Dark MCU Theory Explains 2 Major Marvel Heroes Missing Avengers: Doomsday

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A fresh theory for the Marvel Cinematic Universe suggests a compelling reason why two significant allies of Ant-Man won’t appear in the 2026 crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday, following recent updates. Although Paul Rudd was confirmed to reprise his role as Scott Lang (Ant-Man) alongside 26 other actors in Doomsday at the end of March 2025, several MCU veterans have yet to be included in the Phase 6 movie lineup. Among those absent are two key figures from the Ant-Man series, who have recently announced their retirement from acting, casting doubt on the future of their Marvel characters.

Over the past year, both Evangeline Lilly (as Hope van Dyne) and Michael Douglas (as Hank Pym) have announced their retirement from acting, leading me to speculate that they might not be part of the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday”. This could potentially cause a conundrum for Marvel Studios when addressing their absence, given they survived the events of 2023’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”. However, a theory circulating on Reddit offers an intriguing solution. The theory goes that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom might swiftly eliminate Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne to demonstrate his power in a hurry.

Could it be that Doctor Doom had already killed Hank Pym and Hope before Doomsday’s events? Because we all know that both Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily have retired from acting, so it would explain the reason behind their absence in Doomsday.
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In June 2024, Evangeline Lilly expressed her plans to take a break from acting on an Instagram post, hinting at a potential future return to Hollywood. More recently, in July 2025, Michael Douglas stated that he has no immediate plans to resume acting. Notably, neither Lilly nor Douglas have officially announced retirement; instead, they’ve left the possibility open for a comeback. This ambiguity fuels speculation that they might make an appearance for a brief scene in “Avengers: Doomsday,” where their characters, Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym, meet a tragic end at the hands of Doctor Doom.

Previously, Michael Douglas suggested that Hank Pym could die in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’, but later mentioned he’d return for ‘Ant-Man 4’ only if Pym met his end (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter). However, it’s uncertain whether this will happen in ‘Ant-Man 4’. Instead, Pym’s demise might occur in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, setting the stage for Doctor Doom as a formidable adversary. Killing Evangeline Lilly’s character, Hope van Dyne (the Wasp), could provide Scott Lang with strong motivation to confront Robert Downey Jr.’s new villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The comeback of Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU is greatly looked forward to, and the arrival of Doctor Doom could mean that some well-known characters will meet their end. In the movies Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Heimdall, Gamora, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Tony Stark (Iron Man) all sacrificed themselves. In the upcoming movie Avengers: Doomsday, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne might be next to face such a fate. This could provide more depth to Scott Lang, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne, and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang, serving as an appropriate way to acknowledge the retirements of Douglas and Lilly.

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2025-07-18 19:10