Marvel Unveils ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast; 'X-Men' And 'Fantastic Four' Stars Join Project

Avengers: Endgame shattered box-office records and brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a dramatic turning point. Six years later, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are assembling once more.

During a nearly five-and-a-half-hour livestream, Marvel Studios revealed the star-studded cast of Avengers: Doomsday, a crossover event that brings together MCU veterans, members of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, and the newly introduced Fantastic Four.

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The announcement confirmed the return of Robert Downey Jr., but not as Iron Man—this time, he steps into the role of the formidable Doctor Doom.

Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor DoomGetty Images

The ensemble includes longtime Marvel stalwarts such as Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Danny Ramirez (The Falcon), and Winston Duke (M’Baku).

The upcoming anti-hero team film Thunderbolts was also well represented, with Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), and Lewis Pullman (Sentry) also joining the fight.

The announcement marked a major shift for the MCU by integrating actors from Fox’s X-Men universe, including Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique). They will be joined by X2: X-Men United’s Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and X-Men: The Last Stand’s Kelsey Grammer (Beast), the latter of whom made a cameo in The Marvels. Also making his MCU debut is Channing Tatum, reprising his role as Gambit (who we first saw in last year's Deadpool & Wolverine) after a planned standalone project never materialised.

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Meanwhile, the newly cast Fantastic Four—Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (The Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Joseph Quinn (The Human Torch)—are also set to appear.

One of the most unexpected reveals was the return of Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor (K'uk'ulkan), despite previous allegations of sexual misconduct in 2023, which he has denied as "false and completely unsubstantiated." Huerta had withdrawn from a Netflix project amid the controversy but later attended the premiere of Echo, signaling that his relationship with Marvel Studios remained intact.

While the livestream introduced 26 actors, sources indicate the full cast has yet to be revealed, with further announcements expected in the coming months.

Downey’s return to Marvel comes under dramatically different circumstances. The actor, who led the franchise as Tony Stark for over a decade, left the MCU after Endgame, marking Iron Man’s death. Marvel first announced Avengers: Doomsday at San Diego Comic-Con last year, surprising fans with the revelation that Downey would be playing Doctor Doom, one of the most iconic villains in comic book history.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for May 7, 2027.