Most Anticipated Avengers: Doomsday Characters

#2 Steve Rogers / Captain America

Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers instantly changes the emotional weight of Avengers: Doomsday. Steve appeared to complete his story in Avengers: Endgame when he returned the Infinity Stones and chose a life with Peggy Carter.

His return creates enormous questions. Is this the same Steve Rogers, a different point in his timeline or something created by the multiverse?

Putting Steve Rogers in the same movie as a Doctor Doom played by Robert Downey Jr. also gives Marvel an opportunity to play with the history audiences already have with two of the MCU's most important actors.

#3 Magneto

Ian McKellen returning as Magneto is one of the most exciting connections between Avengers: Doomsday and the original X-Men movie era.

Magneto is more than another powerful mutant. His complicated relationship with Professor X and his willingness to protect mutantkind at almost any cost could make him unpredictable when the X-Men encounter heroes from other universes.

Seeing McKellen's Magneto interact with characters such as Doctor Doom, Thor and the Avengers is the kind of crossover that once seemed impossible.

#4 Cyclops

James Marsden's return as Cyclops may finally give Scott Summers another opportunity to demonstrate why he is one of the X-Men's most important leaders.

The original X-Men movies often placed Wolverine at the centre of the story, leaving Cyclops with less development than his comic-book counterpart. Avengers: Doomsday creates an opportunity to change that.

With the X-Men colliding with other Marvel teams, Scott's leadership and devastating optic blasts could finally receive the showcase fans have wanted for years.

#5 Loki

Few returning characters create more questions than Loki. His journey has transformed him from the villain of The Avengers into one of the most important figures connected to the MCU multiverse.

That makes his presence in Avengers: Doomsday particularly significant. A threat capable of placing multiple universes on a collision course feels exactly like the type of crisis that could involve Loki.

His reunion with Thor is another moment fans have been waiting years to see.

#6 Thor

Chris Hemsworth is one of the longest-serving stars still active in the MCU, and Thor remains one of its most powerful heroes.

After battling Loki, Ultron, Hela, Thanos and Gorr, Doctor Doom presents an entirely different kind of opponent. Doom combines extraordinary intelligence, technology and power in ways that brute strength alone may not overcome.

Thor also has unfinished emotional business with Loki, making their potential reunion almost as exciting as his confrontation with Doom.

#7 Mister Fantastic

Reed Richards and Doctor Doom have one of Marvel Comics' defining rivalries, making Mister Fantastic potentially central to Avengers: Doomsday.

Reed's intelligence makes him one of the few characters capable of challenging Doom intellectually rather than simply trying to overpower him. That relationship gives the Fantastic Four a natural reason to sit at the centre of the story.

Pedro Pascal's Reed interacting with the Avengers and X-Men also marks another major step in integrating Marvel's First Family into the wider MCU.

#8 Professor X

Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier helped launch the modern X-Men movie era, making his return another major moment for long-time Marvel fans.

Professor X brings abilities that are very different from the Avengers' traditional powerhouses. His telepathy and leadership could become particularly important in a story involving multiple universes and competing groups of heroes.

The return of both Xavier and Magneto also restores one of Marvel cinema's greatest relationships.

#9 Gambit

Channing Tatum finally getting to play Gambit became one of the biggest surprises of Deadpool & Wolverine after years of attempting to bring his own Gambit movie to the screen.

Avengers: Doomsday means that appearance was not simply a one-off joke. Gambit is returning alongside several established X-Men characters, giving Tatum another opportunity to develop his version of Remy LeBeau.

After the response to his first appearance, seeing Gambit fighting alongside the X-Men is easily one of Doomsday's most anticipated prospects.

#10 Sentry

Sentry is one of the most powerful characters introduced into the recent MCU and could become an enormous factor in a battle against Doctor Doom.

His extraordinary abilities make Lewis Pullman's character very different from the more grounded members of the Thunderbolts. The real question is not simply how powerful Sentry is, but whether that power can be relied upon when the stakes become multiversal.

Putting Sentry on the same battlefield as Thor, Doctor Doom and some of Marvel's most powerful mutants could finally reveal where he sits among the MCU's strongest characters.

#11 Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi became one of the most exciting new heroes of the post-Endgame MCU, but fans have waited to see him properly interact with the wider Avengers roster.

Avengers: Doomsday finally provides that opportunity. The mysterious Ten Rings could also become particularly interesting in a story dealing with powerful technology and threats from beyond the normal MCU.

Seeing Shang-Chi fight alongside established Avengers is a moment that has been building since his debut.

#12 Black Panther

Letitia Wright's Shuri returns as Black Panther, bringing Wakanda into another enormous Marvel crossover.

Shuri offers an unusual combination of intelligence, advanced Wakandan technology and enhanced abilities. With Doctor Doom traditionally associated with the technologically advanced nation of Latveria, the meeting of Wakanda and Doom has enormous potential.

Her interactions with characters from the Fantastic Four and X-Men could also help establish what the MCU looks like beyond the original Avengers.

The X-Men Are Finally Meeting the Avengers

For years, an Avengers and X-Men crossover existed almost entirely as a fan dream. Avengers: Doomsday is finally bringing characters from the two movie franchises together.

Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Beast, Nightcrawler and Mystique are among the returning mutant characters, while Gambit continues his unexpected Marvel comeback.

Their involvement makes the X-Men one of the biggest reasons to be excited about Doomsday, particularly because the movie can explore what happens when heroes from different universes do not immediately see each other as allies.

The Fantastic Four vs Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom without the Fantastic Four would be missing one of the relationships that defines the character. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm are all returning for Avengers: Doomsday.

The history between Reed and Victor is particularly important. Their rivalry combines science, ego, friendship and hatred, potentially giving Doomsday a much more personal conflict than simply assembling heroes against another powerful villain.

Which Avengers: Doomsday Characters Are Confirmed?

The confirmed cast spans several generations of Marvel movies. Returning Avengers include Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Winter Soldier, Loki and Shang-Chi.

The Fantastic Four are represented by Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing, while Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost and Sentry bring the Thunderbolts into the crossover.

The returning X-Men characters include Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Beast, Mystique and Nightcrawler, with Gambit also returning. Robert Downey Jr. leads the conflict as Doctor Doom.

Could More Marvel Characters Still Appear?

With Avengers: Doomsday built around multiple Marvel universes, surprise appearances remain one of the biggest sources of speculation surrounding the movie.

Until Marvel officially confirms additional characters or they appear in released footage, however, rumours should be treated separately from the confirmed cast. That distinction will become increasingly important as the movie approaches release.