Marvel Studios has assembled an impressive cast for Avengers: Doomsday, but there are several noteworthy omissions. Many of them will likely be included in the movie as surprises, while others are surely being saved for Avengers: Secret Wars.
The Russo Brothers are experts in handling huge ensembles, and few fans walked out of Infinity War and Endgame feeling unsatisfied over the amount of screentime the MCU's biggest names received.
So far, there's been no mention of Jeremy Renner reprising his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in either movie. We know that he turned down a lowball offer to return for Hawkeye Season 2, but there's surely no way that the founding Avenger doesn't show up to battle Doctor Doom, right?
In a new interview, Renner was asked if he's in the upcoming movies. "No. No," he said. "If they want to do [replace me with the Multiverse], they can go ahead by all means and do that [Laughs]. I'm pretty busy myself."
Avengers: Secret Wars is still a long way off from beginning production, and Doomsday still needs to have its scheduled reshoots. With that in mind, we wouldn't fully close the door on Renner's return as Hawkeye, even if he isn't in the movies right now.
The actor was also asked about that pay dispute and confirmed it wasn't "because of the snow plow incident." Renner explained, "They wanted to do Season 2, and they offered the amount to do [it]. Yeah, of course, I want to do it, but it's going to take a lot of physical work to get back into it and also just the timing because it would take a little bit more time for me physically to do the role."
"Maybe I wasn't ready last year," he added, leaving the door open to an MCU return. "Maybe it will happen in a year or two to come. I was still in recovery."
Hailee Steinfeld is expected to return as Kate Bishop/Hawkeye in Avengers: Doomsday, where she'll assemble alongside her fellow Young Avengers/Champions. Clint is semi-retired, so it shouldn't be too hard to explain his absence.
You can watch the full interview in the player below.
Avengers: Doomsday stars 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, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make their Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
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, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and Ryan Reynolds are also set to appear, according to recent reports from the trades.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie 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 is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.