9 Marvel Actors Who Denied Being In Avengers: Doomsday (But They Might Be Lying)

As the cast for Avengers: Doomsday gets the movie ready for its 2026 release, more than a handful of Marvel veterans have tried to convince fans they are not in the movie. For Marvel Studios' first Avengers movie since 2019, the studio is pulling out all the stops, already including over two dozen massive names from both the MCU and past Marvel films. However, that is only the tip of the multiversal iceberg, if rumors and reports are to be believed.

Nine past Marvel actors who fans think will be in Avengers: Doomsday have denied being cast in the film. Bringing together multiple generations of Marvel legends, this film is expected to outdo all of its predecessors in terms of the sheer number of cast members involved. With fans already imagining all of the different names that could do battle with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, there are still countless other potential options to join that fight.

Every Actor Denying a Role in Avengers: Doomsday

Chris Evans

In December 2024, Deadline reported that Chris Evans was set to come back to the MCU for a role in Avengers: Doomsday, but there was no indication of who he would play. Rumors hinted that he could revisit the Nomad version of Steve Rogers after going back in time to be with Peggy Carter at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but there has been no official discussion of his inclusion in the film yet.

To that point, Evans has avoided talking about his reported comeback when asked. About two months after the initial reports teased his return, he offered the following quote to Esquire through current Captain America star Anthony Mackie:

"That's not true, though. This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years — ever since 'Endgame.' I've just stopped responding to it. Yeah, no — happily retired!"

Evans has already kept one MCU comeback secret, joining a massive cast of Marvel legends for a return as Johnny Storm in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Seeing him keep an even bigger secret for a possible Doomsday return would be no surprise, although fans will have to wait for more news on the matter to find out if he is lying.

Halle Berry

Included in Marvel Studios' initial cast announcement were six actors known for their roles in 20th Century Fox's original X-Men saga, including Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto). During the live stream and after it, fans were hoping to see Halle Berry's Ororo Monroe (Storm), an Omega-level mutant with the power to control and manipulate weather to her will.

Black Girl Nerds expressed their desire to see Storm in Doomsday at CinemaCon 2025, to which she responded, "Keep waiting. Not gonna be there." After seeing Storm play such a vital role alongside the X-Men in both X-Men '97 and the original Fox X-Men saga, not having her join the team next to the Avengers would be quite a disappointment. The hope is that she will be in the next round of announcements for the cast, with fans eager to see whether Berry is being truthful about the matter.

Charlie Cox

Charlie Cox is in the midst of a massive MCU comeback; Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again recently finished its run on Disney+, and Cox is now deep into filming for Season 2 ahead of its March 2026 debut. Rumors also indicated that he may be in line to take his talents back to the big screen with a role in Avengers: Doomsday after first appearing in theaters in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Despite this, Cox has denied being part of the MCU's fifth Avengers movie, one instance coming as recently as late June. Signing autographs at Washington State Summer Con 2025, a fan asked him if he was in Doomsday, to which he shook his head and said, "No," while smiling. Should Cox end up being in the film, it would be Daredevil's first appearance in a massive Marvel team-up movie, which many fans are anxious to see happen.

Scarlett Johansson

Not included in the original Doomsday cast announcement was one of the MCU's OG Avengers, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, a veteran of nine previous Marvel Studios films. Although her character was tragically killed off in Avengers: Endgame, fans remained hopeful that a multiversal version of the Russian assassin would rejoin her team in this new movie.

In an InStyle article released the same day as the Doomsday announcement video, Johansson hoped to quell any fan hopes of seeing her return to the MCU. Making it clear that "Natasha is dead," she also told her audience that they would have to "let it go" and let Natasha "have her hero moment." Fans remain hopeful that she will join the movie in some form, particularly after starring in all four of the first Avengers movies leading up to Black Widow's death in Avengers: Endgame.

Lauren Ridloff

Deaf star Lauren Ridloff had an impact on the MCU with her role in Eternals as Makkari, the team's speedster, as the group made their debut in 2021. Although the team has not been seen or heard from in the last four years, fans remain hopeful that their services will be utilized as part of the extensive number of heroes already confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.

Speaking exclusively with The Direct, Ridloff said an appearance for Makkari in Doomsday was "not likely," noting that she did not know what would happen for her. Even with the Eternals' future being so unclear, many are hoping to see them in Doomsday, especially with the MCU not having an active speedy hero like Makkari being utilized right now.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

First appearing early in Phase 4, Julia Louis-Dreyfus gave the MCU its interpretation of Valentina Allegra di Fontaine, a powerful government official with a shady past. Rising through the ranks in the Multiverse Saga, she eventually assembles the core team seen in 2025's Thunderbolts*, and she later dubs them the New Avengers as they are all ready to take her down for her actions.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the former Seinfeld star denied being in Avengers: Doomsday, saying she is "not gonna be in that movie" but expressing her satisfaction being in the MCU. Considering she found a way to still be involved with the team, even if she has only a minor role in the next movie, it would be more surprising not to see her at all due to her ties to the MCU's newest team of heroes.

Hugh Jackman

Following 17 years of work as Wolverine in Fox's X-Men saga, Hugh Jackman made his long-awaited MCU debut as James "Logan" Howlett in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Ending that movie by celebrating his efforts in saving Deadpool's universe, Logan has a new home and a new sense of self by disproving the idea of him being "the worst Wolverine."

Looking ahead to a possible place in Avengers: Doomsday's cast, all Jackman could say was, "I really can't say much" when discussing the topic with The View in May 2025. Looking at how Jackman and Reynolds teamed up to deliver the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history, on top of them finally being in the MCU, the Wolverine star is at the top of most fans' wishlists to be part of this epic new Avengers film.

Elizabeth Olsen

Since 2014, Elizabeth Olsen has portrayed one of the MCU's most powerful characters in Wanda Maximoff, better known as the Scarlet Witch. Last seen supposedly dying in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many are still hoping she will be brought back for a role in Avengers: Doomsday.

When discussing possibly being in the next Avengers movie with The Hollywood Reporter, Olsen said she did not have any involvement in either that film or its follow-up effort, Avengers: Secret Wars. However, considering Wanda's pure strength level and popularity with fans, most are going into the movie with the expectation that she will be part of the action.

Seth Green

First appearing as a post-credits gag in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, Seth Green has become a fan favorite for his minor role in the MCU as Howard the Duck. Outside of having a bigger role in the animated What If...? series, Green has appeared in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and Howard had a minor cameo in Avengers: Endgame.

Speaking with The Direct, Green not only said there was "nothing of any substance" when it came to voicing Howard in live-action again but also noted having "zero confidence" in a possible Avengers: Doomsday role. While many remain doubtful that he will be utilized as part of such an already huge cat, the hope is still there that Doomsday could give the foul-mouthed waterfowl a chance to shine.