Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan will be breaking a huge MCU record by returning as Loki and Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier, respectively, in 2026’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel Studios confirmed the first 27 actors confirmed to be cast in Avengers: Doomsday at the end of March, and while this line-up included some brilliant surprises, there are also many MCU veterans who will be reprising their roles. Among them are some actors who’ve been in the MCU since the very beginning, and have become some of the franchise’s most consistent characters.

Marvel Studios has confirmed that Avengers: Doomsday will bring together several superhero teams in battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. This includes a new Avengers team, as well as the Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and a team of heroes from Wakanda. Avengers: Doomsday will be putting new characters in the spotlight, however, and this includes Loki and Bucky Barnes, both of whom became more prominent in the Multiverse Saga. The Russo brothers’ Phase 6 crossover movie allows Hiddleston and Stan to extend their already-impressive MCU streak.

Tom Hiddleston & Sebastian Stan Will Have Appeared In All 6 Phases Of The MCU In Avengers: Doomsday

Tom Hiddleston Plays Loki In The MCU While Sebastian Stan Plays Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier

Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan are two of the most consistent and familiar faces in the MCU, so their returns in Avengers: Doomsday are very exciting for their overall narratives. Avengers: Doomsday will mark Hiddleston and Stan’s debuts in the MCU’s Phase 6, which will mean that they are the only two confirmed actors to appear in every Phase of the MCU. Hiddleston made his first appearance as Loki in 2011’s Thor, while Stan debuted as Bucky Barnes in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, and they’ve become cornerstones of the MCU since then.

It’s surprising that some other notable MCU veterans haven’t also hit this record, particularly the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and more. Even so, the fact that Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan are coming back for Avengers: Doomsday as more central characters in the MCU is brilliant. They spent most of their MCU journeys as secondary or supporting characters, but the Multiverse Saga has put them in the spotlight, and Avengers: Doomsday is about to make them two of the most important figures in the MCU’s entire history.

Loki & Bucky Barnes Finally Became Main Characters In The MCU’s Multiverse Saga

Loki & Bucky Barnes Were Secondary Characters Until Their Solo MCU Projects

Even though they had crucial roles over the entire duration of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes were never main characters. In fact, they were arguably wasted throughout their early adventures, with Loki being rendered a scheming but destined-to-lose villain, while Bucky similarly spent most of his time as the HYDRA-controlled Winter Soldier. The Multiverse Saga changed their fates, however, as they both embarked on solo adventures that finally made them main characters, which was a long-deserved transformation.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Bucky Barnes seek redemption for his actions as the Winter Soldier, while Thunderbolts* will make him the leader of a brand-new superhero team, which he’ll continue to lead in Avengers: Doomsday. Similarly, the Loki series on Disney+ saw a variant of the God of Mischief become one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, as he replaced the Temporal Loom and He Who Remains to protect the entire multiverse. These positions will prove crucial to Avengers: Doomsday’s narrative.

Only 2 Other Actors Can Copy Hiddleston & Stan’s Impressive MCU Record

Marvel Is Yet To Confirm Some Stars We Hope Return In Avengers: Doomsday Or Secret Wars

It’s something of a surprise that Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan are the only actors who will have appeared in every Phase of the MCU, though there is still a chance that Marvel Studios could announce the only other two possible candidates to match this record. Every other actor except for Hiddleston, Stan, Jon Favreau and Don Cheadle has missed at least one Phase of the MCU, so the door is open for Favreau and Cheadle to match this impressive streak. Neither has been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, Secret Wars or another Phase 6 project yet.

Even though they haven’t yet been confirmed, it’s very possible that both Jon Favreau and Don Cheadle will be announced to return in the MCU’s Phase 6. It would be fantastic to see Favreau’s Happy Hogan reunite with Robert Downey Jr., especially now that the latter is playing iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom. Similarly, Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine, would also have a strong reaction to a villain using his best friend’s face, and this could either continue in Avengers: Doomsday or another MCU project such as Avengers: Secret Wars or the more-uncertain Armor Wars.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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