Avengers: Doomsday already features a massive cast, but we're still expecting plenty of massive surprises. However, it seems inevitable that not every character will get a full-blown story arc in the movie, with some surely relegated to "cameo" status.
With that in mind, there are concerns among fans that certain heroes and villains will pop up for the sake of it, especially with the Multiverse and Variants in play.
Talking to Esquire, Thunderbolts* star Lewis Pullman—who reprises his role in Avengers: Doomsday as The Sentry—dismissed the notion of this movie being little more than a cameo fest.
"It’s going back to the serum of the human archetypes that our art is built off of," the actor explained. "Every character has their moment that builds the dimensions of them. The Russo brothers did that so well. They do not want anyone just sitting in the background. They really took to heart the responsibility of having some of the best actors in the world all together."
"There’s a lot of really exciting pair-ups that happen. A lot of fans will be really excited. It’s so fun to dream about. What if A and B would work together? Would B and D would work together? You get to see a lot of those fantasies come into fruition," Pullman teased.
Taking that one step further, he compared Avengers: Doomsday to ancient epics. However, realising he might have shared too much, Pullman added, "Talking about Marvel is always such a funny dance of saying nothing while still words are coming out of your mouth."
The Sentry is expected to have a major role in the next Avengers movie, and Thunderbolts* left him in a compelling place where Bob is afraid to access his powers for fear of unleashing The Void. That sounds like something Doctor Doom might take advantage of, eh?
In related news, a familiar Avengers: Secret Wars rumour is doing the rounds on social media...
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, and India Rose Hemsworth all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum. The trades have pointed to Ryan Reynolds and Hayley Atwell also appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to help.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.