Every Major Avenger Missing From Avengers: Doomsday’s Cast

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Marvel Studios’ next massive crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday, has secured its cast. Marvel’s unique live-stream event confirmed the actors returning as members of the superhero team. Yet, as exciting as many of the reveals were, there were as many concerning absences as there were official announcements.

With Robert Downey Jr. returning not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom, and Jonathan Majors’ Kang removed from the picture, the film was expected to deviate from some stories the Marvel Cinematic Universe had laid the groundwork for, but the omission of several fan favorite Avengers has folks wondering if the Multiverse Saga is directionless as opposed to heading in an unexpected direction. From Sorcerers Supreme to Spider-Man, here’s a critical examination of every significant Avenger missing from the Doomsday lineup.

10

Wong Was Seen As An Avenger In Shang-Chi

Wong Was This Era’s Agent Coulson

Benedict Wong elevated the character of Wong from a supporting player to essential MCU connective tissue throughout Phase 4. His appearances in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness positioned the current Sorcerer Supreme as relatively omnipresent, coordinating superhero activity across multiple corners of the MCU. The results were the former Strange sidekick essentially becoming Phase 4’s Agent Coulson or Nick Fury— the order-keeper and communicator connecting characters and stories, and a step-ahead of key characters when it comes to understanding the multiverse.

Should Wong be absent from Avengers: Doomsday, it would bring about a frustrating logical inconsistency (though consistent with MCU habits of late). After spending precious Phase 4 screentime establishing Wong as integral in how the MCU handles multiversal threats, Wong shouldn’t suddenly become unnecessary. Even Doctor Doom’s comic book track record— his trademark cocktail of scientific genius with mystic arts—would theoretically put Kamar-Taj in his crosshairs, or vise versa. Also, why wouldn’t Avengers announced for Avengers: Doomsday immediately refer to Wong or Doctor Strange, without whom they lack a credible magical defense against one of Marvel’s most magically adept villains?

9

So, Captain Carter’s Leading Role Didn’t Matter?

The Hayley Atwell Variant Was A Recurring Post-Endgame Character

Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter has owned much of the multiverse spotlight lately. Whether in Marvel’s animated What If…? series, which features Captain Carter in a leading role, or her live-action debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the shield-wielding super-soldier has become a fan favorite throughout Phase 4. But she’s left out of Avengers: Doomsday. It’s confounding, considering the film is a multiversal culmination event, and Carter’s been a spotlighted alternate take on the Captain America mantle for years now.

Marvel Comics’ Jonathan Hickman-authored Secret Wars storylines—the apparent inspiration for these upcoming films—centered around Doctor Doom creating Battleworld from multiverse fragments and populating it with variants across realities. A character literally designed to exemplify multiverse possibilities now sits excluded from Marvel’s definitive multiverse event.

8

The MCU Is Moving Forward Without The Marvels

Photon, Ms. Marvel, and Captain Marvel Are Conspicuously Absent

The Marvels trio—Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan—brought cosmic hijinks to the MCU’s Phase 4. Its final act hinted that the trio would be intrinsic to multiversal storytelling moving forward, but all three remain mysteriously absent from Avengers: Doomsday‘s lineup. The exclusion is particularly baffling after their 2023 team-up film’s post-credit scene reintroduced Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, who got the Doomsday call.

The fact that Monica Rambeau, stranded in an X-Men multiverse, isn’t among the cast numbs the mind; the same goes for Kamala Khan and her multiverse-linked bangle. They are each logical additions to any team confronting reality-altering villains like Doom. Sadly, the film’s box office challenges appear to have influenced Marvel to quietly bench these powerful female heroes, affirming fan concerns about the studio’s commitment to the characters.

7

Both Hawkeyes Are Nowhere To Be Found

The Team Has No Arrows In The Quiver With Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner Absent

Neither Clint Barton nor Kate Bishop appear in the announced Doomsday cast, leaving the Avengers without a traditional tactical specialist. Doomsday will mark the first Hawkeye-less outing for the Avengers; Hawkeye has been part of the team’s foundation since 2012 in The Avengers. Meanwhile, Kate Bishop’s Disney+ showcase positioned her as the future of the Hawkeye mantle and a promising next-generation Avenger—a setup now apparently abandoned.

The entire Hawkeye series invested itself in establishing Bishop as worthy of carrying forward the archer’s Avenger legacy. Her absence from the biggest Avengers event since Avengers: Endgame is another example of the MCU’s continued narrative whiplashes. Without characters like these on the ground level to humanize and ground the multiversal chaos, there’s a significant absence of audience surrogates.

6

This Will Be The First Avengers Sequel Without Vision

There Have Been No Vision Sightings Since WandaVision

White Vision ghosted the entire MCU after WandaVision, and his continued absence from Avengers: Doomsday makes approximately zero sense for a synthezoid possessing complete memory restoration and unparalleled processing power. The philosophical android who once wielded an Infinity Stone—and whose very existence represents the perfect fusion of organic and technological potential—would be the ideal counter to Doom’s technological mysticism. Instead, we’re left watching Marvel sweep another Disney+ plot thread under the rug.

In a MCU phase obsessed with variants from another universe, the emotionless White Vision is perhaps the only variant actually conceived in-universe, subsequently fascinating to explore. By benching Paul Bettany’s synthezoid, Marvel may be deliberately sidestepping the more philosophically compelling aspects of Doctor Doom’s evil plan across Doomsday and Secret Wars. To leave out a hero specifically designed to contemplate existential questions seems like a missed opportunity, to say the least.

