Who Was NOT Announced For 'Avengers: Doomsday' (Yet)?

Marvel

Jul 12

Title card for the upcoming Avengers film. — Image Source: i.ytimg.com

Avengers assemble! Captain America, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow are considered the primary Avengers, the core of the group of superheroes. Over nearly two decades, Avengers have been lost to time, circumstance, and battles against various forces of evil. Given the recent expansions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the door is open for those heroes and villains to make their appearances memorable. As the ending of Thunderbolts* announced the arrival of the Fantastic Four, the Fantastic Four sets the scene for not only the titular superhero group, but also their villainous counterpart, Doctor Doom.

According to IMDB, the full cast has been announced. Not surprisingly, Marvel veterans such as Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, and Sir Patrick Stewart are returning as their respective characters (i.e. Thor, Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Loki, and Charles Xavier/Professor X). Additionally, Anthony Mackie will resume dawning the iconic Vibranium-metal alloy shield as Captain America and the cast of the latest Fantastic Four film (Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. What might be seen as the greatest surprise to fans of the Fantastic Four, and Marvel as a whole, is the return of one of the primary Marvel actors, Robert Downey Jr., not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom.

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The idea of the man who got the seal of approval from the late, great Stan Lee for his portrayal of Tony Stark wearing the iconic green cloak and mystical mask can be a bit of a shock, but not outside the realm of possibility. Considering how the MCU enjoys expanding its lore from comics while “still making stories their own”, character origin stories are not immune to alterations. According to GameRant, it’s “unclear” if Downey Jr. will play a “Tony Stark variant of Doom, or if he would simply be playing Victor von Doom.” Whether or not Doctor Doom will bear the name of Tony or Victor, Doctor Doom has the potential for Marvel to make his presence as impactful as Thanos's. Doctor Doom has made onscreen appearances before, but this latest appearance presents itself with Marvel leaning into the Demon in Armor storyline of Doctor Doom switching places with Tony Stark in an attempt to ruin his name.

Details of Avengers: Doomsday are “under wraps”. Within the full cast, there are more characters absent from the newest Avengers film. Notable absences include Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, but IGN also listed there being “no Spider-Man…no Hulk, no Hawkeye, no Nick Fury, no Rhodey….Not even Pepper Potts or Happy Hogan” on the Avengers side of Marvel characters. Meanwhile, on the X-Men side, there will be no Wolverine, no Storm, no Jean Grey, no Rogue, no Deadpool, Colossus, Iceman, or “any of the First Class incarnations of the X-Men.”

A timeline as intricate as the MCU has the responsibility of keeping a tight and cohesive story within the lives of the characters living among the timeline or timelines depicted. Alternate timelines face the same levels of scrutiny, if not more, from fans. Characters once killed reappearing, experimenting with time travel, and seeing the aftermath of their actions are par for the course. Given the absence of most of the core members of the Avengers and their adversaries, the weight of fan expectations for the actors to fill in the gaps is sky high. Nonetheless, Avengers films at their core center around a group of individuals with supernatural abilities facing the scrutiny of ordinary citizens.

Ordinary citizens have the power to determine whether or not a superhero gets the title. Perspective can change a good deed into a questionable act toward others. The lack of a notable hero coming in to save the day has the power in of itself to cause an uproar, but on the other side, the chance to prove oneself is present. Without the majority of the Avengers, it’s up to the Fantastic Four to not fill in those shoes, but for the actors portraying the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom to find their way into a large and welcoming family within the MCU.

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