Are the Eternals Are Sitting Out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’s’ Massive Cast?
Marvel Studios has spent the better part of two years assembling one of the largest ensembles in franchise history for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and the finished roster has made one absence increasingly hard to ignore. Despite dozens of confirmed names spanning the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Thunderbolts, not a single member of 2021’s ‘Eternals’ has been placed among them.
That gap has not gone unnoticed by fans, and it has now been addressed directly by one of the film’s own stars, giving a clearer picture of where the cosmic team actually stands heading into the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Where the Eternals Cast Stands With Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel Studios revealed the full ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ lineup through a live Instagram stream on March 26, 2025, unveiling chairs bearing the names of dozens of returning and new characters. The reveal included Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, alongside Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach representing the Fantastic Four.
The presentation also folded in stars from outside the core Avengers roster entirely. Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman represented the Thunderbolts, while Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, and Rebecca Romijn brought the original ‘X-Men’ cast into the fold.
None of the actors who made up ‘Eternals,’ including Gemma Chan’s Sersi, Richard Madden’s Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos, Barry Keoghan’s Druig, Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari, Angelina Jolie’s Thena, Don Lee’s Gilgamesh, or Salma Hayek’s Ajak, appeared on that list. Subsequent additions to the cast, including India Rose Hemsworth as Love, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, have continued to expand the film without bringing any ‘Eternals’ actors along with them.
Lauren Ridloff Weighs In On a Possible Return
The clearest word on the subject has come from Ridloff herself. Speaking with The Direct at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where she was promoting the documentary ‘Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore,’ Ridloff was asked whether she expected to appear alongside any of her fellow Eternals in ‘Doomsday.’
Her answer was blunt. Asked directly about the possibility, Ridloff replied that it was not likely. Coming from a member of the ensemble rather than a studio spokesperson, the comment carries more weight than typical fan speculation and effectively closes the door on a surprise cameo for the team as currently confirmed.
That absence lines up with how the finished cast has actually taken shape. With filming completed and the roster locked well past two dozen names, there has been no indication from Marvel, the Russo brothers, or any of the ‘Eternals’ cast that a late addition is being planned.
The Uncertain Future of an Eternals Sequel
The lack of movement extends beyond ‘Doomsday’ itself. Reporting on the franchise’s direction has noted that ‘Eternals’ characters are absent from ‘Doomsday’ entirely, a detail some observers have tied to the film’s disappointing theatrical run and the door it left open with Arishem and the giant dead Celestial referenced later in ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’
Do you think not having the Eternals in 'Doomsday' is a missed opportunity?
Coverage of the franchise’s broader plans has also pointed out that Marvel has similarly left out Disney+ television characters such as Daredevil, Vision, and Moon Knight, along with the long-teased Young Avengers lineup and Mahershala Ali’s Blade, suggesting a deliberate narrowing of focus rather than a snub aimed specifically at the ‘Eternals.’
Whether a direct sequel to ‘Eternals’ is still active behind the scenes remains unconfirmed through the sources reviewed here. What is clear is that the film’s ensemble has not been folded into Marvel’s next two tentpole productions, and no actor from the cast has described active plans to return in either ‘Doomsday’ or its already-dated follow-up.
An X-Men and Fantastic Four Takeover Fills the Roster Instead
Part of the reason the ‘Eternals’ gap stands out is the sheer scale of who did make the cut. Robert Downey Jr. returns not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom, a casting choice first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024 and further previewed with new footage at CinemaCon 2026.
The Russo brothers are directing from a screenplay by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, with production based at Pinewood Studios in England, where filming ran from April to September 2025. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is the thirty-ninth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sits within Phase Six, with a direct sequel, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ already dated for December 17, 2027.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ follows heroes from three distinct universes as they are set on a collision course against an existential threat unlike anything they have previously encountered. With that much of the MCU’s history already competing for screen time between the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, the studio’s choice to leave the cosmic team on the sidelines looks less like an oversight and more like a function of just how crowded this particular reunion has become.
For a franchise built on Celestials, cosmic history, and a cliffhanger that once suggested major consequences, watching the ‘Eternals’ vanish from Marvel’s biggest crossover yet raises a real question about what, if anything, the studio still has planned for that corner of the universe, and it is worth hearing where longtime fans of the team think this leaves them.
