After making 4.6 million people stare at empty chairs for hours, Marvel has finally unveiled the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. While it’s baffling to announce such big news with a grueling five-hour live stream—when a slick two-minute video could’ve done the job—there’s actually a calculated reason behind it.
But First, Here’s the Cast
No need to suffer through the entire live stream. Here’s who’s suiting up:
The New Avengers
Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Danny Ramirez (The Falcon)
Thunderbolts*
Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), Lewis Pullman (Bob)
Fantastic Four
Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch)
X-Men
Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Channing Tatum (Gambit)
Other Key Characters
Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Tenoch Huerta (Namor), Winston Duke (M’Baku)
The Big Bad
Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom)
So, What Was the Point of That 5-Hour Stream?
One word: engagement.
Marvel revealed one actor every ten minutes, giving fans just enough time to explode with reactions, post theories, and spread hype across TikTok, X (Twitter), and Reddit. Multiply that by 27 announcements, and you have five hours of nonstop trending content. This is what marketers call User-Generated Content (UGC)—a goldmine for social media traction.
And the discussion didn’t stop after the stream. The internet is still buzzing, which means Marvel’s strategy worked.
Where Are the Rest?
Since Avengers: Doomsday is dealing with Incursions, where are the key players like Doctor Strange, Clea, and Scarlet Witch? They’re way too important to be left out.
And what about Spider-Man? The Guardians of the Galaxy? Deadpool and Wolverine? They may not be crucial to Incursions, but they’re fan favorites. Remember that shot of Thor crying while holding Deadpool?
Two possible reasons for their absence:
- They’ll have bigger roles in Avengers: Secret Wars, not Doomsday.
- Marvel is holding back for another major reveal.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen have both denied their involvement—just like Andrew Garfield and Dafne Keen did before No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine. We all know how that turned out. When Marvel finally confirms them, expect another social media frenzy.
For now, they want all eyes on the returning X-Men cast.
Why Does Marvel Need Engagement This Badly?
If I had to guess? The Russo Brothers.
After the lukewarm reception to The Electric State, fans are worried that Anthony and Joe Russo might have lost their magic touch—despite directing Marvel’s biggest hits like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Infinity War, and Endgame.
Marvel knows this, so they’re trying to redirect attention. “Look, guys! X-Men! You love X-Men, right?”
Wait, There’s Another Reason?
Even the Russos admit it—Marvel’s Multiverse Saga is messy.
During the Infinity Saga, core heroes like Iron Man, Cap, and Thor had their own trilogies while frequently teaming up in other movies. Fans grew attached to them.
But the Multiverse Saga? It’s been introducing tons of characters with no real follow-up. No consistent team-ups. No time to build fan investment.
So how do you fix that? Play the nostalgia card.
“Hey, remember those X-Men movies from 20 years ago? Well, they’re back!”
And it’s working.
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying nostalgia bait is bad. I’m saying it shouldn’t be the only thing holding the movie together. Give us a solid story, not just a checklist of familiar faces.
Based on this cast list, I think I can already predict the entire EXACT plot of Avengers: Doomsday. But that’s a discussion for another article.
Stay tuned.
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