5

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Is In Hiding

A Doomsday Absence Would Rob Audiences Of Maestro and Other Classic Hulk Moments

Bruce Banner’s Hulk appears sidelined from Avengers: Doomsday despite being one of the original six Avengers and last being seen on film recruiting Shang-Chi to the titular team. The absence is also a significant blow for fans of the character, still waiting for a showcase of the Jade Giant after Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War pitted Mark Ruffalo’s Banner against his alter-ego, unable to transform into the Hulk.

Even more frustrating, Hulk is a key part of God King Doom in Hickman’s Secret Wars, serving alongside the multiverse mastermind as Maestro. His absence squanders the perfect opportunity to introduce the wisened Hulk variant—a brilliant, bearded iteration of the character who combines Banner’s intellect with Hulk’s unbridled rage. A multiversal crisis featuring Doctor Doom practically begs for this iconic alternate Hulk to make his MCU debut, yet fans will be denied this long-awaited adaptation.

4

Spider-Man Might Have Been Benched for Brand New Day

The MCU Is Seemingly Prolonging The Downey/Holland Reunion

Spider-Man is notably absent from Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a headscratcher, considering his critical role in previous team-ups and personal connection to Tony Stark—now revealed to be a Doctor Doom doppelgänger, with Robert Downey Jr. returning as the baddie. With those ingredients in the proverbial stew, Peter Parker’s absence feels particularly glaring, delaying Spider-Man from confronting someone wearing his mentor’s face and fans from seeing the web-slinger swing in the MCU for the first time since 2021.

Spider-Man’s absence likely stems from Sony’s complicated rights arrangement and Spider-Man: Brand New Day prioritization rather than traditional storytelling choices. For a character who fought alongside the Avengers against Thanos, shared a father-son dynamic with Tony Stark, and is the most popular character in Marvel’s arsenal, it’s just a heartbreaker to lose out on another Tom Holland-Avengers outing.

3

It’s Hard To Believe Elizabeth Olsen Isn’t In Doomsday

Scarlet Witch Has Been The Post-Endgame Era MVP for the MCU

Elizabeth Olsen denied involvement in Avengers: Doomsday before Marvel’s multi-hour announcement made it official. It’s hard to believe Scarlet Witch will be absent moving forward, but it seems that’s the case, after all. Her absence from Avengers: Doomsday remains especially shocking. After the stellar WandaVision was followed up with her apparent death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, most MCU diehards expected Wanda to return in some capacity. They were let down when Elizabeth Olsen’s name didn’t appear on the back of a director’s chair in the unusual casting announcement presentation.

With Wiccan introduced in Agatha All Along and his integral role in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade comic, where he rescues his memory-wiped mother from the clutches of Doctor Doom, it seemed the table was perfectly set for this storyline to take shape on screen and bring back the Scarlet Witch. Instead, audiences now must wonder whether Olsen’s consistent denials about involvement signal a genuine departure from the character or merely misdirection designed to preserve a surprise appearance—an increasingly common strategy when managing high-profile casting revelations.

2

No Doctor Strange In Doomsday Makes Zero Sense

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme Has Been The Center of The Multiverse Saga Until Now

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange not appearing in Avengers: Doomsday undermines years of setting the character up as both the successor to Tony Stark’s leadership role and as the multiversal authority in the MCU. Strange introduced incursions in Multiverse of Madness, effectively kickstarting the conflict that threatens reality in Avengers: Doomsday. The film’s post-credits scene, which also introduced A-lister and Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron as Clea, directly sets up their involvement in the coming incursion crisis, making the exclusion particularly confusing.

Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars comics have Strange playing a crucial role— Sheriff of Battleworld and Doom’s trusted advisor. Strange helped Doom create Battleworld from multiverse fragments and enacted Doom’s brand of law and order once complete. The uneasy alliance between two former rivals forced to work together to preserve reality is one of the most compelling throughlines in Secret Wars, doubling the baffling nature of Strange’s shelving. Without Strange, Doomsday loses the character best positioned to understand both the mystical and scientific aspects of multiversal threats and, subsequently, Doom himself.

1

Doomsday’s Unacceptable Male-to-Female Ratio and Disney+ Canon Erasure

Post-Secret Invasion Rhodey and She-Hulk Lead Disney+ Outcasts That Include Moon Knight and Agatha Harkness

Beyond individual absences, Doomsday’s roster reveals broader systemic issues plaguing both Disney+ and the MCU. The cast’s overwhelming male skew (just five women among 27 announced actors) suggests troubling gender representation irregularities. Even if one puts those concerns aside, the Disney+ erasure is real—characters like She-Hulk, Agatha Harkness, Moon Knight, and War Machine (a central Avenger in Secret Invasion) all find themselves excluded.

Hidden in the hours-long Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement was another, more troubling confirmation: Marvel is treating Disney+ series as secondary canon despite developing characters more extensively on streaming than in theaters over the past five-or-so years. The studio promised streaming would be equally important to theatrical releases, but these omissions undermined the interconnectedness bill audiences were sold.

“}]] Doctor Doom debuts but Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange, and other Marvel favorites are benched for Avengers: Doomsday.  Read More