A new report may have revealed the 17th official cast member of Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios is keeping its cards close to its chest regarding the cast of Avengers 6. Naturally, the studio is eager to preserve the spoilers behind next December's Avengers: Doomsday, although that could get tougher once production gets underway in the U.K. from April until September.
Meanwhile, Doomsday has already confirmed over 30 actors who will appear when the Avengers: Endgame sequel hits theaters on December 18, 2026. Reportedly, Marvel Studios is still keeping around half the cast secret, with as many as 61 heroes and villains rumored to appear in Avengers 5. As the face-off with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom looms, there is no telling who is in danger, especially after Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame racked up a high kill count.
According to a report from Deadline, after Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink wraps filming on her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in December, her next appearance has already been lined up. The report stated Sink will join the cast of Avengers: Secret Wars, shooting in London, U.K., in 2026.
It is still unclear who Sink is playing in Spider-Man 4, but there have been rumors she will play a villain, possibly the villainous shapeshifter Shathra, making it only more confusing how she will return for Avengers 6.
In the meantime, 17 MCU heroes and villains have officially been confirmed for Avengers: Secret Wars by either their actors or Marvel Studios themselves...
All 17 Actors & Characters Returning for Avengers: Secret Wars
Robert Downey Jr. - Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom
Marvel Studios dropped a bombshell at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, bringing Robert Downey Jr. on stage to reveal his MCU return after a five-year absence, this time playing Victor von Doom. The former Iron Man actor's Doctor Doom was confirmed as the replacement for Jonathan Majors' Kang, and thus the main villain for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, just as he is on the page.
Sam Wilson actor Anthony Mackie has already confirmed that Avengers 5 ends on a cliffhanger in classic Infinity War fashion, meaning Doctor Doom will likely enter Secret Wars victorious. Based on the 2015 comic storyline, the magic-tech-blending villain should be ruling Battleworld as God Emperor Doom in the movie.
Benedict Cumberbatch - Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange
Currently, Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch hasn't been announced for Avengers: Doomsday, and the actor has given mixed responses on the matter. That said, the British star revealed he is "in a lot" of Secret Wars.
In 2015's Secret Wars storyline, an alternate-reality Doctor Strange served as the sheriff and lawman on Battleworld under God Emperor Doom.
Anthony Mackie - Sam Wilson/Captain America
The MCU's new Captain America actor, Anthony Mackie, already confirmed to Deadline this summer that he will return to shoot Avengers: Secret Wars next year after wrapping his starring role in Doomsday.
While Sam Wilson has reportedly recruited five heroes to his new Avengers roster, including Simu Liu's Shang-Chi, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, and more, it remains uncertain which will join him in Secret Wars.
Tom Holland - Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Tom Holland's Peter Parker may be returning next year in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but he will reportedly be skipping out on Avengers: Doomsday before taking a significant role in Secret Wars, much to the surprise of many fans.
The young hero will be grappling with Doctor Doom bearing the same face as his late mentor, while none of his fellow Avengers remember him, thanks to Doctor Strange's spell in No Way Home. Many are convinced he will have some help, however, with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning one last time.
Hayley Atwell - Peggy Carter
Alongside Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, Hayley Atwell is all but certain to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, seemingly as her original Earth-616 self. A report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed Atwell's further return in Secret Wars, spoiling that she had inked deals for both Avengers sequels.
Even if only the familiar Peggy appears in Doomsday, there may be room for multiple iterations to appear in Secret Wars. Between What If...? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have spent plenty of time with super-soldier Captain Carter, a version of whom may well appear.
Pedro Pascal - Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
Marvel Studios confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, alongside the casting of RDJ's villain, that the entire Fantastic Four will return for both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, including Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards.
At the heart of 2015's Secret Wars was the long-standing rivalry between Reed Richards and Victor von Doom, and the Fantastic Four leader was even the one to defeat him. While the MCU takes on the scientific archenemies may not have that history yet, perhaps Doomsday will lay enough groundwork to make it happen.
Vanessa Kirby - Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
Hobbs & Shaw actress Vanessa Kirby was a breakout star of The Fantastic Four, leaving fans eager to see more of her in both Avengers sequels. With Reed and Sue's all-powerful son, Franklin Richards, set to be Doom's secret weapon in the coming conflict, it's safe to say she will be coming with a personal vendetta.
Sue Storm in 2015's version of Battleworld was, in fact, Susan von Doom, and the wife of God Emperor Doom, with whom they had two kids, Franklin and Valeria. It's possible such a storyline could happen again, giving Kirby a major role in the movie and acting as the compassionate counterbalance to Doctor Doom.
