Marvel Studios has officially announced the ensemble cast for "Avengers: Doomsday", helmed by the dynamic directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo. The cinematic juggernaut is set to hit theatres on May 1, 2026, with its direct follow-up, "Avengers: Secret Wars", arriving a year later on May 7, 2027.

The grand reveal took place during a globally streamed event on Wednesday (March 26), igniting excitement among fans as a stellar lineup was introduced—bringing together legendary heroes from past "Avengers" and "X-Men" sagas, familiar faces from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", and fresh talent from the upcoming "Fantastic Four: First Step".

In a jaw-dropping twist during Marvel's livestream event, Robert Downey Jr made a surprise appearance—confirming his much-speculated return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). 

However, fans were left stunned when it was revealed he won't be reprising his role as Iron Man. Instead, Downey will take on a darker mantle: the iconic villain Victor Von Doom, aka Doctor Doom.

While the announcement electrified fans, it also sparked a flurry of speculation over several notable absences. Big names like Tom Holland (Spider-Man) and Chris Evans (the original Captain America) were nowhere to be found in the revealed lineup, leaving many wondering if their stories in the MCU have truly come to a close—or if Marvel is keeping secrets up its sleeve.

Confirmed cast revealed during Wednesday's livestream:

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman

Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes

Letitia Wright as Black Panther

Paul Rudd as Ant-Man

Wyatt Russell as John Walker

Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi

Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova

Kelsey Grammer as Beast

Lewis Pullman as Sentry

Danny Ramirez as Falcon

Joseph Quinn as Human Torch

David Harbour as Red Guardian

Winston Duke as M'Baku

Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Patrick Stewart as Professor X

Ian McKellen as Magneto

Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler

Rebecca Romijn as Mystique

James Marsden as Cyclops

Channing Tatum as Gambit

Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic

Major characters missing from the reveal:

Chris Evans (Steve Rogers)

Tom Holland (Peter Parker)

Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner)

Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff)

Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter)

Harrison Ford (General Thaddeus Ross)

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

Chris Pratt (Star-Lord)

Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury)

Martin Freeman (Everett K. Ross)

Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk)