The Avengers: Doomsday Cast Reveal Totally Spoils Marvel's Thunderbolts

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is approaching another big moment. While the post-"Avengers: Endgame" slate has been a little uneven, the Multiverse Saga has delivered some major developments. But it's all coming to a close sooner rather than later. The beginning of the end kicks off next year with "Avengers: Doomsday," with Marvel Studios having just unveiled the entire cast of the film. The cast reveal itself was a long, drawn out affair, but now we know who the key players will be. And with that, we've also had some significant happenings (or lack thereof) regarding this summer's "Thunderbolts*" spoiled already.

We're not going to give a big spoiler warning here since the brass at Marvel Studios put this all out on front street. "Doomsday" will see the return of Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, and Lewis Pullman's Sentry, among others. All of these characters are also set to be key members of the team in "Thunderbolts*." That being the case, we now know the stakes are quite a bit lower for certain players heading into that movie's theatrical release this upcoming May.

This is certainly not the first time something like this has happened. Marvel and Sony had to market "Spider-Man: Far From Home," which concluded Phase 3 of the MCU, well before "Endgame" hit theaters. It's just the nature of having such a massive multi-media franchise with multiple, individual properties within it that are all dependent on one another. Secrets can only be kept for so long. Still, times like these are a reminder of why that isn't always an asset.

The fact of the matter is that the MCU has a tricky relationship with death. Much like in the comics that inspire these movies, few of the MCU characters that die actually stay dead. It's just the nature of the beast. Still, knowing that crucial players in "Thunderbolts*" are going to be safe does take something away from the proceedings. That's particularly true in the case of Sentry, a very powerful being from the pages of Marvel Comics, and the not-so-secret threat at the heart of the movie.

Up to this point, Marvel has kept the plot of director Jake Schreier's "Thunderbolts*" pretty tightly under wraps. We know that it will see a bunch of not-so-heroic figures and villains from the MCU teaming up to take on a mission that is a little too dirty for the likes of the Avengers. It's not unlike DC's "Suicide Squad." But that's about all we know for sure. So, there are surely going to be some twists and turns in store, and not everyone will make it out alive. In fact, some fans are already convinced one "Thunderbolts*" character is doomed. We'll see how that shakes out.

As for "Doomsday," the film will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed "Infinity War" and "Endgame." They're also due to helm "Secret Wars," which will arrive in 2027. Robert Downey Jr. is similarly returning, but this time as the wicked Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man. One imagines as the Multiverse Saga comes to a close, plenty of surprises will be thrown our way. Be that as it may, "Thunderbolts*" still had to take something of a bullet here to allow the Marvel marketing machine to march forth. Could this reveal not have waited until after the movie hit theaters? Apparently not.

"Thunderbolts*" premieres theatrically on May 2, 2025.