Marvel Studios has begun laying the groundwork for its next Avengers movies. In continuity, that groundwork was first laid down the moment that the Multiverse Saga began, but behind-the-scenes, it's time to commence the journey towards 2026's Avengers: Doomsday.
The film suffered a number of setbacks in the past year, which included being completely retooled. Originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the film changed after Marvel Studios parted ways with Jonathan Majors (who played Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) but it also reportedly had plans to reshape the film anyway due to a possible lack of interest in Kang. And with that, MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. has been brought back as new villain Doctor Doom, setting the stage for the Avengers' next reunion.
But RDJ's return was only the beginning of a wave of comebacks, as Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, are set to feature multiple returns - including Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and possibly even Scarlett Johansson. Now, it seems that even more comebacks are on the cards.
The Thunderbolts* cast are now reportedly joining Avengers: Doomsday
Industry insider and prolific Marvel scooper Daniel Richtman has revealed that the cast and characters of Thunderbolts* are set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (after headlining their 2025 film) with an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. Unveiling a number of potential reveals about the upcoming film, he said that Tom Holland's Spider-Man would have a big role in the movie and that he "can confirm that everyone from THUNDERBOLTS* will be in the film as well".
That would, of course, mean that another MCU veteran would return in Avengers 5 in Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. Could he share a scene with longtime scene partner Chris Evans (if Evans is indeed playing Captain America again)? Perhaps a reunion with his The Falcon and the Winter Soldier costar Anthony Mackie?
It also means that some of the Multiverse Saga's most important characters, such as Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova / Black Widow, David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Wyatt Russell's US Agent would finally get their chance to join the wider pack of the MCU in an Avengers movie - which, in many ways, is what every standalone hero's introduction in this franchise is building towards.
Thunderbolts* releases this coming summer and it is set to act as Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad. That's right, a group of villains, former villains, and antiheroes will unite to take on a shared threat, as Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Alexei Shostakov and Yelena Belova team with Ghost, Taskmaster, and Sentry to seemingly battle Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The title is intentionally ambiguous and the meaning behind the asterisk will reportedly be revealed in the movie itself.
We're already excited to see what Thunderbolts* has in store for us, but we're even more excited now that we know those characters are likely to return in Avengers: Doomsday.
Thunderbolts* is released in movie theaters on May 2, 2025. Avengers: Doomsday comes out on May 1, 2026.