Summary
A number of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were surprisingly missing when the list of cast members forAvengers: Doomsdaywas announced. However, Marvel Studios seemingly hinted they could still appear in the movie.
Avengers: Doomsdayis the fifth installment of MCU’sAvengersseries. Four Avengers movies were released before it —The Avengers(2012),Avengers: Age of Ultron(2015),Avengers: Infinity War(2018), andAvengers: Endgame(2019). The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, known for their previous works in the MCU, including the last twoAvengersfilms, which were both a massive hit. The anticipatedMCUtentpole is already in production, and on Wednesday, there was a huge announcement about the film. They named the cast members, but many were surprisingly missing. However, Marvel Studios has seemingly hinted that the names on the list are not complete.
Marvel Studios andRobert Downey Jr., who returned to the MCU as Doctor Doomafter his originalAvengerscharacter Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, died inEndgame, shared a video revealing the actors joiningAvengers: Doomsday. The clip features an empty director’s chair with the actor’s name on the back and the video shifts to a new chair and name as Alan Silvestri’sAvengerstheme plays on the background. It ends with Downey Jr.’s chair with the actor sitting on it. He wears a suit and tie and gives the camera a “shhhh” sign. Downey Jr. wrote on Instagram: “That’s what u call a deep bench of talent… actually it’s more like a row, but an extra long one… That must be it…right?” The actor was seemingly aware that some fans were wondering why many were noticeably missing. Marvel Studios' response was promising:
There’s always room for more…
MCU fans immediately noticed the absence of fan-favorite Tom Holland’sSpider-Man. They were also disappointed at the realization that many original Avengers were missing, likeCaptain America(Chris Evans),Hulk(Mark Ruffalo), andHawkeye(Jeremy Renner). Some were also wondering why they didn’t see the names of Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Chris Pratt (Star Lord). Cumberbatch said in January thathe wasn’t part of the nextAvengersmovie. However, days later, he retracted his statement and toldBusiness Insider, “I got that wrong, I am in the next one.” So, chances are high that the names revealed were not complete. Meanwhile, Movie scooperDaniel Richtmanshared his thoughts on why some names were not included. According to him, the names revealed were the “main players,” while those who were not announced would only make cameos.
Yes, it’s highly likely that the names were not complete. Cumberbatch already said he was part of the upcomingAvengersmovie, but his name wasn’t included. It’s likely that Marvel Studios excluded some of the big names to surprise fans. However, the movie scooper also has a point; it’s also possible they are not included because their roles are not significant enough.
Regardless, Marvel Studios are known for keeping their production a secret. Even their actors were trained not to share their next MCU project. TheAnt-Manlead star was recently asked if he was part ofDoomsdaywhen he and Jenna Ortega promoted their comedy thrillerDeath of a Unicorn. However,Rudd just said the Russo brothers knew how to contact himwithout confirming or denying his involvement in the project. Ortega was impressed at how Rudd handled it, jokingly saying MCU stars were trained to answer such questions. And apparently, he was part of the film. Revealing the cast members ofAvengers: Doomsdayis already a treat to fans. However, Marvel Studios also has the right to keep some names of the cast members a secret for whatever reason they deem.
