6 Biggest Avengers: Doomsday Questions We Have After Marvel Released Official Art

Marvel Studios has given fans their best look yet at Avengers: Doomsday's full confirmed cast thanks to an exciting piece of official promotional artwork. Featuring all the MCU teams who will be coming together to take on Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, there's an awful lot to unpack and some key questions that still need to be answered.

Without a doubt, the new Doomsday artwork truly highlights that the next Avengers movie will be one of the MCU's biggest crossover events of all time. The new mural features Sam Wilson's Captain America, The Fantastic Four, New Avengers, Wakandans, Loki, and several returning Fox-era X-Men, as well as founding Avengers like Steve Rogers and Thor. Likewise, Doctor Doom looms over them all.

Of course, the artwork alone isn't a complete roadmap for the next Avengers movie. That being said, the positions of certain MCU heroes and certain omissions have generated some very interesting questions. Keeping that in mind, here are some of our biggest questions ahead of Avengers: Doomsday's release.

Wait, Who Are Sam Wilson's Avengers?

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is surprisingly simple: who exactly is a part of Sam Wilson's roster of Avengers? At the end of Brave New World, the new Captain America was determined to rebuild Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, we still don't know who he recruited aside from Joaquin Torres' Falcon, who seems like the most guaranteed member based on the ending of the fourth Captain America movie.

Shang-Chi may be a safe bet following the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Ant-Man is a logical possibility due to his Avengers history and relationship with Sam Wilson. However, none of these characters are shown together in the new Doomsday mural, except for Sam and Joaquin.

The Fantastic Four are together, and the New Avengers have their own corner of the artwork. Shuri and M'Baku are together representing Wakanda, and the X-Men have the lower quadrant. Likewise, Thor and Steve Rogers are likely more independent heroes rather than being official members of Sam's team. The MCU has implied that Sam's team has already been built, as Thunderbolts* revealed that Sam wasn't happy about their new name as the New Avengers. As such, it's looking more and more like we won't know the full confirmed roster until Doomsday's release.

Is Steve Rogers Going Without A Costume?

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the artwork is Steve Rogers' appearance. While it's been confirmed for some time that Chris Evans would be returning as Steve Rogers, the very first teaser saw him pulling out his old Captain America uniform. However, the mural features Rogers only wearing a black shirt and more civilian clothes, and also wielding Mjolnir.

On the other hand, there are some understandable reasons for this route. After all, Sam Wilson is now Captain America, and having Steve out of his typical costume will help visually reinforce that passing of the torch, while also differentiating the two heroes without diminishing either one. However, it could easily feel like a missed opportunity if Steve doesn't suit up at all. When we look at the comics, Steve and Sam wearing the stars and stripes at the same time has never been a major issue, so why should it be a problem in the MCU?

Hopefully, the artwork depicts Steve in his civilian appearance from earlier in the movie before he eventually suits up alongside his fellow heroes.

What Is Loki’s True Role?

Positioned at the center of the exciting new Avengers: Doomsday mural, it can certainly be implied that Loki is set to play a very important role outside of Doctor Doom himself as the primary antagonist. This wouldn't be surprising in the slightest, especially considering the finale of Loki season 2.

Having sacrificed his own freedom to preserve multiple timelines in the multiverse and keep those he cared about safe, Loki became a major multiversal protector, sustaining multiple realities with newfound glorious purpose. Keeping that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if Loki becomes a major target of Doctor Doom, especially if he intends to reshape the remnants of the multiverse as he does in 2015's Secret Wars comics event. It's a big reason why Doom going after Loki is a big part of several MCU theories, and the former God of Mischief's central role in this new Doomsday mural definitely supports his key importance.

Additionally, Loki potentially having a central role would be good news for a highly anticipated Thor and Loki reunion, who haven't seen each other since Avengers: Infinity War, when Thanos killed Thor's brother (the Loki of the MCU series is the 2012 variant who escaped with the Space Stone in Avengers: Endgame).

Where Are All The Missing MCU Avengers?

As exciting as the artwork is, the missing characters are impossible to ignore. Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Bruce Banner's Hulk, Clint Barton, She-Hulk, Wong, and several other major MCU heroes are nowhere to be found despite their obvious importance to the franchise. Of course, promotional artwork isn't necessarily comprehensive. Marvel has frequently hidden major characters from trailers and marketing materials before release, particularly when spoilers are involved.

Spider-Man's absence feels especially notable considering Brand New Day releases in theaters this month before Doomsday in December. Nevertheless, Peter Parker seems destined to have some role either in Marvel's next Avengers crossover or in the following Avengers: Secret Wars, even if his exact status currently remains a mystery.

Likewise, Doctor Strange arguably has more multiversal experience than nearly anyone else in the MCU, making his omission particularly surprising. Rather than using this artwork as confirmation that these heroes aren't involved, it may simply be preserving some of Doomsday's biggest surprises.

Who Will Be Doctor Doom’s Main Rival (Rogers or Richards?)

Currently, there's also a bit of a question mark surrounding who Doctor Doom's ultimate rival will be in the MCU, though the two main heroes flanking Doom on the mural on either side may help narrow it down.

On Doctor Doom's right is Reed Richards, Victor's lifelong intellectual nemesis on the page. Their relationship has defined Fantastic Four comics for decades as one of the superhero comics' biggest rivalries, and it was a key focal point of 2015's Secret Wars. Considering Doom kidnapped Reed's son Franklin at the end of Fantastic Four: First Steps, this could be the natural inception point kicking off their classic conflict.

However, the mural has Steve Rogers on Doom's immediate left, who could very well be a compelling rival as well (under the right circumstances). With Robert Downey Jr. portraying Victor Von Doom, Marvel has already created some major expectations among audiences about Doom having some sort of connection to Tony Stark. Perhaps the next Avengers movie intends to embrace both rivalries simultaneously?

Will There Be Any More X-Men?

The official Doomsday artwork also has the seven confirmed X-Men we know of so far: Cyclops, Beast, Professor X, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Mystique, and Gambit. It's an exciting lineup, particularly with several actors from the Fox era returning to roles they've played for decades. That being said, one has to wonder where everyone else is.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is an obvious omission, especially following 2024's massively successful Deadpool & Wolverine movie. However, the same goes for Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue, Colossus, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, and several other major X-Men who are also absent. While Marvel could be hiding some surprise appearances, there's also the darker theory that these particular X-Men shown on the mural are the only ones left after their world was perhaps destroyed in an incursion.

Additionally, there's also the possibility that Marvel is saving even more mutant reveals for Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Either way, the mural makes it clear that the X-Men are set to play a major part in Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18th from Marvel Studios.