Joseph Quinn - Johnny Storm/Human Torch
Once one of the MCU's more controversial casting decisions, Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn won fans over in The Fantastic Four as Johnny Storm ahead of his return in 2026 and 2027's Avengers movies.
Johnny Storm was given a terrifying role by God Emperor Doom in Secret Wars as the sun that kept Battleworld alight. If this happened in the Avengers adaptation, it may lead, sadly, to a more minor role for him for most of the storyline, perhaps only being freed toward the climax to join the final confrontation.
Ebon Mass-Bachrach - Ben Grimm/The Thing
Ebon Mass-Bachrach's return as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, completes the Fantastic Four for Secret Wars.
Fortunately, fans of Marvel's First Family need not worry about their future beyond Secret Wars, as The Fantastic Four 2 is already in development for afterwards, meaning all four heroes should, unsurprisingly, survive the movie.
Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova
The Fantastic Four weren't the only team to join Avengers: Secret Wars at last year's San Diego Comic-Con, and the Thunderbolts, now known as the New Avengers, were also confirmed. That team is led by Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who made her MCU debut in Black Widow.
Yelena has been one of the breakout stars of the Multiverse Saga, and her journey only truly just got started in Thunderbolts*. In Secret Wars, it's easy to see her leading a resistance faction on Battleworld while possibly being on a journey to officially replacing Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff as Black Widow.
Sebastian Stan - Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
Oscar-nominee Sebastian Stan is returning as Bucky Barnes in Avengers 6, where, between the New Avengers and Sam Wilson's Earth's Mightiest Heroes, he will have an assortment of familiar allies to interact with.
Alongside characters like Thor, Loki, and War Machine, Stan's Bucky Barnes is one of the MCU's longest-standing heroes. By the time Secret Wars comes around, he will have been around for 16 years, possibly opening the doors for Bucky to be one of the most tragic deaths in the next Avengers movies.
Wyatt Russell - John Walker/U.S. Agent
The actor who proclaimed himself "your third-favorite Thunderbolt," Wyatt Russell, will reprise John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, in Avengers 6.
Military man John Walker could be repurposed as a police-like figure on Battleworld by Doctor Doom in Secret Wars. With multiple shield-tossing heroes set to appear in the 2026 and 2027 blockbusters, it could be interesting to see Steve Rogers' take on John Walker and U.S. Agent in one of them.
David Harbour - Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
Coming off the much-anticipated conclusion of Stranger Things, where his character Hopper has been rated among the most likely survivors, David Harbour will return as Russia's answer to Captain America, Red Guardian in both of the upcoming Avengers movies.
The Cosmic Circus reported that Red Guardian will enjoy an unexpected team-up with The Thing in Avengers 5, and one has to wonder if the pair will form a close enough bond to continue into Secret Wars.
Hannah John-Kamen - Ava Starr/Ghost
Having begun her MCU journey in Ant-Man and the Wasp, it once seemed that Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost had been forgotten. However, the quantum-powered anti-hero is now a member of the New Avengers, and she will return with her teammates in both Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Many fans have expressed concerns that lesser-known characters like Red Guardian, Ghost, and U.S. Agent may be used as collateral damage in the coming Avengers blockbusters. As the MCU eyes a post-Secret Wars soft reboot centered around the X-Men, there may not be room for all these characters.
Sadie Sink - TBD
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, as reported by Deadline, is the latest actor confirmed for Avengers: Secret Wars ahead of production. This comes ahead of her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and amid an ongoing mystery surrounding her character's shadowed identity.
Catch the first look at Sadie Sink on set as her mystery MCU character.
News of Sink's Secret Wars return, following Brand New Day, has reignited speculation around who she is actually playing. Between the daughter of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man (Mayday Parker), the human form of the Multiverse (Abyss), and X-Men icons Jean Grey and Firestar, the theories are wilder than ever.
Ryan Omoto - TBD
Just the Nobodys podcast hosts Ryan and Daniel Omoto, who have a long history of press work with the Russo Brothers' production company AGBO, asked director Joe Russo in an Instagram video if they could have their "first movie appearances" in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
The filmmaker was happy to oblige and told the podcasters, "You're in the movie and I have the perfect two parts," the identity of which is unclear.
Daniel Omoto - TBD
The Omoto brothers joined the Doomsday and Secret Wars cast this year, marking their first acting credits for either.
As such, their roles are likely to be in the background of both Avengers production or limited to cameos, perhaps as themselves or reporters of some kind.
