Whenever a big Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover is on the horizon, there's a lot of conversation surrounding just who will make a surprise appearance. When Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame premiered, fans were lucky enough to witness almost every iconic big-screen hero come together to stop a common threat. Now, expectations are at an all-time high for a similar scenario to happen in Avengers: Doomsday next year.
Fortunately, some of our doubts were finally answered once Marvel revealed the cast for their next big project during a five-hour livestream. Unfortunately, not everyone made it into the initial announcement, which begged a lot of questions regarding those characters who weren't there. What does the future hold in store for them? Are they out of the MCU altogether?
It might be a complicated scenario, but it seems a few familiar faces are bound to come back. After all, one of those "missing" stars just "confirmed" they'll have a future in the MCU regardless, and we couldn't be more excited.
Hailee Steinfeld teases her MCU return
Hailee Steinfeld recently did an interview with Backstage to promote her upcoming movie, Sinners. She also discussed other key moments of her career and, of course, the conversation eventually dived into MCU territory. While Marvel hasn't renewed Hawkeye for a second season as of yet, and Steinfeld wasn't a part of the initial Avengers: Doomsday casting, it appears there is still a bright future ahead for Kate Bishop:
"I’m excited about the idea of continuing to grow with a character like Kate, especially in something as huge as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You get to go back to your family; you get to go back to that little home that then becomes part of this grander picture. I love that character, and I totally understand why she is so loved."
While we don't officially know where the young Hawkeye will appear next, it sounds like there are plans in store for her character. It's worth remembering that leaked Marvel concept art showcased an illustration where the Young Avengers finally assemble and, wouldn't you know it, but Kate Bishop is right among them. We also see other key heroes such as Wiccan, Speed, Cassandra Lang, and, of course, Ms. Marvel. The latter was even shown recruiting Kate a la Nick Fury during the post-credits scene of The Marvels, which all but confirms the team will assemble on he big screen.
Even if Steinfeld didn't have a chair with her name during the Avengers: Doomday cast-reveal live-stream, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume she will join the fight against Doctor Doom. After all, Kevin Feige himself confirmed that more unnanounced characters are set to appear in the movie during a video shown at CinemaCon 2025. But if, for whatever reason, Hawkeye missed out on Marvel's next big multiversal crossover, she can always look forward to her return on the small screen.
Daredevil: Born Again has been all about the Kingpin's rise to power as the Mayor of New York and how he abuses his position to outlaw all costumed vigilantees in the city. So far in the series, Wilson Fisk has tried to take down the likes of Jack Duquesne (aka Swordsman), Bullseye, and Daredevil, and even took the credit for killing Muse. While the finale has yet to air at the time of writing this, it seems like characters as the Punisher are also at risk. And taking into account that the Kingpin made his MCU debut in the Hawkeye Disney Plus series, you'd have to imagine that Kate could be a target again as soon as she suits up.
It's been rumored for some time now that Marvel is looking to make a live-action adaptation of the Devil's Reign comic book arc, in which multiple heroes came together to stop Wilson Fisk after assuming the role of Mayor. Whether that happens in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again or Spider-Man 4 remains to be seen, but if the story is really brought to life, then Kate Bishop would be one of the more likely characters who could be a part of a street-level team-up.
Judging by Hailee Steinfeld's comments, it appears there's a clear plan ahead for her version of Hawkeye, and we can't wait to see just where and when she shows up next.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on May 1, 2026.