Marvel Studios Is Still Hiding MCU’s Most Important Characters In Avengers: Doomsday (But Why)

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Marketing for the new movie, Avengers: Doomsday, has begun, but Marvel Studios hasn’t revealed much about its main characters yet. This film will be the epic conclusion to the five-year-long story arc known as the Multiverse Saga, arriving in eight months. The directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed the hit Avengers: Endgame in 2019, are back to bring all the different storylines together. Fans will also be excited to see familiar actors returning, including Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. in a surprising new role as Doctor Doom, after his iconic eleven-year portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Marketing for Avengers: Doomsday began in late 2025 with a short teaser revealing Chris Evans’ return. More brief clips highlighting other characters followed. Marvel Studios showed a trailer at CinemaCon 2026, offering a larger look at the heroes battling Doctor Doom. Interestingly, key figures from the Multiverse Saga, like Loki and Doctor Strange, haven’t appeared in any of the promotional material so far.

Why Loki & Doctor Strange Are The Multiverse Saga’s Most Important Characters

Although Avengers: Doomsday immediately followed Avengers: Endgame, it might have seemed like the groundwork laid for the Multiverse Saga was pointless. However, that’s not true. The upcoming big event still focuses on the idea of the multiverse, which is a key part of the overall story. While not every story will directly connect to the movie, events from projects like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and both seasons of Loki will likely be essential to Marvel Studios’ plans for the next Avengers film.

Both shows introduced the idea of alternate realities and timelines within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because of this, their main characters are likely to be key players in the upcoming battle against Doctor Doom. They not only know the multiverse exists, but they’ve also personally traveled between different realities – something most of the MCU is unaware of. It’s therefore vital that Doctor Strange and Loki connect with the Avengers to strategize against this new, serious danger.

Marvel Studios was able to hint at Thanos’s arrival for years before he finally appeared in Avengers: Infinity War. Despite Tony Stark’s warnings, the heroes still lost. The current Multiverse Saga doesn’t have that kind of lead time, so the filmmakers need to carefully integrate Loki and Doctor Strange into the story, considering they’ve both been isolated in different parts of the universe.

Wanda might also deserve a spot on this list, even though she was seemingly killed off. It’s uncertain if Marvel will bring her back – there’s a lot of fan speculation that she’s still alive. If she did survive the events at Mount Wundagore, it’s likely we’ll see her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Doomsday Marketing Hiding Loki & Doctor Strange Makes Sense

From a marketing standpoint, it was smart to begin promoting Avengers: Doomsday with Chris Evans as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, they’re the most recognizable faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the complicated nature of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios needed to generate excitement and remind fans why they love these movies, and bringing back beloved actors and characters was the perfect way to do that. The clip featuring the X-Men sparked nostalgia, particularly seeing Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Professor X and Magneto. Meanwhile, the scene of Shuri and the Wakandans meeting the Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm not only highlighted the next generation of MCU heroes but also gave a thrilling preview of the character combinations we can expect in Avengers: Doomsday.

While Marvel hasn’t revealed much of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom yet, despite a brief appearance in the CinemaCon trailer, Disney is effectively leveraging his popularity to promote the film. He’s been heavily involved in marketing, appearing at SDCC 2024 and CinemaCon 2026, as well as doing interviews and using his social media. Currently, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch haven’t participated in any promotional activities for Avengers: Doomsday. Interestingly, Loki was confirmed as being in the film through the official production announcement, but Doctor Strange wasn’t – although rumors suggest he will appear.

Given the positive response to the Avengers: Doomsday trailer and the current marketing buzz, Marvel Studios doesn’t need to push the film as hard as they usually do. People are already excited, so they can return to their more subtle marketing approach – similar to how they built anticipation for Avengers: Endgame by slowly revealing details. They can create that same level of excitement for Avengers: Doomsday without being overly aggressive. Plus, they still have time to feature Doctor Strange and Loki in their promotional materials if they choose to.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

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2026-04-30 19:14