More than a handful of characters once classified as sidekicks will take center stage in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday. Doomsday features one of the largest casts in film history, bringing together multiple teams of heroes to fight Victor von Doom. While the heroes all stand tall on their own merit, a few have served as sidekick-style support in past MCU outings.
Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, will feature seven current and former sidekicks from past MCU movies and TV shows in its cast. While core heroes like Shang-Chi, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men will bring power and strength to the fight, supporting heroes and sidekicks will also have important roles to play.
This list starts with Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, who started his MCU run in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger as a sidekick to Chris Evans' Steve Rogers/Captain America. Evolving into a villain and then a hero again, he was also partnered with Sam Wilson in multiple projects, and he now helps lead the Thunderbolts into Doomsday's story.
Similar to Bucky, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson started as a sidekick in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where he was introduced as Falcon. From there, Rogers bestowed the Captain America shield and title upon Sam in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, and he will now be one of the main heroes leading the Avengers into battle in Doomsday.
One of the MCU's current sidekicks is Danny Ramirez's Joaquin Torres, who made his MCU debut in 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Officially becoming the Falcon in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World, Torres will continue fighting alongside Wilson's Captain America when he returns in Doomsday.
Another sidekick who debuted in the MCU in 2021 is Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, an additional trained assassin who fought alongside Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow. Now operating as part of the New Avengers, Yelena is making her name as a leader, learning to work with a new team of heroes.
Letitia Wright entered the MCU in a semi-sidekick role as Shuri in 2018's Black Panther, which introduced her as the younger sister of the late Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa. Known as Wakanda's top technology expert, she took over the mantle of the Black Panther herself, leading the nation in Doomsday.
2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever unveiled a pair of sidekicks as part of the nation of Talokan, including Mabel Cadena's Namora. Working as Namor the Sub-Mariner's most trusted confidant, she is one of Talokan's toughest fighters; she was later seen in Avengers: Doomsday's fourth trailer, confirming her role in the movie.
Next to Namora will be another powerful Talokail fighter, Attuma, played by Alex Livinalli. Also serving as one of Namor's advisors, Attuma is one of the nation's biggest and strongest fighters; set photos confirmed Linivalli's return to action as Attuma, as he was seen next to other major cast members filming in Bahrain.
Other Sidekicks Who Could Show Up in Avengers: Doomsday
While countless characters are rumored to show up at some point in Doomsday, there is a chance that the cast could feature more sidekicks than the ones confirmed already.
Near the top of this list is MCU veteran Don Cheadle as War Machine, who was unfortunately revealed to have been replaced by a Skrull in Secret Invasion. As fans still have no idea whether Armor Wars is happening, and with his ties to Downey's Iron Man, he would be a natural choice to fight against Doom.
Also on the list of potential options is Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne, who has worked closely with Paul Rudd's Ant-Man over the years. She already hinted that she might appear in Doomsday's sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, and with Rudd confirmed for Doomsday, there is a chance she may show up alongside him.
Fans also remain hopeful that this film could feature an archer or two, with Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop among the more likely choices. Rumors hinted that the Young Avengers may play a role in Doomsday, making Kate a natural choice to bring back (even with Steinfeld being pregnant in real life).
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
