6 Marvel Stars Missing From Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel is lining up Avengers: Doomsday like a victory lap: Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans are back, the Russo brothers are back, and it is being pitched as a massive crossover meant to reset the MCU’s future. Big swing, big expectations. Also, not everyone is hopping back into Earth-616 for this one, and a handful of fan favorites have already said a hard no. Let’s set the table and then run through who is out.

Quick refresher: what Doomsday is

Avengers: Doomsday is directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, produced by Marvel Studios and AGBO, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is currently dated for December 18, 2026.

Who already said they are not in it

• Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis) — First showed up in Thor (2011), last popped in for a quick cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). When Entertainment Tonight asked about Doomsday, she actually had to ask "What’s Doomsday?" Not promising. Then she spelled it out: "I’m in the universe... but I am not in it. And I’m telling you right now, I’m not in it. If I were in it, which I’m not, I couldn’t tell you, but I literally am not." Hard to get clearer than that.
• Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) — This should not be shocking post-Endgame, but the speculation never dies. In 2025, she told Vanity Fair that Natasha’s story is done, and that bringing her back would undercut it.

  "It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity returning would make sense for me, for the character that I play. I miss my buddies and really would love to be with them forever, but what works about the character is that her story is complete. I don’t want to mess with that. For fans too—it’s important for them."

  She doubled down to Interview Magazine in June 2025: "If I come back from the dead, then half the world’s population dies. Didn’t you see Endgame for Christ’s sake?" So, yeah, do not hold your breath.
• Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) — After his serious accident in January 2023, Renner has been laser-focused on recovery and easing back into work. Asked on The Breakfast Club (Power 105.1 FM) if he is in Doomsday, he said, "No, damn. No." When they joked about a multiverse Hawkeye replacing him, he shrugged it off: "If they want to do that, they can go ahead. By all means, you can do that. I’m pretty busy myself." Last time we saw Clint was the Hawkeye series on Disney+ in late 2021.
• Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil) — He finally got the red suit properly back in Daredevil: Born Again (with some familiar Netflix faces returning). Fans assumed he might slide into Doomsday, but he says no. Speaking to Collider about the cast reveal, he joked about the missing nameplate: the way he hears things is "the same way that it gets to everyone else… Someone sent me the link. I looked for my name. It’s not there." When a TikTok fan asked him point-blank if he was in it, he answered "No" (via Cosmic Book News). On the bright side, Born Again season 2 is set for March 04, and season 3 is already in development.
• Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch) — Wanda was last seen bringing a mountain down on herself in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which left her status... complicated. There have been endless rumors, but Olsen told The Playlist she has no idea when or if Wanda returns. "I’ve been really proud of what we’ve been able to make. Really proud. But I don’t have an answer for that." When told fans expect her in Doomsday, she essentially said she cannot promise anything: "I want to see her return... I just have no idea how or when, for sure."
• Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) — After No Way Home, the internet has begged for more Andrew (and Tobey). Garfield, doing GQ’s undercover fan questions, shut the door as hard as he could: "No. Unequivocally, f---ing, no." Does anyone fully believe him after the last time he denied a Spider-Man cameo? That’s between you and your trust issues.

So that’s six familiar faces who say they are not suiting up for Avengers: Doomsday. Could some of them pop up in Secret Wars instead? Maybe. For now, take the denials at face value and plan on the big reunion happening without them. Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18, 2026.