Marvel Unites: ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Brings Back X-Men, Fantastic Four, and MCU Legends

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Assembles Star-Studded Cast, Including MCU Veterans, X-Men, and Fantastic Four

Marvel Studios has officially unveiled the cast of the highly anticipated 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday, bringing together a mix of familiar faces and exciting new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Returning to the Avengers ensemble are several franchise veterans, including:

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Anthony Mackie as Captain America
• Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
• Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki

These beloved characters will once again take center stage as the MCU continues to expand its multiverse-driven saga.

For the first time, Avengers: Doomsday will incorporate members of Fox’s original X-Men film series, taking advantage of Disney’s acquisition of Fox’s movie library. Legendary actors reprising their roles include:

• Patrick Stewart as Professor X
• Ian McKellen as Magneto
• Kelsey Grammer as Beast
• Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
• James Marsden as Cyclops
• Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler

With younger actors having portrayed these characters in the more recent X-Men reboots, their inclusion sparks major speculation about how timelines and multiverse elements will play into the Avengers storyline.

The Fantastic Four are also set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday following their upcoming film Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). Cast members include:

• Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)
• Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing)
• Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch)

This marks the official integration of Marvel’s first family into the MCU’s expanding narrative.

Several other key MCU characters will also return, including:

• Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
• Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
• Letitia Wright as Shuri (Black Panther)
• Winston Duke as M’Baku
• Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova

Many Thunderbolts cast members, such as David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman, will also appear in both Thunderbolts and Doomsday.

While Avengers: Doomsday boasts an impressive lineup, some major names were notably absent from the initial announcement, leading to speculation that Marvel may be keeping additional surprises under wraps.

• Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool were not confirmed, despite their upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine.
• Channing Tatum, who played Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, is listed in Doomsday, but his role remains unclear.
• Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was also missing, possibly due to Marvel’s ongoing negotiations with Sony over the character’s rights.
• Robert Downey Jr., however, confirmed last summer that he will return to the MCU, but not as Iron Man—this time, he’s playing the villainous Doctor Doom.

Set for release in May 2026, Avengers: Doomsday marks the fifth film in the Avengers saga and the first since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Since Endgame, Marvel has struggled to recapture its former box-office dominance, with recent films receiving mixed reactions. With Doomsday bringing together iconic characters from across different Marvel franchises, the studio hopes to reignite the cultural buzz and excitement that defined the MCU’s golden era.

As anticipation builds, fans are eager to see how Marvel weaves together these legendary heroes and what surprises Avengers: Doomsday has in store.