Avengers: Doomsday's marketing focuses on three teams: the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and, of course, the Avengers. Marvel Studios built its entire franchise around Earth's Mightiest Heroes, so there was no way it was going to have them sit the movie out. However, the powers that be are doing very little to remind the world that there's not one but two Avengers teams active in the MCU. As it stands, a small piece of merchandise is doing most of the heavy lifting.
Despite Doomsday needing little help to get butts in seats, the marketing machine isn't slowing down. Every week, new tie-in merchandise hits shelves, including action figures, T-shirts, and even stickers. A set of promotional stickers, posted on X by user Avengers Updates, puts the spotlight on the usual suspects, including Doctor Doom, The Thing, Black Widow, and Black Panther. There are also a few items that pair up heroes, such as Ant-Man and Invisible Woman and Shang-Chi and Cyclops.
While most of the members of Doomsday's roster aren't familiar with one another, there are bound to be more than a few reunions in the movie, including one between Sam Wilson, aka Captain America, and Bucky Barnes. One sticker positions them together, each with an Avengers logo present next to them. Clearly, the idea is to reiterate the fact that, despite having common goals, they're on different teams.
Bucky and Sam aren't on each other's lefts anymore because of a fascinating series of events. At the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the two heroes were as thick as thieves after ending the Flag Smashers threat. Sam proceeded to embrace his new role as Captain America, while Bucky took a step back and got into politics. Everything was fine until Thunderbolts* rolled around and put Bucky between a rock and a hard place.
While investigating Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Bucky crossed paths with a group of mercenaries that the head of OXE Group was trying to get rid of. They all teamed up and headed for Avengers Tower, where Val set up shop as she prepared to roll out Project Sentry. Unfortunately, instead of a hero, she unleashed a monster on New York City called The Void. It took the combined powers of the titular team to bring it down and restore order.
By the time the dust settled, the Thunderbolts became the New Avengers after some quick thinking from Val to save her own skin. Bucky didn't have time to get on the page with Sam, who was also planning to bring together a group of remarkable people, leading to a falling-out. In the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, Bucky explained that his last conversation with Sam ended poorly, and he seemed bummed about it.
The next time the two interact will be in Doomsday. A shot from the trailer showed them standing alongside Scott Lang as another figure, presumably Steve Rogers, revealed themselves. The original Captain America's return is sure to steal all the headlines and maybe even squash the beef without much fuss after he catches up on everything. But no amount of mediation will fix the problem at the heart of Bucky and Sam's disagreement.
Marvel Studios Will Have to Make a Tough Choice About Its Avengers Teams
Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, feel like the end of an era for the MCU. Earth's Mightiest Heroes will soon lose their status as the MCU's golden children as the Mutant Saga begins. The X-Men have been waiting patiently for their time to shine, and the Fantastic Four are sure to have more to say in the coming years.
That seemingly leaves the Avengers as the odd heroes out. But it doesn't have to be that way. Coming out of Secret Wars, Marvel Studios would be smart to focus on one Avengers team, potentially made up of members of both of the active ones, that can grab the baton from Iron Man and Co. and run with it.
As sad as it is to say, not every hero is going to make it out of the next two Avengers movies alive. Marvel Studios will thin out the herd, and Bucky's name may very well be at the top of the chopping block. Sebastian Stan recently signed on to appear in Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II, a project he shaved his head for. That sort of dedication sure makes it seem like Stan is settling in for the long haul with DC, not just visiting.
Bucky moving on to a better place would be a difficult pill for Sam to swallow. However, if they're able to bury the hatchet before he goes and save the multiverse together, Captain America can move forward with his head held high and lead a team that Bucky would've been proud to be a part of.
