Avengers Shake-Up: Beloved MCU Star Confirms No Return for Doomsday

written by Leo Hartwell

January 9, 2026 5:28 am

Avengers Shake-Up: Beloved MCU Star Confirms No Return for Doomsday — Image credit: Legion-Media

A beloved MCU star has ruled out a return in Avengers: Doomsday, now in post-production under Joe and Anthony Russo and hitting U.S. theaters later this year, with Avengers: Secret Wars to follow in 2027.

File this under news that makes sense but still needed saying: one familiar MCU face is not popping up in Avengers: Doomsday.

So, who is sitting this one out?

Kat Dennings, aka Darcy Lewis from the Thor corner of the universe, told Entertainment Tonight she is not in Doomsday. She was very clear about it, in the way Marvel actors usually can't be.

"I am not in it. I mean, I am not in it. If I were in it, which I’m not, I couldn’t tell you, but I literally am not. I’m sure they already filmed it. I was here. I’m not in it."

That tracks. Darcy has never been part of an Avengers lineup, and Doomsday is already packed to the rafters. Still, there is one small wrinkle worth flagging.

The digital curveball

Dennings mentioned Marvel has 'scanned' her before. For the uninitiated, that means they captured her likeness so VFX wizards can recreate her digitally if needed. Studios do this a lot with franchise regulars, and it does not automatically mean a cameo is coming. Could they slip Darcy into a crowd shot or a blink-and-miss-it moment? Technically, sure. Practically, do not hold your breath. Dennings made it sound very unlikely.

Where we have seen Darcy (and the wild animated detour)

Thor (2011): Darcy debuts as Jane Foster's snarky assistant.
Thor: The Dark World (2013): Back for more fish-out-of-water lab chaos.
WandaVision (2021): Key player in the Westview investigation.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022): A brief but welcome check-in.
What If...? episodes: Yes, including the one where she marries Howard the Duck and has his child. That happened.

The Doomsday rundown

Avengers: Doomsday is in post-production with Joe and Anthony Russo steering the ship, and it hits U.S. theaters on December 18, 2026. The follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, is slated for December 17, 2027. Given how massive Doomsday's ensemble already is, Darcy sitting this one out is not surprising, just now official.

Note: Dennings' comments came via Entertainment Tonight; the initial trade pickup was by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.