Avengers: Doomsday is putting a fresh spotlight on Marvel's growing lineup of heroes who now have children of their own. The MCU has consistently woven parental dynamics into its most significant stories, from Odin guiding and scolding Thor and Loki, to Aunt May shaping Peter Parker, to darker twists, such as Thanos raising Gamora and Nebula, or Ego being the father of Peter Quill.
Now, as the franchise heads into its next crossover event, Avengers 5 brings together several characters balancing parenthood with the fate of the universe. Doomsday, releasing on December 16, 2026, is shaping up to be one of the MCU's most ambitious crossovers, uniting heroes from multiple teams, including the Avengers, Wakanda, the X-Men, and maybe even a Spider-Man for a universe-shaking clash next Christmas.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Victor von Doom steps in as the film's lead antagonist, marking the actor's first return to an Avengers movie since Tony Stark, whose motivations in Endgame were deeply rooted in his new life as a parent to Morgan. While those same parental ties won't drive Doom, the theme remains central to the story. In fact, among the several heroes entering this fight as parents, only two are set to have those roles pushed to the forefront of the Doomsday narrative.
Avengers: Doomsday's 5 Superhero Parents
Sue Storm
Sue Storm's (Vanessa Kirby) evolution from new hero to one of the MCU's most significant mothers sets the stage for her crucial role in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps showed how unwavering Sue can be as a parent; when Galactus demanded Franklin's sacrifice to save Earth, Sue was far firmer than Reed in refusing to give up their son.
With Doomsday aging Franklin to around five to seven years old, Sue enters the film as both a core Fantastic Four member and a mother whose child may be central to the Multiverse’s survival. Early merch reveals Franklin in a new blue suit and longer hair, hinting at his growing importance.
Rumors also suggest Doom may try to exploit Franklin's reality-shaping powers to fix incursions and crown himself a savior, putting Sue directly in the middle of one of the film's biggest conflicts.
Reed Richards
Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) enters Avengers: Doomsday as both the MCU's new leading scientist and a father desperate to protect a child whose powers he still doesn't fully understand.
In First Steps, Reed practically tried to baby-proof the world around Franklin, knowing threats like Galactus. That instinct, paired with Reed's sleepless scientific curiosity, is poised to spark major storylines in Doomsday as Franklin begins to show abilities far beyond anything his parents have seen.
Franklin's reality-warping and cosmic powers remain unexplored on-screen, but comic book readers are familiar with his importance to the story of Secret Wars. For Reed, watching his son's capabilities grow and seeing how Doom may try to exploit them could become one of the movie's most emotional arcs.
Ant-Man
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang returns in Avengers: Doomsday as one of the MCU's most experienced yet consistently overlooked heroes. Although it is still unclear whether Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) will appear, especially given her connection to a possible Young Avengers project, Scott is confirmed to suit up.
Since Ant-Man in 2015, Scott's story has been deeply tied to Cassie, including the five years he missed during the Blip in Avengers: Endgame. Their relationship has shaped nearly every choice he has made.
What makes Scott valuable in Doomsday is that he has already faced a villain who tried to conquer the Multiverse, even though it's likely that his role greatly changed from the original Avengers: The Kang Dynasty plans.
Red Guardian
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian, will return in Avengers: Doomsday as one of the most complex parental figures in the MCU, having served as the adoptive father of both Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh).
Alexei spent years undercover posing as their American dad, only to disappear from their lives once the mission ended and the girls were dragged back into the Red Room. He rebuilt pieces of that broken relationship in Black Widow and made even bigger strides in Thunderbolts*, especially with Yelena. Their emotional confrontation in that film forced Alexei to face the pain he caused, and Yelena allowed herself to hear the fatherly reassurance she had needed for years.
With Yelena now positioned as the de facto leader of the New Avengers (and a major part of the MCU's future), Alexei enters Doomsday not only as a super soldier but as someone still trying to look after her in ways he never did when she was young.
US Agent
John Walker (Wyatt Russell) returns in Avengers: Doomsday carrying the weight of his complicated past, both as a soldier and as a father. In Thunderbolts*, it was revealed that his relationship with his wife and son had suffered, leaving him with lingering shame and regret.
Walker's journey has been about more than heroics; he has been striving to redeem himself as a soldier, a man, and a parent. While he often hides behind a tough exterior, glimpses of vulnerability show that he cares deeply about doing right by his family. Ironically, Russell's real-life father, Kurt Russell, also played a father figure in the MCU as Ego the Living Planet.
Thor
For the first time in an Avengers film, Thor enters Doomsday as a father. The God of Thunder adopted Gorr's (Christian Bale) daughter, Love, whose original death once set Gorr on his vengeful path.
Reborn as a "child born from Eternity," Love is under Thor's care, giving him a renewed sense of purpose following the loss of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in Thor: Love and Thunder. Love wields Stormbreaker while Thor continues to wield Mjolnir, forming a powerful tag team that protects the galaxy as Love and Thunder.
Hemsworth's real-life daughter, India, plays Love, but it's unclear if she'll be joining her dad in Doomsday.
