Marvel Studios made some controversial choices with several characters in Phases 4 and 5 of theMCU, so these heroes deserve redemption inAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsmore than anyone else. In the wake ofAvengers: Endgameand the Infinity Saga’s conclusion, Marvel hit a bit of a lull, with the expansion into long-form projects on Disney+ meaning Marvel’s crew was stretched thinner. This drop in quality meant several brilliantMCU characters have recently been neglected and misused, but Marvel now has the perfect chance to solve this.
At the end of March, Marvel Studios confirmed the first27 actors that have been cast inAvengers: Doomsday, but this likely isn’t the full line-up, as some key MCU stars haven’t yet been mentioned. This includes some iconic characters that Marvel has recently failed, assome have been the subject of disappointing or poorly-received projects, such asSecret Invasion, Thor: Love and Thunder, The MarvelsandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. TheRusso brothers' upcoming crossover moviescan finally give these characters redemption in the MCU’s Phase 6.
8Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers Debuted In The MCU In Captain Marvel (2019)
Brie Larson made her first appearance asCarol Danvers in 2019’sCaptain Marvel, where she was revealed to have been empowered by the energy from the Space Stone, making her one of the MCU’s most important and powerful superheroes. She proved pivotal in defeating Thanos inAvengers: Endgame, but has been seriously neglected in the MCU since then.Larson has received a lot of unnecessary criticism ever since her casting as Captain Marvel, mostly aimed at her being the first female lead superhero in the MCU, which has unfortunately persisted in the Multiverse Saga.
All 10 Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Captain Marvel Could Return In
Following The Marvels, there are a few confirmed and rumored MCU projects in which Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel can make her return as a cosmic hero.
Brie Larson hasn’t yet been confirmed to be returning inAvengers: Doomsday, but after settling down on Earth and forming a close bond with Kamala Khan andMonica Rambeau in 2023’sThe Marvels, Captain Marvel’s inclusion in Phase 6 would make a lot of sense.The Marvels, despite being positively received by audiences, became the MCU’s lowest-grossing movie, which may have hurt Carol Danvers' future prospects. Captain Marvel is one of Marvel’s most formidable heroes, so it would be great to see her finally get the love and attention she deserves.
7Scott Lang’s Ant-Man
Scott Lang Debuted In The MCU In Ant-Man (2015)
After his 2015 debut and his 2018 sequel acted as welcome palate cleansers following epicAvengersmovies, 2023’sAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniadid not have the same impact for Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang.Paul Rudd has been confirmed to be returninginAvengers: Doomsday, meaningAnt-Man can get redemption afterQuantumaniafailed to capture what made the grounded, street-level character so exciting in the MCU’s Infinity Saga.Quantumaniatried to do too much with Ant-Man, butAvengers: DoomsdayandSecret Warscan bring him back to his roots.
Ant-Man has been a popular addition to the MCU over the last decade, so it was a shame thatQuantumanialet him down so severely.Avengers: Doomsdaywill surely reintroduce a very different version of Ant-Man, however, as it seems his connection to Hope van Dyne may be erased or altered, givenEvangeline Lilly’s retirement from acting. Currently,Scott Lang knows more about the concept of the multiverse than most other heroes, so he’ll surely prove helpful inDoomsday, just as he was inAvengers: Endgame, which creates the opportunity for him to get redeemed.
6Bruce Banner’s Hulk
Bruce Banner Debuted In The MCU In The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Even though film rights disputes between Marvel Studios and Universal Pictures have made it impossible forBruce Banner to appear in a solo moviesince 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk has still had a central role in the MCU. However, over the years, Bruce Banner has become the victim of nerfing, which occurs when a character is weakened over time.The Incredible HulkandThe Avengersdebuted an extremely powerful Hulk, but his trajectory has culminated in him becoming the comparatively-weak Smart HulkinEndgameandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
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It would be fantastic to see Mark Ruffalo become a savage, rageful and formidable Hulk again inAvengers: Doomsday, even though he hasn’t yet been confirmed to be returning.With no sign of a solo movie ever being produced for Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, it’s paramount that he gets significant development inDoomsday, Secret Warsand other crossover stories. Phase 4 arguably failed the Hulk, so the notable hero and founding member of the Avengers deserves a great deal of redemption in Phase 6, making him a key part of the MCU again.
5Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters Debuted In The MCU In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)
Similarly to her cousin, Bruce Banner, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters also did not get done justice in her Phase 4 debut.Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk is one of the most exciting and original superheroes introduced to the MCU in recent years, so it’s a shame that her 2022 debut inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwas overshadowed by lackluster visual effects. Now that Marvel’s VFX crews have unionized, however, and Marvel Studios has changed the way TV and movies are developed separately,She-Hulk can get a better designand stronger narrative inAvengers: Doomsday.
Tatiana Maslany has recently been speculated to be appearing inAvengers: Doomsday, following unconfirmed concept art and a suspected scheduling conflict, but this hasn’t yet been confirmed by Marvel Studios or Maslany herself.
