With Marvel’s Thunderbolts set to release in theaters on May 2, 2025, attention has shifted to how its events connect to the upcoming crossover film, Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel officially announced part of the Doomsday cast on March 26, 2025, confirming several characters from Thunderbolts will return. The announcement has prompted discussion about which characters survive and raised further questions about omissions in the lineup.

Marvel actively withholds or alters casting information for Avengers: Doomsday to protect narrative surprises in Thunderbolts*. Although the studio confirmed several Thunderbolts* characters for the 2026 ensemble, it left out certain names, fueling theories about who survives. Marvel frequently misleads audiences to preserve key plot points.

On March 26, 2025, Marvel announced 27 cast members for Avengers: Doomsday. The list included Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman — all featured in Thunderbolts*.

Marvel excluded Olga Kurylenko, prompting speculation that Taskmaster may die in Thunderbolts*. However, Marvel has not confirmed this. The official Thunderbolts* synopsis places the team in a deadly trap, highlighting the high stakes they face.

Marvel has used deception in previous marketing campaigns. For example, the Infinity War trailer showed Hulk in a battle scene, though he did not appear in the actual fight. The Endgame trailers hid Natasha Romanoff’s death through spliced dialogue. 

The No Way Home trailer excluded Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, despite their major roles. Tatiana Maslany denied playing She-Hulk before Marvel confirmed her casting. Andrew Garfield repeatedly denied his return as Spider-Man. The Russos denied Endgame as the final title.

The Doomsday announcement excluded major MCU characters like Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo, and Brie Larson, supporting insider claims that Marvel will eventually confirm over 50 actors. Robert Downey Jr. stated on Instagram, “That’s what u call a deep bench of talent… an extra long one… That must be it…right?” Marvel replied, “@robertdowneyjr there’s always room for more…”

Taskmaster’s exclusion, paired with Marvel’s precedent for secrecy and misdirection, supports the theory that additional Thunderbolts* characters may also die — or that Marvel is concealing cast details to avoid revealing Thunderbolts*’ ending.