Marvel Studios is pulling out all the stops for Avengers: Doomsday. The film is set to be a major focus at San Diego Comic-Con, tickets go on sale this Sunday, and it boasts a massive runtime. But what has fans buzzing is the star-studded cast: alongside returning veterans like Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Anthony Mackie), the ensembles of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* are joining the fray. Yet amid all this change, Avengers: Doomsday will uphold a quiet tradition that has defined the franchise from the start.
Every Avengers movie to date has featured Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. in pivotal roles—Hemsworth as Thor, Evans as Steve Rogers, and Downey as Iron Man. Doomsday shakes things up: Downey now plays the villain Doctor Doom, and Evans has hung up his shield. But regardless of their characters' status, these three actors remain the nucleus of the Avengers franchise, a tradition that continues here.
Why These Three Are the Core of the Avengers
This trio's prominence mirrors the comics, where Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor are considered the pillars of Earth's Mightiest Heroes—much like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman for the Justice League. Thor and Iron Man were founding members, and Cap's joining is often seen as the moment the team truly solidified. Their deep friendship, strained but eventually restored in the Avengers: Prime miniseries, has been a driving force in the MCU's biggest events.
In The Avengers, Thor dealt with Loki's invasion while Cap and Iron Man clashed. Age of Ultron deepened their divisions, and Civil War left them fractured ahead of Thanos's attack in Infinity War. Doomsday will put a new spin on this dynamic: Thor is now a father, Steve Rogers is married, and Iron Man is dead. Downey's Doctor Doom, true to the comics, will manipulate everyone to serve his own agenda.
Passing the Torch to a New Era
This reunion may be the last time Downey, Evans, and Hemsworth unite in an Avengers film. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have hinted that Avengers: Secret Wars could serve as a soft reboot for the MCU. After that, a new X-Men movie from Thunderbolts* director Jake Schrier is on the horizon, potentially making the X-Men the MCU's core franchise. Given the success of Deadpool & Wolverine and X-Men '97, a "Mutant Saga" feels inevitable.
These three actors not only made the Avengers movies must-see blockbusters but also helped build the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. If Doomsday and Secret Wars mark their final team-up, it will close out one of the MCU's most underrated traditions. For more on Marvel's evolving lineup, check out our analysis of Marvel's Nova Movie Risks Repeating Disney+ Pacing Problems.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026. In the meantime, fans can revisit the classic Avengers films or dive into the record-breaking success of X-Men '97.
