Avengers: Doomsday will see the return of both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans to the MCU, proving Marvel has yet to face a daunting challenge. Overall, the story details of Avengers: Doomsday remains relatively thin given that the film is not set for release until 2026. That said, this has not stopped Marvel Studios from dropping several bombshells regarding the confirmed cast of Avengers: Doomsday, from the inclusion of The Fantastic Four to the long-awaited returns of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
As Marvel"s upcoming movies grow in anticipation, Avengers: Doomsday rises to the top of the long list. Although the inclusion of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans is exciting for many different reasons - such as RDJ"s villainous turn as Doctor Doom - they highlight the big challenge that Marvel Studios has yet to face. Whether this challenge will be confronted in the franchise"s future remains to be seen, yet this will not happen with Avengers: Doomsday thanks to the confirmed casting of two MCU legends.
Marvel Studios Has Never Made An Avengers Movie Without The Core Cast The New Avengers Are Being Overshadowed By The Old Close The challenge in question is that Marvel Studios has yet to make an Avengers movie without the original six actors, or at least, the majority of them. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner were the original six Avengers from 2012"s eponymous movie and appeared in all three sequels, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. After the latter, many hoped that the Multiverse Saga would usher in the New Avengers after the deaths or retirements of several of the original characters.
Related How Chris Evans Can Return In The MCU For Avengers: Doomsday After His Endgame Ending Chris Evans is returning to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday, and there are a few ways the actor"s mysterious new role could go after Avengers: Endgame.
Posts However, this did not come to fruition. Avengers: Doomsday will be the first Avengers movie since Endgame, with the return of Evans and RDJ meaning only Scarlett Johansson will be missing from the cast, given that Hemsworth"s Thor, Ruffalo"s Hulk, and Renner"s Hawkeye are all still active in the MCU. With the multiversal nature of the MCU at the moment, even Johansson could return as Evans and RDJ have been confirmed to.
It is worth noting that this is not necessarily disappointing. On the surface, the idea of Evans and RDJ returning as different versions of their iconic characters or new characters completely is incredibly compelling and could be excellent if handled correctly. Similarly, seeing the two interact with each other again on-screen - and their former Avengers allies - will be highly rewarding for longtime watchers of the MCU. That said, the reality that the MCU is yet to have an Avengers movie without the core cast puts more pressure on future installments.
Bringing Chris Evans & Robert Downey Jr Back For Avengers: Doomsday Means Avengers 6 Or 7 Will Be The First Without The Original Actors The Challenge Has Been Pushed Back Custom Image By Yeider Chacon The return of Evans and RDJ for Avengers: Doomsday means Avengers: Secret Wars or Avengers 7 will be the first not to feature the franchise"s original actors. Admittedly, Avengers 6 is unlikely to be this story given that it is expected to tie directly into Avengers: Doomsday. Furthermore, Avengers: Secret Wars is based on the titular comic book run that centered heavily on the character of Doctor Doom, who RDJ is playing. This, combined with the multiversal possibilities and the film"s status as a conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, makes it likely that the original six Avengers actors will appear.
Therefore, Avengers 7 - whenever that movie happens - is likely to be the first MCU installment without the original actors. This could mean that other MCU characters like Anthony Mackie"s Captain America, Brie Larson"s Captain Marvel, Tom Holland"s Spider-Man, or Benedict Cumberbatch"s Doctor Strange could come to the fore as leaders of the New Avengers. If this happens, it will at least be after the 2027 release of Avengers: Secret Wars, putting the impetus on a new team devoid of the original six actors and their iconic characters.
The MCU Has Delayed The Big Question Of Avengers: Doomsday For One Of The Series' NextInstallments Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook With that in mind, the big question of how Avengers movies will look without the cornerstone actors of the franchise has been delayed beyond Avengers: Doomsday. Many assumed this question would be answered in the original plan for Avengers 5, The Kang Dynasty, allowing Avengers: Secret Wars to be a blend of the old and new. However, the issues surrounding Kang actor Jonathan Majors saw The Kang Dynasty reworked into Avengers: Doomsday and the subsequent castings of the MCU"s iconic actors once again.
Phases 4 and 5 would have been the perfect place for Marvel to address this challenge and gauge audience reception to an Avengers movie focusing on a new lineup...
This has only delayed the question of how the franchise will fare without the likes of Evans, Downey Jr., Hemsworth, Renner, Johannson, and Ruffalo. Phases 4 and 5 would have been the perfect place for Marvel to address this challenge and gauge audience reception to an Avengers movie focusing on a new lineup. However, this proved not to be the case with Avengers: Doomsday only delaying the question further. It remains to be seen how Marvel answers the challenge, but we at least know it will not come in the immediate future.
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Avengers: Doomsday Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert DOwney Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
Release Date May 1, 2026

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