Vanessa Kirby Joins "Avengers: Doomsday" Cast!
As "The Crown" actress brings Susan Storm to life in the MCU alongside Pedro Pascal, Florence Pugh, and Chris Hemsworth, one question remains: Is Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch really gone for good?
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It's no secret that Marvel has carried the film industry for over a decade. Nor is it a secret that many executives bristle at the idea of superhero films being considered "cinema." However, over the past few years, original screenplays with emerging talent have been making quite the resurgence, especially during awards season—hi, Anora! But they're still far from dethroning Marvel's billion-dollar box office scores.
And that's not changing anytime soon. Last year at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel unveiled its slate for the latter half of the 2020s, including 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts*.
However, perhaps the biggest shock was Robert Downey Jr. rejoining the MCU—not as Iron Man, but as the villainous Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, set for 2026.
Yesterday marked Marvel's first acknowledgment of Doomsday in nearly eight months, with an official cast reveal—though "reveal" might be putting it lightly. Instead, the studio opted for a five-hour livestream, unveiling the ensemble via monogrammed director's chairs.
Among returning MCU veterans like Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Tom Holland (Peter Parker), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Marvel is ushering in a new generation of heroes, headlined by Vanessa Kirby (Susan Storm) and Florence Pugh (Black Widow). Both are set to make their full-fledged MCU debuts this year in The Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts*.
Other returning faces include Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Hailee Steinfeld (Hawkeye), with the latter making her debut in an MCU live-action film after leading an acclaimed TV series. (Steinfeld, notably, has already left a mark in Marvel's multiverse, voicing Gwen Stacy in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.) Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie continues to carry the shield as the first Black Captain America after fully stepping into the role when Steve Rogers departed.
New Doomsday faces like Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) will star alongside Kirby in The Fantastic Four, which arrives this July. The film reintroduces Marvel's "First Family" with a 1960s-inspired origin story set in a retro-futuristic New York, where they must defend Earth from a cosmic threat: Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). Watch the The Fantastic Four trailer here!
Meanwhile, Thunderbolts* will see Pugh's Black Widow teaming up with Lewis Pullman (Sentry), David Harbour (Red Guardian), and MCU veteran Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) as Marvel's ragtag team of antiheroes embarking on a death-sentence mission. Watch the Thunderbolts* trailer here!
These new-generation introductions are all paving the way for Doomsday, where Downey's Doctor Doom will take center stage before returning as the primary antagonist in Secret Wars. While the exact plots remain under wraps, the Russo Brothers are back at the Avengers helm—setting high expectations for more record-breaking box office numbers.
Vanessa Kirby’s Storm is Taking the MCU by… Well, Storm
Of all the reveals, Kirby's addition to the Avengers roster has generated some of the loudest buzz. Fans have been anticipating The Fantastic Four revival, and many saw Kirby as a perfect fit for Susan Storm, with her performance enthusiasm complementing her natural screen presence, previously seen in Netflix's The Crown and the Mission: Impossible series. During the film's trailer press event at Alabama's U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Kirby spoke passionately about taking on the new role:
"I was so blown away by Sue. Through all the comics through all the decades, the fact she's a mother and is so fiercely feminine...she's maternal but so badass. I just loved her bad arse, in my English accent.
Kirby via YouTube
Some were surprised that Kirby headlined the cast reveal before other major players. However, Marvel Redditors (link has plot spoilers!) have speculated that Doomsday will adapt elements of the comic's 2015 Secret Wars storyline—where Doctor Doom and Susan Storm are… close.
The Scarlet Witch Absence: A Mystery, But Not a Shut Door
One major absence in Doomsday? Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. After years of Marvel subtly teasing Wanda Maximoff's return following 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans were surprised to learn that Olsen opted out of the upcoming Avengers films.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, Olsen explained her decision to skip the grueling double Avengers shoot schedule in London despite wrapping Sam Esmail's Panic Carefully in the same city. Instead, she's shifting her focus to a new FX pilot, Seven Sisters.
“I didn’t realize this until about six years ago, but because Marvel and its influence takes up so much physical time and space in the world, it’s really important for me to make choices outside of Marvel that reflect my own taste. Your taste does create the artist that you are, and that wasn’t something I was thinking about when I first started working. So the opportunity to return to films like [The Assessment] is a reflection of the people I want to work with and my own personal taste.”
Olsen to The Hollywood Reporter
That said, during a His Three Daughters press interview on 104 FM, Olsen left the door open for a possible Scarlet Witch return:
“I’d be up for playing Scarlet Witch once again if there’s a good way to use her.”
The Future of the MCU: A New Era Takes Shape
With Kirby's casting solidified and Marvel's multiverse chessboard becoming clearer, Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be a historic crossover. Integrating fresh-casted heroes—like The Fantastic Four's first family—alongside returning legends signals a bold new chapter for the MCU—one that leans into legacy, reinvention, and spectacle.
Whether Olsen's Scarlet Witch returns down the line or not, Kirby's debut as Susan Storm is already proving to be one of the biggest talking points of Marvel's next phase.
Three things are clear: Doomsday is coming, the stakes have never been higher, and the surprises are just beginning.
Let's just hope no one too important dies this time—oops!
If you made it this far—congrats! However, my Multiverse of Madness isn’t over yet. Now, let’s discuss:
🦸🏽 Who is your favorite casting choice from Marvel?
👀 Do you think The Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to be a hit?
🪦 And the real question: Are we over The Scarlet Witch’s death yet?
Drop your thoughts below. Or don’t. Either way, I’ll be cheering on our new Susan Storm— welcome to the MCU, Vanessa Kirby!
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