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Credit: Marvel StudiosMore names have been reported for Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
Despite successes like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen its once-dominant box office performance taper off in recent years.
Outside of Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), fan enthusiasm has grown more selective, and Marvel’s future strategy has come under increased scrutiny. Captain America: Brave New World (2025) was expected to propel, but ultimately landed with less impact than hoped.
That said, a strong wave of reviews, positive word of mouth, and a splashy opening weekend have seen Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* (2025) reignite interest in the MCU’s future.
Complicating matters further was the fallout surrounding Jonathan Majors, who had been positioned as the next major antagonist across the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. His portrayal of Kang the Conqueror was intended to thread through multiple properties, building toward a climactic showdown.
But after legal allegations—including battery, assault, and defamation—surfaced from his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, Majors was dismissed from the franchise, leaving Marvel to recalibrate its overarching narrative.
With the departure of Kang, Marvel Studios has officially shifted its focus to the iconic Fantastic Four villain, Doctor Doom.
At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Anthony and Joe Russo—the duo behind Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)—would return to helm the retitled Avengers: Doomsday (formerly The Kang Dynasty) and its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for 2026 and 2027 releases.
But the biggest surprise wasn’t just Doom’s arrival—it was who would be wearing the armor. Robert Downey Jr., whose portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man helped define the MCU, is making a return to the franchise in a dramatically different capacity. The Oppenheimer (2023) star has been cast as Doctor Doom, marking a villainous reinvention of a character fans once assumed had closed his chapter for good.
Downey Jr. is expected to make his debut as Doom in a post-credits scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), setting up his role in the newly restructured Avengers films.
As for Kang, the door hasn’t been completely shut—but it’s certainly swinging closed. The last time audiences saw a Kang Variant was Victor Timely in Loki Season 2. Before that, Kang clashed with Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2023’s Quantumania. However, with Marvel now positioning Doom at the forefront, Kang’s role as a central antagonist appears to have come to an end.
There’s been no formal announcement on Kang’s future within the MCU, but speculation has been rampant. Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing) has emerged as a possible recast. Domingo confirmed that he and Marvel Studios had conversations, but clarified they weren’t about a specific role.
The concept of Kang returning isn’t entirely off the table—especially after the introduction of the Council of Kangs—but the momentum is clearly with Doom now. And with Avengers: Doomsday officially in the pipeline, Marvel appears ready to move forward.
In a high-profile live stream earlier this week, Marvel Studios unveiled its official cast for Avengers: Doomsday, including more than 20 returning and new characters.
The lineup is extensive: Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
Also confirmed are Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Lewis Pullman as “Bob”/Sentry, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, and Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler.
Rounding out the roster are David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.
Now, over a month on since the chair reveal live-stream, more cast members have been reported–but not confirmed–for Avengers: Doomsday. According to Jeff Sneider of The InSneider (via Comic Book Movie), the new roster of names includes the following:
Mark Ruffalo (Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk), Benedict Wong (Wong), Don Cheadle (James Rhodes/War Machine), Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel), Ke Huy Quan (Ouroboros/”O.B”), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), Will Poulter (Adam Warlock), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams/Ironheart), Xochitl Gomez (America Chavez), Sophia Di Martino (Sylvie), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Simon Williams/Wonder Man).
Tatiana Maslany (Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk), Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang), Wunmi Mosaku (Hunter B-15), Lashana Lynch (Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel/Binary), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey), Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe/Storm), Kai Zen (Phyla), Owen Wilson (Mobius M. Mobius), Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Charlize Theron (Clea), Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange), Hayley Atwell (Agent Peggy Carter/Captain Carter), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Vin Diesel (Groot), and Maria Bakalova (Cosmo the Spacedog).
While this expansive ensemble sets the stage for a new chapter, it also signals just how much has changed from the original Kang-centered vision. Even though Jonathan Majors has expressed interest in returning to the franchise, it appears unlikely given the studio’s current direction.
One notable name still missing is Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Reports on his absence have circulated that suggest he won’t appear in Doomsday because Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) will happen concurrently.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty–What Could Have Been
Earlier this year, reports shed light on what that scrapped version of Avengers 5 might have looked like when it was still in the hands of creatives like Destin Daniel Cretton and Michael Waldron.
“According to [Alex Perez], separate Avengers teams set out to battle Immortus, Centurion, and Rama-Tut, the three Kang Variants teased at the end of Quantumania,” Comic Book Movie reported. “However, the Conqueror Variant was going to return from ‘The Beyond’ in the third act to take revenge against his doppelgangers and become He Who Remains.”
“It’s said that Doctor Doom was never part of Marvel Studios’ original plans for the two-part Multiverse Saga finale; instead, he—and others—were to be revealed as being among those removed from the timeline by Kang to ensure they could thrive,” the outlet added. “However, once those Variants had been defeated, Doom was teased as the ‘evil’ they were trying to keep at bay with their actions.”
These scrapped ideas hint that Doctor Doom may have always been lurking on the narrative sidelines, positioned for a larger role down the line. Now, it seems, that line has arrived. Many insiders believe Doom will take the mantle as the MCU’s next overarching antagonist, especially as the franchise sets the stage for what some are calling the Mutant Saga.
With Doomsday bringing in characters from Fox’s former X-Men universe, the implication is clear: Marvel is leaning into multiversal collisions in a big way—and not all characters may survive them, as seen in last year’s Deadpool film from Shawn Levy.
Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars aren’t just continuations—they’re being framed as a new creative era for the franchise. According to the Russo Brothers, they represent a “new beginning.” Unlike Infinity War and Endgame, which served as conclusions to the MCU’s first three phases, these new entries aim to open fresh narrative pathways.
How do you feel about these new names being rumored for Avengers: Doomsday? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!