Avengers: Doomsday Could Sideline 5 MCU Heavyweights — Will Captain Marvel Be One of Them?

Marvel rolled out the official Avengers: Doomsday cast during a March 2025 livestream, and the omissions were loud. A bunch of marquee names never showed up on that list. Now that Doomsday is filming in the UK, the rumor mill is doing what it does best. Some of it is plausible, some of it is wishful thinking, and a few bits feel like the kind of industry-side hinting that gets fans revved up without actually confirming anything.

Brie Larson might be playing coy (again)

Captain Marvel is not on the official Doomsday cast. That said, Brie Larson just posted a very on-the-nose tease on Instagram: sketches of Captain Marvel that spell out 'DANVERS' with a second piece that reads 'AVENGE.' This follows a recent bit of social media vagueness about a 'new chapter' in her career. Given the timing and the fact that Doomsday is shooting right now in the UK, fans have connected the dots. Is that definitive? No. Is it the kind of nudge Marvel actors use when they can’t actually say anything? Pretty much.

Five big no-shows who still might crash the party

1. Captain America (Chris Evans)
   Chris Evans wasn’t on the March livestream cast reveal, which tracks with how the MCU wrapped Steve Rogers’ story. Still, the door doesn’t feel fully closed. While promoting his new movie 'Sacrifice,' Evans showed up noticeably bulked up, which the internet immediately filed under 'superhero shape.' Not proof, but it’s enough to keep the speculation alive.

2. Spider-Man (Tom Holland)
   Tom Holland’s absence stirred the most noise. After 'No Way Home' wiped Peter Parker from everyone’s memory, Marvel could plausibly sit him out for story reasons. But there’s a fresh rumor to chew on: on Oct 10, 2025, scooper DanielRPK (via the Cosmic Marvel account on X) said a Spider-Man will appear in 'Avengers: Doomsday.' Emphasis on 'a' — not necessarily Holland — but fans are already dreaming up a Tom Holland vs. Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom face-off. If that’s what they’re building to, expect security-level secrecy.

3. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)
   Mark Ruffalo wasn’t in the mega-lineup either, which bummed out anyone hoping for at least one more OG Avenger smash. The buzz from industry watchers is that Hulk could still factor in somewhere. If he doesn’t, that leaves only Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as the returning Phase One veterans on the board.

4. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)
   This one’s messy. Cumberbatch previously hinted he’d be in Doomsday, then told Business Insider he’ll actually be back in the next film — meaning not Doomsday. When pressed by Omelete about the cast reveal snub, he answered with a wink:

   'Who knows?... Maybe they just didn’t have enough chairs.'

   For context, Strange’s last sighting was that 'Multiverse of Madness' post-credits tag, heading off with Clea to fix the incursions he helped cause. If he’s benched here, it likely means Marvel is keeping his multiverse lane running parallel until the follow-up.

5. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris)
   'The Marvels' ended with Monica using her new powers to stitch up Dar-Benn’s interdimensional tear — and getting stranded in another universe for her trouble. In the post-credits tag, she wakes up where Maria Rambeau is alive and Beast (Kelsey Grammer) is waiting, which pretty clearly points to the X-Men timeline. Parris isn’t on the Doomsday cast sheet, but with most of the X-Men confirmed for the movie, leaving Monica out would be… odd. Fans also clocked a recent Instagram Story that looked like a sly nod toward a surprise appearance.

The takeaway

Marvel’s official list is what it is, but the studio is famous for keeping cameos and third-act reveals off the books. Between Larson’s not-so-subtle tease, the Spider-Man chatter, and Cumberbatch’s cagey comments, there’s plenty of smoke even if we don’t see the fire yet. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters worldwide on December 18, 2026. Place your bets now on who actually shows up — and who Marvel is saving for the next one.