The mᴀssive new cast announcement for Avengers: Doomsday confirmed 27 different characters who will be featured in the upcoming MCU crossover movie. Likewise, it’s also been teased that even more heroes will be joining the cast. As such, we now have a better idea about certain team-ups and rivalries that will more than likely be seen in the fifth Avengers movie.
Directed by the Russo Brothers, who’ve returned to the MCU for the next two Avengers movies alongside Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Avengers: Doomsday boasts quite a large cast of characters, as confirmed by Marvel Studios’ recent live-stream announcement. This includes heroes and villains from the main Earth-616 and beyond, as the Multiverse Saga is set to come to a close with these next two crossovers. Keeping that in mind, here are 10 of the biggest MCU team-ups and rivalries we’re most looking forward to seeing in Avengers: Doomsday.
10
Winter Soldier & Captain America
Bucky and Sam Together Again
Some of the first names to appear in Marvel’s live-stream video, the chairs for Anthony Mackie’s Captain America and Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier were shown side by side. As such, it’s clear that Marvel Studios knows just how popular the duo is, with fans being very excited by the prospect of seeing Sam and Bucky partnering up once more in the MCU. While Bucky did have a great cameo in Captain America: Brave New World, it will be great to see them suited up and fighting back-to-back as they did in 2021’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
9
Thor & Loki
Making Good On An Infinity War Promise
The Loki of Earth-616 gave his life to save Thor and was murdered by Thanos himself in Avengers: Infinity War. However, the God of Mischief did tell Thor before he died that “the sun would shine on them again.” Naturally, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston both being confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday is very exciting, even if the Loki Hiddleston has been playing lately is the variant from 2012 who stole the Space Stone during the Avengers’ Endgame time heist and was subsequently recruited by the TVA.
It’s worth noting that this new Loki did see the life he was meant to live in the main MCU timeline. Likewise, he’s since become a major hero who’s already saved a vast portion of the Multiverse, as seen at the end of Loki season 2. All things considered, Avengers: Doomsday could meaningfully pay off the OG Loki’s final words to his brother in Infinity War. The chance for the Sons of Odin to reunite in the MCU is something Marvel Studios will definitely want to take advantage of.
8
Nightcrawler & Mystique
Mother and Son?
Another exciting potential team-up in Avengers: Doomsday is the surprising confirmation that Alan Cumming and Rebecca Romijn will both have roles in the MCU movie, presumably as Nightcrawler and Mystique from Fox’s X-Men universe. Regardless of the particular X-Men timeline, Nightcrawler’s status as Mystique’s biological son in the comics was left ambiguous on-screen and was barely teased. To that end, perhaps Avengers: Doomsday will confirm the family ties Fox wouldn’t (for some odd reason).
7
Professor X & Magneto
United Once More?
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan’s return as Professor X and Magneto is a huge deal for Avengers: Doomsday. The duo was last together on-screen in 2014’s Days of Future Past, having become allies in the dystopian future filled with killer Sentinels who were wiping out mutant kind. To that end, perhaps Charles and Eric will still be united when and if their reality is in danger of an incursion with Earth-616. Likewise, it would be very cool to see Magneto sporting a more comic-accurate costume, just as Professor X had his iconic yellow hover chair in live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
6
Namor & The Invisible Woman
Reed Richards Better Be Careful…
It’s notable that Tenoch Huerta’s Namor has been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. After all, the MCU’s new Fantastic Four will be featured as well, following their debut movie in 2025, including Vanessa Kirby’s Invisible Woman. Considering Namor and Sue’s romantic history in the comics and the Sub-Mariner’s obsession with the idea of stealing Sue away to make her his bride, Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards should probably be on alert to make sure his wife doesn’t get swept up by the King of Talokan.
5
The Thunderbolts & Sentry?
I Have Some Doubts…
Surprisingly, nearly every member of the upcoming Thunderbolts was confirmed to have a role in Avengers: Doomsday, including Lewis Pullman’s Sentry, who’s meant to be Thunderbolts* villain with his corruption as The Void. That said, I have my doubts that this is actually the case. It seems more likely that Marvel Studios included almost the entire cast as a means to avoid spoilers about who might live or die in the MCU movie releasing this May. After all, nothing says that they can’t walk back a name or two when and if a couple of those names don’t make it out of Thunderbolts*.
4
Cyclops & Captain America
Avengers and X-Men Leaders
James Marsden’s Scott Summers/Cyclops is another exciting name confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. As the X-Men’s field leader, it would be very exciting to see Cyclops interacting and working alongside Sam Wilson’s Captain America, with the two leaders perhaps strategizing the best way for their respective teams to potentially work together to face down Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. However, this is ᴀssuming the Avengers and X-Men aren’t opposed to each other.
3
Nightcrawler & Gambit
Fan-Favorite X-Men
While this may be more of a personal excitement, I’m sure other fans are just as excited as I am to see Nightcrawler and Gambit working together in Avengers: Doomsday. Kurt Wagner and Remy LeBeau have long been two of my all-time favorite X-Men, and the pair have a fun friendship in the comics that was highlighted in the X-Men ’97 animated series. I’m quite hyped to see the duo fighting side by side, especially with my favorite iterations (Alan Cumming and Channing Tatum).
2
Doctor Doom vs The Fantastic Four
The Original Marvel Comics Rivalry
Marvel’s First Family is set to debut in 2025’s Fantastic Four: First Steps. Galactus is confirmed to be the main threat, though many are hoping to see Doctor Doom making an appearance in the movie ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. That being said, it should be very exciting to see The Fantastic Four take on their arch-nemesis in the upcoming crossover, and it’s no coincidence that Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards was the last chair in Marvel Studios’ live stream before RDJ’s chair brought the event to a close, suggesting that their rivalry will likely play a role in the upcoming movie.
1
Avengers vs X-Men
A Classic Comics Crossover (With A Multiversal Twist)
The fifth Avengers movie may be тιтled Doomsday, but I do think the movie may be taking some key inspiration from one of Marvel’s best crossovers. The inclusion of so many Fox X-Men characters in Avengers: Doomsday is incredibly exciting. Additionally, it certainly fuels theories that the Avengers of Earth-616 and X-Men from the Fox universe might be pitted against each other to save their respective realities, effectively putting a multiversal twist on the classic Avengers vs X-Men concept.
In the comics, the Ultimate Universe (home of Miles Morales) was among the last surviving worlds in the multiverse alongside Earth-616 before the two worlds collided in an incursion, just ahead of Doctor Doom creating Battleworld to save existence itself. Perhaps Fox’s universe will be replacing the Ultimate Universe in the MCU’s Secret Wars. However, that’s just conjecture for now until we learn more about the next two Avengers movies.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to release May 1st, 2026 from Marvel Studios.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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MCU Spider-Man 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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