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Most Shocking Marvel Stars Missing From Avengers: Doomsday
The announcement video confirmed 27 characters, but notably omitted many core Avengers. The roster heavily features actors from Fox's X-Men franchise, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, leaving only a handful of traditional Avengers. This surprising lineup may contain major clues about the plots of both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Let's analyze the implications.
Why Thunderbolts Play Pivotal Role in Doomsday
The only confirmed traditional Avengers are Anthony Mackie's Captain America, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, and Paul Rudd's Ant-Man. Supporting characters like Falcon (Danny Ramirez) and Black Panther (Letitia Wright) may join, though their comic counterparts aren't classic Avengers. Noticeably absent are Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, and other major MCU heroes.
The answer may lie with the Thunderbolts team. With Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and other Thunderbolts confirmed for Doomsday, the film might establish them as the MCU's new de facto superhero team. Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine's acquisition of Avengers Tower in the trailer hints at this transition, especially during this apparent Avengers shortage.
Bucky's resistance to the "Thunderbolts" name suggests potential rebranding as New Avengers by film's end. This would align with the Sentry's comic history with the New Avengers team and position the Thunderbolts to face Doctor Doom's threat when traditional Avengers are unavailable.
Thunderbolts: Marvel's Most Complex Superhero Team
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Will X-Men Face Extinction in Doomsday?
With Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom needing a dramatic introduction as the Multiverse Saga's ultimate villain, the Fox X-Men cast may be in grave danger. Establishing Doom's threat level could mirror Thanos' Infinity War snap - potentially wiping out these legacy characters to raise stakes for Secret Wars.
This approach would serve multiple purposes: creating an emotional "Doom moment," clearing narrative space for original MCU heroes to return in Secret Wars, and potentially solving Marvel's recent struggles matching Endgame's impact. The destruction of the Fox X-Men universe via Incursion would perfectly establish Secret Wars' multiversal stakes.
Just as Infinity War sidelined newer heroes to spotlight original Avengers in Endgame, Doomsday could eliminate legacy characters to pave way for Spider-Man, Hulk, Scarlet Witch and others to triumph in Secret Wars' final battle against Doom.
