We are all counting down the days to Avengers: Doomsday and the good news is that there isn't much longer to go. The highly-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has successfully reinvented itself in the past two years to recapture the magic from the franchise's glory days, ensuring that we're all excited like there's an Avengers movie on the horizon. And, yes, there is an Avengers movie on the horizon.
Honestly, why wouldn't we be excited?! These movies act like crossovers, bringing heroes and villains from across the MCU together in a larger-than-life extravaganza with stakes so high that the franchise will never be the same. And the Multiverse Saga's first of two big crossovers (Avengers: Secret Wars comes out next year) will see a who's who of Marvel talent come together.
That being said, here are some of the characters / actors we shouldn't expect to see among the cast.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson is one of the longest-standing MCU actors still with the franchise, having been a part of it since the very beginning in 2008's Iron Man. He's also been a part of all four Avengers movies thus far. Unfortunately that record wont continue as he won't be bringing Nick Fury back in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Hollywood legend recently confirmed that he won't be appearing in the next MCU film, but there is a silver lining as he will be back in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. That's good to know as the sequel is reported to feature a star-studded battle that might even outdo the spectacle that Avengers: Endgame put together in 2019. That battle wouldn't be complete without Fury!
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
Despite being one of the big arrivals in the Infinity Saga to actually continue on into the Multiverse Saga, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel is not listed among the returning cast members in Avengers: Doomsday. The super-charged superhero was a massive arrival to the franchise between Avengers: Infinty War and Avengers: Endgame, ultimately helping Earth's Mightiest Heroes defeat Thanos. So, why wouldn't she be involved in a multiversal showdown with Doctor Doom?
Captain Marvel's MCU future is currently up in the air after The Marvels flopped at the box office. It's highly unlikely that Marvel Studios has completely moved on from the character, especially as she remains extremely popular. There's still a chance that she appears in the upcoming film but, as she is actually powerful enough to stop Doom, the much more likely option is that she will return in Avengers: Secret Wars instead.
Tom Holland as Spider-Man
Perhaps the biggest omission from the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement was that of Tom Holland's Spider-Man. The webslinger has become one of the faces of the MCU over the course of the past decade, officially joining the Avengers in 2018's Infinity War, so it feels wrong that he won't be helping Earth's Mightiest Heroes with their battle against Doctor Doom - especially as this year's Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirmed that he knows Black Widow herself, Yelena Belova.
However, there are hopes that Holland might surprise people by appearing in a post-credits scene. If you'll recall the Spider-Man: Brand New Day post-credits scene teased that Spidey would end up off-world in the not-too-distant future and it's not completely outside the realm of possibility for the events of Doomsday to be responsible for that. If that's the case, a Doomsday cameo is possible, but a Secret Wars return is inevitable.
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
History is set to repeat itself as Hawkeye will be absent from the first part of an MCU saga's grand finale. Yes, just as Clint Barton missed the events of 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, he will also be absent from 2026's Avengers: Doomsday. Actor Jeremy Renner confirmed as much, reminding audiences how Earth's Mightiest Heroes always lose whenever he isn't part of the battle - referencing how they ultimately defeated Thanos whenever he rejoined the team in Avengers: Endgame. Could history repeat itself once again and see Renner return for Avengers: Secret Wars in the final battle against Doom? It's certainly possible.
The star has made just one appearance in the Multiverse Saga, headlining Disney Plus spinoff Hawkeye alongside Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. The series implied that he had retired from active heroics, but as a second season was in development until it fell through over a pay dispute (Renner revealed that Marvel Studios was only willing to pay him half of his season 1 earnings), it's not too out-there to suggest that the studio might find a way to work his comeback into Avengers: Secret Wars instead. Nothing gets a superhero out of retirement quite like the end of the multiverse.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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