The Russo brothers have a new rule for Avengers: Doomsday: they won’t confirm the Hulk’s appearance, but they won’t deny it either.
Speaking to Empire Online, Joe Russo said Bruce Banner is “certainly involved” in the story revolving around Doom. Then he hedged: “We will not confirm nor deny his appearance in Doomsday.” That sounds like a yes, but it doesn’t have to be one.
Anthony Russo went further. He said there are characters and actors who have not been announced yet, who are part of the film. As far as we can go, there are characters and actors who have not been announced, who are a part of Doomsday.
The Full List So Far
So far, the movie has confirmed 31 named performers. Among them are MCU returnees Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). The Fantastic Four complete the group, with Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) joining the cast.
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) join the Thunderbolts/New Avengers roster. The X-Men/Fox-Era list includes Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellen).
The confirmed cast includes Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom/Victor von Doom, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and Mabel Cadena as Namora.
MCU Veterans
Captain America is led by Steve Rogers, a veteran actor whose cast also includes Thor, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and Ant-Man. Chris Evans plays Rogers, while Chris Hemsworth takes on Thor. Sebastian Stan portrays Bucky Barnes, Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson, and Paul Rudd rounds out the group as Ant-Man.
The cast includes Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Shuri/Black Panther (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), and Falcon/Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).
The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four’s lineup opens with Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), with Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) completing the quartet.
Thunderbolts and New Avengers
The cast for the Thunderbolts/New Avengers features Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov, portrayed by David Harbour, and U.S. Agent/John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell. The roster also includes Ghost/Ava Starr, played by Hannah John-Kamen, and Sentry/Bob Reynolds, played by Lewis Pullman.
X-Men and Fox-Era Characters
The core of the X-Men/Fox-Era lineup rests on Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellen). Cyclops/Scott Summers (James Marsden), Beast/Hank McCoy (Kelsey Grammer), Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming), Mystique/Raven (Rebecca Romijn), and Gambit/Remy LeBeau (Channing Tatum) round out the group.
Shooting Without a Script
The Russos admitted they started filming Doomsday without a finished script. “We always view the script as a living organism,” Joe said. “We’re improvisation-based, rehearsal-based directors.”
He added that sometimes they don’t get actors until a few days or a few weeks before shooting. “And a lot of the time, that’s when the magic happens.”
The Secret Cast
Some names remain concealed from view, and the directors refuse to reveal who these secret characters are, offering only confirmation that they exist.
“We will not confirm nor deny his appearance in Doomsday.”
What Comes Next
Doomsday opens in theaters Dec. 18.
Source material: “‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Directors Tease Hulk Return, Say More Secret Characters Coming,” The Hollywood Reporter.
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