We can’t wait to see Marvel Studios bring together these exciting partnerships in the MCU now that some of the impressive cast of Avengers: Doomsday has been confirmed. On March 26, Marvel Studios surprised us all by revealing 27 actors set to reprise their Marvel roles, old and new, in the Russo brothers upcoming 2026 crossover, Avengers: Doomsday. Many members of iconic teams such as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts and even the X-Men will be appearing in the movie, bringing a huge array of characters together.

The fact that so many varied characters will be included in Avengers: Doomsday means the movie will be forming some of Marvel’s most entertaining, dramatic and interesting partnerships. Some of these characters have already been seen together on-screen, and have proved how brilliant their partnerships can be, while others have strong connections in Marvel Comics that could finally be explored in live-action for the first time. These partnerships coming together will make Avengers: Doomsday even more exhilarating and enjoyable.

6

Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes Formed A Close Friendship In The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

Ever since they first crossed paths in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it has been brilliant to see the friendship between Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes develop in the MCU. They grew closer in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame, and eventually officially became friends in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sam and Bucky’s friendship is full of wit, banter, sarcasm and hilarious hostility, but also a great deal of love and respect, so it will be fantastic to see this recreated in Avengers: Doomsday.

This is especially true after Captain America: Brave New World, which saw Bucky Barnes appear to comfort Sam Wilson after Joaquín Torres became injured while fighting at Celestial Island. Bucky even proclaimed his love for Sam, which contributed to one of Brave New World’s most memorable moments. Sam Wilson will likely be leading the Avengers, while Bucky Barnes, a new Congressman, is headlining the upcoming Thunderbolts team, so their dynamic will have changed in Doomsday, but it’s still be just as heartwarming.

5

Sue Storm & Namor

Namor & The Invisible Woman Have A Complex Marvel Comics History

Both Tenoch Huerta Mejía and Vanessa Kirby have been confirmed to be returning in Avengers: Doomsday following their debuts in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, respectively. This means that one of Marvel Comics’ most controversial partnerships can be seen in the MCU, even though many never expected it to be adapted for live-action. Sue Storm and Namor first met in 1962’s Fantastic Four #4, which saw the Invisible Woman immediately express a physical attraction to the Atlantean antihero, which caused conflict among the Fantastic Four, mainly with Reed Richards.

In the years since, Sue Storm and Namor’s connection has grown more intense and complex. Namor became obsessed with the Invisible Woman, even when she firmly chose Mister Fantastic over him, though this didn’t stop Namor from making countless inappropriate advances. He kidnapped her, abused her and threatened to kill her teammates to force her to love him. While Marvel Studios may bring together Namor and Sue Storm for the first time in Avengers: Doomsday, we hope these darker aspects of their relationship are removed.

4

Joaquín Torres & Sam Wilson

Avengers: Doomsday Will Reunite The New Captain America & Falcon

While we can’t wait to see Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes join forces again in Avengers: Doomsday, it will also be brilliant to see Sam’s bond with Danny Ramirez’s Joaquín Torres get developed even further. Sam and Joaquín met in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, while Captain America: Brave New World officially reintroduced Joaquín as the MCU’s new Falcon. Brave New World teased Torres’ Falcon as the first official member of Sam Wilson’s new Avengers team, so it will be great to see him truly come into his own as a bona fide hero in Doomsday​​​​​​​.

Danny Ramirez’s live-action version of Joaquín Torres is very different to his Marvel Comics counterpart, and is in fact following more closely in the footsteps of Sam Wilson during his time as the Falcon. Sam Wilson has now become the MCU’s Captain America, gifted the shield and mantle by Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame, so it will be great to see the Captain America and Falcon dynamic explored more with these new iterations. We can’t wait to see who else will be included in Captain America’s new Avengers team alongside Joaquín Torres’ Falcon.

3

Reed Richards & Victor Von Doom

Mister Fantastic & Doctor Doom Are Archenemies In Marvel Comics

It remains to be seen what kind of relationship Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards will have with Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor Von Doom. The pair are intricately connected in Marvel Comics, however, so it would be great to see some of their incredible backstory explored in the live-action MCU. Bringing Pascal and Downey Jr. together in Avengers: Doomsday presents the perfect opportunity for this to happen, especially since the connection between Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom is pivotal to 2015’s Secret Wars​​​​​​​ storyline from Marvel Comics.

Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic are archenemies in Marvel Comics. They met while studying in the United States, where Doom held Reed Richards responsible for the accident that caused his scarring, and this vendetta has persisted for many decades since, with Doom becoming perhaps the Fantastic Four’s most enduring and threatening adversary. In 2015’s Secret Wars, it’s Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic’s spar on Battleworld that leads to the end of Doom’s reign and the rebuilding of the multiverse, and it would be great to see this moment play out in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

2

Thor & Loki

The Brothers’ Reunion Is One Of The MCU’s Most Highly-Anticipated Events

Chris Hemsworth was the first actor confirmed to be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday in Marvel Studios’ five-and-a-half-hour-long chair-laying livestream, revealing Thor’s return to the MCU after his divisive adventure in 2022’s Love and Thunder. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki had a much more successful Multiverse Saga run in the eponymous Loki series. Now, however, Marvel Studios will bring the long-lost brothers back together for the first time on-screen since Avengers: Infinity War (discounting Endgame’s Time Heist), finally exploring their long-awaited reunion.

Over the duration of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Thor and Loki went from enemies to allies, with the latter even becoming something of a hero. Thanos stopped this trajectory short by killing Loki, but his variant escaped from 2012 in Endgame, and has since become an even more powerful hero in Loki as the new guardian of the entire multiverse. This will surely make Loki a central character in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, and as an original Avenger, Thor will likely be the same, so it will be brilliant to see them join forces as heroes once again.

1

Professor X & Magneto

Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen Haven’t Been Seen Together In A Marvel Movie Since X-Men: Days Of Future Past

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Two of the most exciting confirmed actors to be returning to their roles in Avengers: Doomsday are English actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. These acting legends debuted as Charles Xavier’s Professor X and Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto in 2000’s X-Men, but haven’t been seen on-screen together since 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. Before Marvel Studios reinvents Professor X and Magneto in the MCU’s official X-Men reboot, Stewart and McKellen will be reuniting in the MCU proper, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.

The chemistry that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had as Professor X and Magneto was remarkable, so it will be brilliant to see this revived in 2026. James MacAvoy and Michael Fᴀssbender delivered strong performances as Stewart and McKellen’s replacements in Fox’s revised timeline, but there was nothing quite like seeing the original iterations of these iconic Marvel Comics characters on-screen. Avengers: Doomsday will revive this excitement, and bring Stewart and McKellen back together with other classic X-Men stars, which is a highly-anticipated reunion.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  MCU Spider-Man 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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