The last handful of years have been difficult for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, 2019 saw the release of Avengers: Endgame, a film that acted as the culmination of the first three phases of the franchise. Despite facing insurmountable odds, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came out on top, albeit with some losses. After that, everyone went their separate ways, and the MCU struggled to fill the void they left behind. A few projects proved they had potential, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Loki, but for the most part, there wasn’t much to write home about. There were even a couple of releases that the powers that be would rather forget.
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Fortunately, after a strong 2025, which saw the release of critically acclaimed projects like Thunderbolts* and Daredevil: Born Again, things are looking up for the biggest franchise in the world. In fact, next year even promises to bring a few familiar faces back into the fold. Here are seven huge MCU returns in 2026 that we already know about.
7) Ultron
WandaVision features a few major bombshells, including confirming that Wanda Maximoff is the Scarlet Witch. All the magic mumbo-jumbo makes it easy to forget that the series also introduces a new version of Vision, known simply as White Vision. His story will continue in VisionQuest, where he will cross paths with a few of the MCU’s most notable AI personalities. Ultron, the one-time Avengers foe, will be among them, and he’s sure to be up to no good.
6) The Real Hulk
A few of the original Avengers are still fighting the good fight, including Thor, Hawkeye, and, of course, Hulk. While Bruce Banner prefers to be in Smart Hulk form these days, he might have to let the beast out during his next MCU appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. All signs point to a villain getting into his head and unleashing his alter ego on the world. Once Spider-Man helps him get back on track, payback is going to be in order. Let’s just hope whoever Brand New Day‘s villain is can handle themselves in a fight.
5) Robert Downey Jr.
The rest of the entries on this list will be characters. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room: Robert Downey Jr. After spending over a decade playing Tony Stark, the actor is returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. It will be a challenge for Downey Jr., who is used to playing charismatic good guys. However, if anyone can do Doom justice, it’s him.
4) Mac Gargan
Peter Parker makes more than a few enemies in Spider-Man: Homecoming. But the one that gives him the most trouble, Adrian Toomes, actually does him a solid, refusing to give up his identity to Mac Gargan in prison. Without anything to go on, Gargan seemingly gives up his hunt for Spider-Man for a few years. He’s going to get back to it in 2026, though, as he’s set to appear as one of the villains in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
3) Jessica Jones
With Punisher busy helping Spider-Man in 2026, Matt Murdock is going to open up his contact list and call an old friend. After starring in her own three-season show on Netflix, Jessica Jones is about to become part of the MCU proper, landing a role in Born Again Season 2. While details about her place in the sophomore outing are few and far between, she’s likely going to take aim at Fisk, who continues to make life difficult for people like her.
2) Steve Rogers
Avengers: Doomsday has a lot on its plate. Not only is Robert Downey Jr. going to appear as Doctor Doom, but there will be at least four superhero teams trying to stop him. Steve Rogers is no longer part of a team, but he’s going to fight his way into the next Avengers film somehow. He’s the focus of Doomsday‘s first teaser, which reveals that he has a child to look after. So much for keeping a low profile in the past.
1) The Original X-Men
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces Earth-838’s version of the Illuminati, a secret group that looks out for the universe’s best interest. Their leader is Professor Charles Xavier, who tries to take care of the Scarlet Witch problem before it really gets going. That plan fails spectacularly, with Xavier dying a gruesome death. Fortunately, he’ll get a second chance in Doomsday, and he won’t be alone. Many of the other original X-Men actors will join him for one last ride, including Ian McKellen and James Marsden.
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