Are you still thinking about Avengers: Doomsday's casting announcements? Who could blame you? I know I'm still thinking about it. Marvel Studios had the world in the palm of its hand as it revealed the stars who would assemble in the next milestone Avengers movie in a five-hour livestream that has now received over 275 million views across platforms. To say it has gotten the people talking would be an understatement.
We now know that original Avengers, new Avengers, and even some legendary X-Men will get involved in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project, which is set to begin the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. But there were also some actors who didn't receive a mention in the casting announcement stream, with fans wondering if they'll be in it at all.
That being said, both the studio and star Robert Downey Jr. have alluded to more major reveals at another point in time, so we know the cast will continue to grow. And yet, there is one absence that might not result in an eventual Avengers return. At least not in this particular movie.
Star-Lord won't appear in Avengers: Doomsday due to Chris Pratt's prior filming commitments
Chris Pratt's name did not appear on the various set chairs during the Marvel Studios Avengers: Doomsday casting livestream and it appears we now know the reason why. According to renowned industry insider Jeff Sneider, Pratt will not appear in the movie due to his commitment to filming The Terminal List season 2 to Prime Video.
The thriller series first premiered on the streamer in July 2022 and performed very well with audiences. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, it was a hit, which resulted in Prime Video renewing it for a second season. That season is set to film in South Africa and Toronto across the spring and summer, ruling Pratt out of appearing in Avengers: Doomsday, which will also be filming in the same timeframe in the UK.
Fellow MCU star Tom Holland also won't be present for much of the Doomsday production as he is currently filming Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, but he will reprise his role as Spider-Man in the upcoming Spider-Man 4. According to Sneider, that movie is set to take place at the same time as Doomsday, which is the primary reason that Holland reportedly won't appear in the first of the two upcoming Avengers movies. But in his case, it sounds like a post-credits cameo (potentially setting up Spider-Man 4) could still be doable.
As for Chris Pratt, it sounds like Star-Lord definitely won't appear in the upcoming MCU film. It's not too surprising given how his most recent appearance, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, ended with him giving up the heroics and returning to Earth to see his grandfather. But the end-credits to that film concluded with "The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return", confirming that he will be back in the future.
With that in mind, it's entirely possible that the character will resurface in Avengers: Secret Wars. He may no longer be a Guardian of the Galaxy (for now), but he's still a hero - and when the multiverse is at stake, even retirement can't keep a good hero from standing up and showing up.
There are plenty of MCU stalwarts who are absent from the Avengers: Doomsday cast, with fans fully expecting to see them appear in the film anyway. Benedict Cumberbatch recently confirmed that he would appear in the movie as Doctor Strange after mistakenly saying that he wouldn't, so fans are curious about his name not being in the announcement. Elizabeth Olsen is expected to return as the Scarlet Witch at some point in the future, but she has since said that she won't be in the UK to film those movies. And Jeremy Renner, who plays Hawkeye, had previously said that he would likely be in the films, but his name was also nowhere to be seen in that announcement.
Of course, fans aren't buying any of it, and are ready to see those actors appear in Doomsday in some capacity. Chris Pratt, however, is unlikely at this point as he simply wouldn't be able to make it work given that he'll be shooting a whole TV series in a different part of the world at the same time. Here's hoping he can make it work for Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, though.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on May 1, 2026.