Introduced in a legal comedy series, She-Hulk would benefit from showing off more of her serious sides inAvengers: Doomsday. This could even see her partner with her cousin, Bruce Banner, during battle againstRobert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, which would deliver some much-wanted Hulk action that the MCU has sorely been missing in recent years.Jennifer Walters is one of Marvel Comics' most important characters, so she deserves a return to the MCUand needs to be handled better than her Phase 4 series had the chance to do.
4Thor
Thor Debuted In The MCU In Thor (2011)
Despite being one of the MCU’s original heroes, introduced back in 2011’sThorand becoming a founding member of the Avengers in 2012, Marvel Studios has never really perfectedChris Hemsworth’s Thor. The classic, Shakespearean Thor from his 2011 debut and 2013’sThe Dark Worldbecame dull and lackluster, andwhile 2017’sThor: Ragnarokdelivered a comedic Thor with heart, to much praise, 2022’sThor: Love and Thundertook this too far. Chris Hemsworth was the first actor confirmed forAvengers: Doomsdayat March’s chair-laying ceremony, which creates the opportunity for Thor to be redeemed.
Avengers 5 & 6 Already Have The Perfect Way To Redeem Thor’s MCU Arc Before Thor 5
Thor: Love and Thunder’s poor reception raises expectations for Thor 5, but Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars could fix the God of Thunder first.
Thor: Love and Thunderwas poorly-received among MCU audiences, with many suggesting that the comedy was too overwhelming, made the God of Thunder too silly and ignored Thor’s emotional arc inInfinity WarandEndgame. The 2022 sequel ended with Thor adoptingGorr’s resurrected daughter, Love, which suggestshe could return alongside India Hemsworth’s Eternity-empowered hero inAvengers: Doomsday. It would be a shame for Thor to leave the MCU on such a low note, so hopefully he gets the justice he deserves.
3Nick Fury
Nick Fury Debuted In The MCU In Iron Man (2008)
2023’sSecret Invasionseries promised to giveSamuel L. Jackson’s Nick Furya strong debut solo project in the MCU by adapting one of Marvel Comics' most notable and memorable storylines, but this did not come to pass. The MCU’sSecret Invasionwas a dire disappointment at the start of Phase 5,not telling the globe-spanning, all-out-Skrull-invasion narrative from Marvel Comics that included most of Marvel’s superheroes, but rather telling a much more grounded story that simply felt a bit dull. This meant Nick Fury had very little to do, and was more-or-less unchanged by the end of the series.
Samuel L. Jackson’sNick Fury has been crucial to the MCUsince the very beginning, making his first appearance in the post-credits scene of 2008’sIron Man. Fury helped form the original Avengers team, and had a hand in motivating them inAge of Ultronand many other projects, so it’s important that he becomes a powerful and influential figure again inAvengers: DoomsdayandSecret Wars.It would be amazing to see Jackson announced to be returning, bringing his long-running MCU story full-circle and giving him much-needed attentionafterSecret InvasionandThe Marvelsfailed to.
2Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff Debuted In The MCU In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch might have met her demise in 2022’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but there have been many theories and a great deal of speculation suggesting she’ll still return in the MCU’s future.Wanda Maximoff is perhaps the most powerful character in the MCU, andWandaVisionandAgatha All Alongmade her one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. This means it’s essential thatOlsen returns as the Scarlet Witch, and Marvel now has the perfect story that can be explored in Phase 6 if she comes back.
Elizabeth Olsen will be voicing the zombified Scarlet Witch in 2025’s upcomingMarvel Zombiesseries, but it’s unclear when or if she’ll return to live-action.
For several decades in Marvel Comics, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were the twin children of Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto. Ian McKellen has now been confirmed to be returning asMagneto from 20th Century Fox’sX-MenfranchiseinAvengers: Doomsday, andit would be fantastic to see him team up with Elizabeth Olsen and perhaps Aaron Taylor-Johnson (or Evan Peters) as his mutant children from Earth-10005. There are hopes that Wanda Maximoff’s return could turn her back into a hero, rather than the villain she became inMultiverse of Madness, but only time will tell.
1Eternals
The Eternals Debuted In The MCU In Eternals (2021)
2021’sEternalsreceived criticism upon its Phase 4 release, and became one of the MCU’s lowest-rated projects yet. While the Chloé Zhao spectacular has received more retrospective admiration recently, the poor reception toEternalsmay have prompted Marvel Studios to ignore the titular cosmic team in future MCU projects.The Eternals have only reappeared in the animatedWhat If…?series, but not in live-action, even though the possibilities to explore the team’s history, superpowers, relationships and future are practically endless, and they’d prove crucial in taking on Doctor Doom inDoomsdayandSecret Wars.
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It would be a mistake for Marvel Studios to just ignore that the Eternals exist, even though the opportunity may be there now that all of the cosmic team are actually off-Earth.Captain America: Brave New Worldrevisited Celestial Island, butAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warshave the chance to introduce the Eternals to the MCU’s other heroes and make them much more important. It would be great to see each member of the Eternals get the development they deserve, perhaps even setting up a possibleEternalssequel in the MCU’s future.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom - played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars is an anticipated installment in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as the finale of The Multiverse Saga. Scheduled for release in December 2027, the film’s plot remains under wraps, fueling curiosity about its role in the expansive Marvel narrative.
