of Deadpool & Wolverine, and Sentry finally joined the picture in the same movie where the New Avengers assembled.
With such an amazing track record, all eyes are on the upcoming MCU crossovers to repeat history once again and debut characters no one could've seen coming. That becomes especially true now that the multiverse is about to break wide open, and any hero could jump out of a portal from another dimension. However, just because that can happen, it doesn't mean it will. A new report indicates an iconic Marvel character might skip both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, despite being a key member of Marvel's First Family in recent years.
Valeria Richards won't appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars
With Franklin Richards making his debut in Fantastic Four: First Steps, many wondered if his sister would eventually join Marvel's First Family as well. And given that Valeria Richards has a pretty complex relationship with a few versions of Doctor Doom in comic book pages, there seemed no better time than for her to make her live-action debut than Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. Unfortunately, it appears that won't be the case.
According to renowned industry insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), Valeria Richards isn't likely to appear in the upcoming MCU crossovers. On the bright side, the chances of witnessing her debut aren't zero either. According to Alex, Doom could still "will her into existence for his version of the world". This is an interesting tidbit, as it would all but confirm that the Ruler of Latveria will get god-like powers in order to will people into existence. Furthermore, the "version of the world" mentioned is likely Battleworld, which he created in comic-book pages after stealing... well, the god-like powers of the Beyonder.
If Battleworld is really set to appear in the upcoming Avengers movies, then it would open up the possibility for audiences to see alternate versions of the characters we know and love. And wouldn't you know it, but Valeria Richards grew up in a parallel reality with a variant of Sue Storm who was married to Victor Von Doom. For a time, it was even believed that this alternate iteration of Doom was Valeria's true father (though it was later proven that wasn't the case). No matter how crazy this storyline sounds, it could very well be translated onto the big screen.
Alex Perez hinted that Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom will create "idealized versions of the characters we know" in the upcoming Avengers movies. With that in mind, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume he can make a new variant of Sue Storm who's married to him, and even a child in the form of Valeria Richards. Things would play out almost exactly as in comic book pages, with the entire world believing that Valeria is the daughter of the evil villain, and the real Sue Storm initially rejecting her because of that.
Unfortunately, this seems like a big arc to adapt in what's set to be an already crowded project. Besides, Franklin Richard will have a role to play in Avengers: Doomsday regardless, so introducing Valeria might be a bit of an overkill. With that in mind, it's best to keep our expectations in check and assume that the genius Marvel Girl won't be a part of the end of the Multiverse Saga.
On the bright side, we'll get more concrete answers and hints of where the story is headed soon enough. Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release on Jul. 25, 2025, and it will dive into the origin of Marvel's First Family, along with Franklin Richards. With a bit of luck, we'll also get our first glimpse at Doom or his plans, as Kevin Feige confirmed that the movie will directly lead into the events of Avengers: Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18, 2026.