Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast has been revealed, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is bringing along some major surprises. Before Marvel’s announcement event for the cast of the Avengers film, only a few names had been confirmed for the project. Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will serve as the villain of the next two Avengers movies, so it made sense that the livestream ended with him. However, before the actor’s chair was revealed, there were quite a few surprises among the full cast list of Avengers: Doomsday.

Some major MCU stars were absent, which is confusing. Both Captain America franchise stars, Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell, had been reported for the film, but neither showed up on the announcement. Spider-Man star Tom Holland was another notable absence among many others. However, even with key MCU players missing, Marvel managed to put together a formidable roster of returning MCU stars and actors from Fox’s X-Men franchise. Avengers: Doomsday‘s story promises as many surprises as the shocking additions to its cast, which are:

10

Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor)

First Appeared In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Tenoch Huerta’s Namor was one of the first surprises during the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement event. Namor debuted in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where his underwater kingdom, Talokan, entered a war with Wakanda. After Namor and Shuri, the MCU’s new Black Panther, fought until both were badly injured, they decided to make peace. Avengers: Doomsday will be the character’s first project since his MCU debut, which is interesting.

In the comics’ Secret Wars event, Namor plays a key role. He is part of the Illuminati, who go around destroying other universes to save theirs from incursions. After the Illuminati grew a conscience, Namor ᴀssembled the Cabal, a darker group that had no problems destroying other Earths. The Submariner could play a similar role in Avengers: Doomsday, and with Sue Storm also in the film, their infamous comic book relationship could be explored.

9

Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy/Beast)

First Appeared In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Kelsey Grammer’s Beast starts the wave of X-Men castings on the list. Aside from his appearances in Fox’s X-Men franchise, Grammer’s version of the mutant is important for Avengers: Doomsday because he has already shown up in the franchise. As The Marvels became the MCU’s lowest-grossing movie, not many might have watched it, which could leave a lot of fans confused when the Avengers film rolls around.

The Marvels‘ post-credits scene could be fundamental to Avengers: Doomsday. In it, Grammer’s Beast and Lashana Lynch’s Binary come from a universe that has an established X-Men team. They care for Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau when she crashes into their universe. Beast’s role in Avengers: Doomsday should be a continuation of that, with the X-Men universe he comes from possibly being entangled in an incursion with Earth-616 due to Monica’s multiversal travel.

8

Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X)

First Appeared In X-Men (2000)

Another X-Men franchise actor who has already been in the MCU is Patrick Stewart. The actor is one of the faces of Fox’s X-Men franchise and has become synonymous with one of the most iconic mutants from Marvel Comics. Stewart made his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He played a Charles Xavier variant who was in the Illuminati and was killed by the Scarlet Witch.

The most likely path for Stewart’s return, and that of all the other X-Men franchise stars confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, is that they come from Beast’s universe. Professor X was already revealed to exist in it, as Beast left after checking in on Monica to talk to Charles, who wanted an update. Beast’s universe could feature Fox variants or be the updated timeline from the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past.

7

Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto)

First Appeared In X-Men (2000)

One of the best parts of Fox’s X-Men franchise was watching the friendship/rivalry between Stewart’s Professor X and Ian McKellen’s Magneto play out across the films. McKellen’s latest appearance as Magneto came in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where Michael Fᴀssbender played the younger Erik, and he gave life to the older Magneto in a dark future where Sentinels were killing all mutants. He was badly injured fighting them.

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After a long time fighting in the original X-Men movies, the most exciting path Avengers: Doomsday could take is to have Professor X and Magneto as allies. They could team up to prevent their Earth from being destroyed by the incursions that are bound to happen in the multiverse film. After the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the new timeline could have Magneto as part of the X-Men, like Marvel Studios’ X-Men ’97 did.

6

Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler)

First Appeared In X2: X-Men United (2003)

Alan Cumming was one of the most shocking additions to Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast. While other bigger names from the X-Men movies had been rumored for other projects or make sense based on the multiverse storyline, Cumming’s Nightcrawler was only in X2: X-Men United. Despite his small role in the larger context of the franchise, Nightcrawler’s White House fight sequence is one of the X-Men’s best in live-action.

