8 Marvel Cameos We’d Genuinely Be Shocked By In Avengers: Doomsday
It already feels like Marvel has packed the Avengers: Doomsday cast with every character that makes sense for this universe-defining story. In fact, it’s bursting at the seams so much that some of the casting decisions really left us surprised.
For instance, who would have guessed that the likes of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen would be back for one last(?) dance as their iconic X-Men characters? Or that Robert Downey Jr. would turn heel and take on the role of Doctor Doom? Not that we’re complaining, mind you.
One of the major successes of the Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame two-parter was the fact that those huge ensemble casts were handled perfectly, with everyone having a significant part to play.
But if we know anything about the MCU by now, it’s that there’s bound to be even more surprises waiting for us when it comes to Avengers: Doomsday. So, here are eight Marvel cameos that would truly blow our minds if they showed up later this year.
1. Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider
Just before the MCU began, the legendary Nicolas Cage took on the role of Johnny Blaze in 2007’s Ghost Rider. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t a great film, with poor CGI and a convoluted story spoiling what could have been a really distinctive, dark comic book movie. Still, he returned as the character again in 2011 for a sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. That was arguably even worse than the first film, but it’s hard not to have a bit of fun when you’re watching Cage playing a demon vigilante on a motorcycle.
Does it make sense for Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider to show up in the MCU? Not really. Does that stop us wanting it to happen? Absolutely not. It would be brilliant to see him tearing it up on the battlefield, even just for a brief moment. The actor himself has recently insisted that while his character is not part of the MCU, he doesn’t need to be: “I’m Nic Cage.” It sounds like he could take it or leave it… or maybe he’s just really good at keeping secrets?
2. David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury
It’s almost impossible to imagine anyone but Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury now, but way back in 1998, we glimpsed an alternate reality where David Hasselhoff plays the character. Interestingly, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t feature any superheroes; it’s just a story of the main man having to come out of retirement to take down HYDRA.
It’s an incredibly camp and cheesy action movie that was made for TV, and one that most people have likely forgotten about, but that doesn’t mean the Hoff can’t make a comeback now. He actually popped up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when Ego was trying out different looks for his human form, so he’s clearly got a contact at Marvel. Plus, with the Nick Fury we know slipping out of the picture in recent movies, it could make sense for an alternate version to show up.
3. Tom Cruise as Iron Man
This is a fan-casting that has been doing the rounds for decades now, and if it’s ever going to come true, then now is the time to do it. Tom Cruise was the top choice to play Tony Stark in the late ‘90s, but it never came to fruition because the actor was hesitant to take a risk on an untested character. Since then, the rumours have persisted, despite Cruise playing down the idea and insisting he loves what Robert Downey Jr. has done with the character.
We’re likely to see how his version of Tony Stark becomes Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. But, while the Iron Man we know and love is dead, that does leave a significant void among the roster of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. With Cruise’s commitment to the Mission: Impossible franchise over and this colossal crossover event providing the perfect platform for the MCU to experiment with different variants, our dreams could finally come true.
4. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
The last time we saw Natalie Portman in the MCU, she was wielding Mjolnir and had evolved into a fully-fledged superhero in Thor: Love and Thunder. Jane Foster was pretty badass as the Mighty Thor, but she was also hiding a secret: she was dying of cancer. Sadly, by the end of that movie, Jane passed away and is seemingly out of the MCU for good.
However, with Chris Hemsworth back as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday, and all kinds of strange things happening in this multiversal tale, there is really no character that can be truly off the table. Indeed, in the comics, Jane is resurrected by Thor and becomes a Valkyrie, so there is precedent for her to return in some capacity here.
5. Terence Howard as War Machine
Remember in Iron Man when Colonel James Rhodes was played by Terence Howard? In Iron Man 2, he was replaced by Don Cheadle after a pay dispute and has never been seen in the MCU again. Frankly, there would be absolutely no reason to bring Howard back as War Machine at this point, but it would be kind of funny to just throw him in there for the sake of it.
Given how the partnership between Howard and Marvel ended, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him in Avengers: Doomsday, but, as we say, there are multiple variants of these characters out there; he doesn’t need to be Earth-616’s Rhodey. He could even come back as some kind of ally to Doctor Doom. If, as we suspect, Doom is a version of Tony Stark that went rogue, it would make sense for him to have an evil Rhodey by his side.
6. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark
Speaking of the main man himself, it’s still almost unbelievable that Robert Downey Jr. is going to not only be in Avengers: Doomsday, but will be the Big Bad of the story. It’s pretty safe to assume that the fact Doom looks just like Tony Stark will be addressed by the characters who knew him as Iron Man, but what if we actually get Downey Jr. playing another variant of Stark, too?
In the MCU, we’ve already seen Captain America fight Captain America, Deadpool take on a whole army of different versions of Deadpool, and Loki wander through different timelines admiring himself. That’s without even mentioning what was going on in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There’s obviously nothing in the rule book that says Downey Jr. can’t play two roles in this film, and that could even be the thing that forces the multiverse to collapse in on itself.
7. Edward Norton as Bruce Banner
The character of Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, is an odd one for Marvel. Let’s not forget that Edward Norton first took on the role in The Incredible Hulk, which is technically part of the MCU – it even has a post-credit scene with Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The fact that Mark Ruffalo now plays the Hulk is just something we’ve all become accustomed to, but just like Terence Howard, there is a teeny, tiny chance we’ll get Norton back, too.
In fact, it’s far more likely for Norton to return given that he exited the franchise over creative differences with Marvel over the direction the studio wanted to take his character, and the fact that he didn’t want to be tied down. It’s not like he left on terrible terms, and with the introduction of Hulk’s son, Skaar, there’s obviously room for more than one big, green monster in the MCU.
8. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
There are very valid concerns over the idea of assembling the original Avengers once more. Chris Evans and Downey Jr. having parts to play (albeit as a different character for the latter) does cheapen the emotional impact of that brutal Avengers: Endgame finale. Still, there is a part of me that’s very excited to see them again. So, why can’t Natasha Romanoff return, too?
She paid a heavy price in Endgame, sacrificing her life on Vormir to secure the Soul Stone for Clint Barton. But guess what? So did Gamora, but a version of her still lived on after Thanos chucked her off a cliff. Johansson is busy working on The Batman Part II as we speak, which means she’s probably too busy to hop over from DC and film a scene or two for Marvel. But wouldn’t that be the perfect alibi for a secret cameo?
