New MCU Rumor Claims Two Avengers Were Cut From Doomsday (Will They Ever Return?)

Making heads or tails of the Avengers: Doomsday cast is more complicated than collecting the Infinity Stones. While the spots reserved at the front for the Fantastic Four and New Avengers make sense, since they both had movie releases in 2025, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Sam Wilson is finally going to put his team together come 2026, and the X-Men are also going to appear. However, Doomsday‘s additions are far less interesting than its omissions. Some prominent names are missing from the call sheet, including Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Holland. Obviously, there’s still a chance that they appear, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe loves a good cameo, but there’s no guarantee.

All the attention that Holland and Co. are soaking up is causing a bit of a logjam, though, because there are a few other names that seem like natural fits for Doomsday that also seem to be sitting on the sidelines. Well, according to Alex Perez at Cosmic Circus, Hawkeye and War Machine are going to sit out the next Avengers movie while Marvel Studios figures out what to do with them.

In Rhodey’s case, Perez believes that the shocking revelation in Secret Invasion that a Skrull had replaced the hero is causing problems. At one point, an Armor Wars movie was in the works that would’ve given War Machine top billing for the first time and likely explored the mental ramifications of his years on ice. That project is very much on the back burner now, and Marvel might not want to bring Rhodey back until it can give him the time of day.

As for Hawkeye, it seems like he’s a man of his word, as Perez revealed that the character is retired for good. Of course, at the end of Hawkeye, Clint Barton passes the baton to Kate Bishop, who has her own thing going on with the Young Avengers. Without a second season of the Disney+ series in development, it’s probably best for the original Avenger to continue to kick his feet up and enjoy time with his family.

Read Next

Major Marvel Star Confirms Return for Avengers: Secret Wars (And It’s Their Second MCU Project for Next Year)

It’s Time to Let the Original Avengers Rest

While it’s hard to accept the fact that two of the MCU’s biggest heroes aren’t going to help save the multiverse in Doomsday, it’s the right decision. For starters, the movie already has enough mouths to feed, and adding fully fleshed-out characters will only take the attention away from the main cast. But there’s also something to be said about allowing characters to hang up their costumes.

There are very few heroes in the MCU who have done more fighting than Hawkeye and War Machine. However, both have interests beyond knocking out aliens and robots. They should get the chance to focus on those while the new generation comes into its own.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Are you upset that War Machine and Hawkeye won’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!