The Avengers are assembling once again. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters this December in what is being considered the most anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe film since Avengers: Endgame.
The first trailer gives fans a look at the heroes, villains and other familiar faces returning for the next chapter of the MCU:
Many of the faces in this film will be familiar. Steve Rogers is back as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth reclaims his role as Thor and Robert Downey Jr. puts the mask back on, but this time, it looks a little different.
Avengers: Doomsday is the first part of a story that will conclude in next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Until then, catch up on your favorite Marvel shows with DIRECTV and get ready for the next chapter of the MCU.
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What Characters are in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Avengers: Doomsday brings together Marvel Studios characters from multiple franchises. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will reprise their roles as Professor X and Magneto in the new film, along with several other stars from the original X-Men films, including James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and Kelsey Grammer as Beast. Channing Tatum will also return as Gambit after appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine.
After frequent appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the 2010s, Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki along with Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man and Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America. Chris Hemsworth also returns as Thor, while Chris Evans reprises his role as original Captain America. Robert Downey Jr. puts the mask back on, but this time as Doctor Doom.
The film will also bring in characters introduced after Avengers: Endgame, including Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova and Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. Members of the Fantastic Four will also join the action.
Together, these heroes and other returning characters must face Doctor Doom, who poses a new threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Doomsday is the first part of a story that will conclude in next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
New Marvel Characters Introduced for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Marvel Studios is bringing together multiple worlds of superheroes as it combines characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond. The seeds of the larger story were sown in Phase Four with the introduction of the multiverse, which has since played a major role in several MCU films and series.
Avengers: Doomsday will also introduce some characters and versions of familiar heroes who haven’t previously appeared together in the MCU, setting the stage for the massive crossover that will continue in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
Pedro Pascal reprises his role as Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, following his introduction in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Reed is the brilliant leader of the Fantastic Four, with the ability to stretch and contort his body in extraordinary ways. He comes from Earth-828, a parallel universe with a retro-futuristic 1960s setting, where the Fantastic Four are established as the world’s most famous superheroes.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
Vanessa Kirby reprises her role as Sue Storm, also known as the Invisible Woman, after her debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Sue can turn herself invisible and create powerful force fields, making her one of the team’s most versatile fighters. She is also Reed Richards’ wife and the mother of their children, with her family playing an important role in their story.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
Ebon Moss-Bachrach reprises his role as Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing from The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Ben is Reed Richards’ longtime best friend and a former test pilot who was transformed into a rock-like humanoid after being exposed to cosmic radiation. He possesses tremendous strength and durability while maintaining his sarcastic, down-to-earth personality.
Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch
Joseph Quinn reprises his role as Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, another member of the Fantastic Four. Johnny is Sue Storm’s younger brother and can engulf his body in flames, fly and project fire. He is confident, impulsive and playful, often bringing a more carefree energy to the Fantastic Four.
Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
Wyatt Russell plays John Walker, also known as U.S. Agent. Walker was chosen by the U.S. government to replace Steve Rogers as Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but lost the mantle after killing a member of the Flag Smashers in public. He later took on the U.S. Agent identity and became a member of the team introduced as the Thunderbolts in Thunderbolts*. Walker is competitive and eager to prove himself as a hero, even when his methods put him at odds with others.
Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit
Channing Tatum plays Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit, following his appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine. Gambit is a mutant who can charge objects with kinetic energy, causing them to explode, and is particularly known for weaponizing playing cards and his signature staff. He is confident, flirtatious and prone to a theatrical Cajun-inflected swagger.
Simu Liu as Xu Shang-Chi
Simu Liu plays Xu Shang-Chi, also known as Shang-Chi, a highly skilled martial artist who was trained from childhood by his father, Wenwu, to become an assassin. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he rejects his father’s criminal organization and takes control of the Ten Rings, an ancient set of powerful weapons. Shang-Chi is generally calm and reluctant to seek attention, but his extensive combat training makes him a formidable fighter.
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow
Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, also known as Black Widow. Yelena was raised alongside Natasha Romanoff as part of a fake family and was trained by the Red Room to become a Black Widow assassin. After leaving the program, she became a more openly heroic figure while retaining her blunt sense of humor and sarcastic personality. She later became a member of the Thunderbolts alongside several other former antagonists and antiheroes.
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
David Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian. Alexei is a Soviet super-soldier who was presented as the Soviet Union’s answer to Captain America and served as the father figure in Natasha and Yelena’s cover family. He is boastful and often oblivious to how others perceive him, but he genuinely cares about his daughters and eventually joins the Thunderbolts.
Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther
Letitia Wright reprises her role as Shuri, the younger sister of T’Challa and a brilliant scientist from Wakanda. After T’Challa’s death in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri becomes the new Black Panther by taking the recreated heart-shaped herb and gaining its enhanced strength, speed and senses. She combines those abilities with her technological expertise and stays closely connected to the protection of Wakanda.
Lewis Pullman as Bob Reynolds/The Sentry/The Void
Lewis Pullman plays Bob Reynolds, also known as the Sentry. Bob is given extraordinary superhuman abilities through an experimental procedure in Thunderbolts*, but those powers are accompanied by the emergence of the Void, a destructive alternate persona. Bob struggles with fear, anxiety and a lack of control over his abilities while trying to understand what has happened to him. He ultimately becomes a member of the New Avengers.
Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon
Danny Ramirez plays Joaquin Torres, also known as Falcon. Torres is a U.S. Air Force lieutenant who works with Sam Wilson and takes on the Falcon identity after Sam becomes Captain America. He first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and later officially uses the Falcon wingsuit in Captain America: Brave New World. Torres is enthusiastic, personable and eager to follow in Sam’s footsteps while establishing himself as a hero.
Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
Hannah John-Kamen plays Ava Starr, also known as Ghost. Ava gains the ability to phase through solid matter after a quantum accident leaves her body unstable and in constant pain. She initially appears as an antagonist in Ant-Man and the Wasp while trying to find a way to survive but later becomes part of the team assembled in Thunderbolts*. Her ability to become intangible makes her particularly difficult to fight.
Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
Tenoch Huerta Mejía reprises his role as Namor, the ruler of Talokan, after his introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Namor is a mutant with superhuman strength, speed and durability who can breathe underwater and fly using the small wings on his ankles. He is fiercely protective of Talokan and initially goes to war with Wakanda after seeking its help against the surface world.
Mabel Cadena as Namora
Mabel Cadena reprises her role as Namora, a Talokanil warrior and one of Namor’s closest allies. She fights alongside Namor during the conflict with Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and remains deeply loyal to Talokan and its ruler.
What Avengers Characters Aren’t in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
While Avengers: Doomsday is bringing back plenty of familiar faces, several major characters from the previous Avengers films are not among the movie’s officially announced cast. Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Don Cheadle’s War Machine are all absent from the current cast list. The Guardians of the Galaxy are also not part of the announced lineup.
Other notable absences include Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Downey Jr’s Tony Stark/Iron Man. Both characters died during the events of Avengers: Endgame. Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, but as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury are also not among the currently announced cast.
Marvel could still reveal additional appearances before the film’s release, so the current cast list may not represent every character who ultimately appears in Avengers: Doomsday.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Characters at a Glance
Here’s a look at the major Marvel characters connected to Avengers: Doomsday, including returning heroes, characters new to the Avengers lineup and notable characters who have not been confirmed for the film:
| Character | Actor | Known From | Status for Avengers: Doomsday |
| Doctor Doom | Robert Downey Jr. | Avengers: Doomsday | New |
| Captain America / Steve Rogers | Chris Evans | Captain America: The First Avenger | Returning |
| Thor | Chris Hemsworth | Thor | Returning |
| Loki | Tom Hiddleston | Thor | Returning |
| Ant-Man | Paul Rudd | Ant-Man | Returning |
| Captain America / Sam Wilson | Anthony Mackie | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Returning |
| Winter Soldier / Bucky Barnes | Sebastian Stan | Captain America: The First Avenger | Returning |
| Black Panther / Shuri | Letitia Wright | Black Panther | Returning |
| Shang-Chi | Simu Liu | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Returning |
| Falcon / Joaquin Torres | Danny Ramirez | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Returning |
| Black Widow / Yelena Belova | Florence Pugh | Black Widow | Returning |
| Red Guardian | David Harbour | Black Widow | Returning |
| U.S. Agent | Wyatt Russell | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Returning |
| Ghost | Hannah John-Kamen | Ant-Man and the Wasp | Returning |
| Sentry | Lewis Pullman | Thunderbolts | Returning |
| Namor | Tenoch Huerta Mejía | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Returning |
| Namora | Mabel Cadena | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Returning |
| Mister Fantastic | Pedro Pascal | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | New to Avengers |
| Invisible Woman | Vanessa Kirby | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | New to Avengers |
| Human Torch | Joseph Quinn | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | New to Avengers |
| The Thing | Ebon Moss-Bachrach | The Fantastic Four: First Steps | New to Avengers |
| Gambit | Channing Tatum | Deadpool & Wolverine | Returning |
| Professor X | Patrick Stewart | X-Men | Returning |
| Magneto | Ian McKellen | X-Men | Returning |
| Cyclops | James Marsden | X-Men | Returning |
| Mystique | Rebecca Romijn | X-Men | Returning |
| Beast | Kelsey Grammer | X-Men: The Last Stand | Returning |
| Nightcrawler | Alan Cumming | X2: X-Men United | Returning |
| Cassie Lang / Stature | Kathryn Newton | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | Returning |
| Love | India Rose Hemsworth | Thor: Love and Thunder | Returning |
| Spider-Man / Peter Parker | Tom Holland | Spider-Man: Homecoming | Not currently confirmed |
| Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers | Brie Larson | Captain Marvel | Not currently confirmed |
| Hulk / Bruce Banner | Mark Ruffalo | The Incredible Hulk | Not currently confirmed |
| Hawkeye / Clint Barton | Jeremy Renner | Thor | Not currently confirmed |
| War Machine / James Rhodes | Don Cheadle | Iron Man 2 | Not currently confirmed |
| Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff | Elizabeth Olsen | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Not currently confirmed |
| Doctor Strange | Benedict Cumberbatch | Doctor Strange | Not currently confirmed |
| Nick Fury | Samuel L. Jackson | Iron Man | Not currently confirmed |
| Star-Lord / Peter Quill | Chris Pratt | Guardians of the Galaxy | Not currently confirmed |
| Rocket | Bradley Cooper | Guardians of the Galaxy | Not currently confirmed |
| Groot | Vin Diesel | Guardians of the Galaxy | Not currently confirmed |
| Drax | Dave Bautista | Guardians of the Galaxy | Not currently confirmed |
| Nebula | Karen Gillan | Guardians of the Galaxy | Not currently confirmed |
| Mantis | Pom Klementieff | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Not currently confirmed |
Get Ready for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ with DIRECTV
Get ready for one of the year’s most anticipated theatrical releases by catching up with your favorite Marvel characters and getting familiar with the heroes and new additions joining the Avengers.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters December 18, 2026, and with DIRECTV, you can stream Marvel movies and shows to revisit the stories that brought these characters to the big screen.
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