Channing Tatum Teases Avengers: Doomsday Secret Cameos (Is That a Good Thing?)

Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For starters, Marvel Studios successfully brought back directors Anthony and Joe Russo to helm the project, while also securing Robert Downey Jr. to portray the iconic villain Doctor Doom. In addition, the confirmed cast is already a massive ensemble that includes the current Avengers, the newly introduced Fantastic Four, and even legacy characters from the Fox-era X-Men films. Also returning to the fold is Channing Tatum as Gambit, a role he finally had the opportunity to play for the first time in the multiversal adventure Deadpool & Wolverine. With the film’s production now complete, its stars have started to build the immense hype for what Marvel has in store for audiences.

“[Marvel] set a bar for themselves every movie and they beat it every single movie,” Tatum said during an interview with ET. “And I can tell you this: as I was reading [the script] I was like, ‘How are they going to do this?! I don’t know how they’re going to do this.’ You’re just not ready. It’s gonna make your brains ooze out of your ears, like in the way I knew when Blade (Wesley Snipes) walks on screen in Deadpool & Wolverine, people are going to physically lose their actual minds. It’s that, but maybe times 50. And just the story… I can’t divulge anything, but as a comic fan, you just aren’t ready.”

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During the interview, Tatum’s excitement led him to nearly reveal the name of one of the film’s major cameos before he managed to stop himself. However, the first letter he almost uttered sounded like a “D.” This apparent slip-up adds fuel to the persistent and widespread rumors that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will be making an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.

Should Avengers: Doomsday Be So Dependent on Surprise Cameos?

While exciting cameos can create unforgettable cinematic moments, their effectiveness is greatest when they serve a genuine narrative purpose. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, the appearance of two other Spider-Men (Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield) provided Tom Holland’s Peter Parker with the support and perspective he needed to grow into the hero he was destined to become. Similarly, the inclusion of characters like Blade, Gambit, X-23 (Dafne Keen), and Elektra (Jennifer Garner) in Deadpool & Wolverine worked because it was deeply connected to the movie’s metatextual themes. That’s because the film’s story is a direct commentary on preserving and honoring the legacy of Marvel productions that existed outside of the primary MCU continuity.

Avengers: Doomsday is poised to deliver spectacular scenes crafted to make audiences roar, but the movie must offer more than a parade of familiar faces. In 2025, Marvel Studios faced a string of disappointing box office results. Even critically acclaimed films like Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps underperformed financially, especially when measured against their inflated budgets and aggressive marketing campaigns. With Avengers: Doomsday reportedly being one of Marvel’s most expensive projects ever, the studio needs a satisfying and coherent story more than it needs a collection of empty, crowd-pleasing cameos. The financial and narrative stakes are simply too high for the film to succeed on surprise alone, and the long-term health of the franchise depends on strong storytelling.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026. 

What do you think of Channing Tatum’s tease? Do you believe the cameos will serve the story in Avengers: Doomsday? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!