Cumming’s return to his Marvel role in Avengers: Doomsday proves that the film will be fully using an X-Men universe in addition to Earth-616. If the extent of the mutants appearing in the movie is limited to those who have been officially announced by Marvel Studios, then Nightcrawler could have a major role this time around. Either way, at least one more explosive action scene with his teleportation powers is in order.

5

Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkhölme/Mystique)

First Appeared In X-Men (2000)

Like Cumming’s Nightcrawler, the inclusion of Mystique actress Rebecca Romijn was another unexpected addition to Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast. The Marvel character had a major role in the younger timeline of Fox’s X-Men movies, where she was played by Jennifer Lawrence. However, many fans still preferred Romijn’s take on the character, and they will now be able to get the live-action Mystique that is the closest to the comics back.

With McKellen’s Magneto confirmed for the Avengers film, it makes sense for Romijn’s Mystique to be around him. After all, she was his most loyal soldier and the actors believed there was a romantic past between their characters. Mystique’s return could confirm once and for all that she got her powers back after she was turned human in X-Men: The Last Stand. Though it was implied, the return of her blue skin was never shown onscreen.

4

James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops)

First Appeared In X-Men (2000)

James Marsden’s Cyclops was one of the names that became the most popular among ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine‘s rumors. The actor even toyed with the idea, commenting on how he had filmed Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the same studio where the MCU film’s production took place. However, Marsden was nowhere to be seen. Marvel Studios is now giving those disappointed by the actor’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine absence exactly what they wanted.

X-Men ’97 showed how Marvel Studios knows how to treat Cyclops well. Fox’s X-Men movies reduced his role for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to shine brighter. With the Logan actor not announced for Avengers: Doomsday, Marsden’s Cyclops could finally be the leader of the X-Men in live-action he was meant to be. As the MCU did with Jackman and Wolverine’s yellow and blue suit, Marsden’s Cyclops will likely ditch the black leather for a comic book-accurate look.

3

Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau/Gambit)

First Appeared In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine (2024)

Channing Tatum was cast as Gambit way back in 2014. However, his solo film as Remy LeBeau ended up stuck in development hell before it was ultimately canceled when Disney acquired Fox. Thankfully, Ryan Reynolds knew how much Tatum cared for Gambit, allowing him to play the X-Men hero in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine as part of the Void’s Resistance. Tatum’s Gambit was the breakout character of the MCU movie.

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After ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine was released, Reynolds took to Instagram to share a deleted scene (a version of it played on a TVA monitor) that teased Gambit’s return. In it, Tatum’s Marvel character walks around the Void before a magic portal opens as he looks up and smiles. It could be revealed that the character comes from the same X-Men universe where Beast was seen in The Marvels‘ post-credits scene, with Gambit coming home for Avengers: Doomsday.

2

Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

First Appeared In Thor (2011)

Tom Hiddleston’s return as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday was another welcome surprise of the MCU announcement event. That is because Disney+’s Loki season 2 seemed to serve as a finale for the character’s time in the franchise. At the end of the show, Loki cemented his status as a hero, choosing to be alone for eternity in order to make sure that the multiverse would be protected, and he could watch over his friends.

With Hiddleston’s return, a couple of storylines could be in play for Avengers: Doomsday. Thor and the Loki variant can meet for the first time, which would be emotional, as Chris Hemsworth Avenger has no clue that a version of his brother is alive. Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could also be after Loki to take his power and control the multiverse.

1

Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost)

First Appeared In Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)

Finally, while not as splashy of a name as the rest of the actors on the list, the confirmation that Hannah John-Kamen will appear in Avengers: Doomsday was still surprising. From the start, it seemed like Taskmaster and Ghost were the two most likely characters to die in Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts*. While the former is surely ᴅᴇᴀᴅ after the cast of the film was announced for Avengers: Doomsday, except for her, Ghost survives.

Ghost’s role in Avengers: Doomsday is easy to guess. Almost all the Thunderbolts will appear in the film, so the new MCU team led by Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will have its own part to play in the film. The Thunderbolts are more grounded in comparison to the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. As such, Ghost and her team will likely have an Earth-based mission in Avengers: Doomsday.

All Announced 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 (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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