10 Marvel Cameos That Would Shock Us In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Avengers: Doomsday (2026) is shaping up to have quite the stacked cast. Marvel Studios is going all out, not only bringing back the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current Avengers members, but also the Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. As impressive as the cast is, we’re still excited for potential cameos, since the multiverse and X-Men crossover into the MCU keeps the door open to many possibilities.

The only problem is, you may be wondering who is even left to cameo outside of the film’s enormous cast. While we kind of anticipate unconfirmed MCU appearances from the likes of Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) or Spider-Man (Tom Holland), there are a few other Marvel cameos that Avengers: Doomsday could utilize to surprise us. Use our guide to find out where to watch the Marvel characters we’d love to see make a surprise return in Avengers: Doomsday.

David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury

While Samuel L. Jackson is the Nick Fury of the MCU, the multiverse opens the door for the return of another Nick Fury: David Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff played the role of Fury in the made-for-TV movie Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998). The film is a far cry from the MCU, filled with campy humor and playing out like a cheesy action flick.

However, Hasselhoff’s performance as Fury is the one standout in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He didn’t offer the same grit and humor as Jackson’s fury, but worked well as a more sarcastic, campy, tongue-in-cheek version of the character. According to Hasselhoff, Stan Lee told him he was the “ultimate” Nick Fury, and he has been open to returning to the role. His role is just old and obscure enough that it’d be quite shocking if Avengers: Doomsday opted to bring him back.

Colin Farrell as Bullseye

Daredevil (2003) has a mixed legacy among superhero fans, but it holds a few compelling performances. Colin Farrell especially offered an excellent spin on Bullseye. He may not have had the outfit, but he clearly understood the character and nailed his unhinged, over-the-top, sadistic side. It’s also important to remember that he didn’t have a whole lot to work with, given the flaws in Daredevil’s script, dialogue, and characterization.

Hence, one can only imagine what more Farrell could do working with the MCU. Avengers: Doomsday could give him the chance to wear the comic-book-accurate Bullseye costume and portray a more mature version of the character. While viewers may expect Daredevil (Ben Affleck) or Elektra (Jennifer Garner) to return, Farrell’s take on Bullseye is a little less recognizable and would undoubtedly cause a stir if he suddenly returned for Avengers: Doomsday.

Thomas Jane as The Punisher

Marvel fans love Jon Bernthal’s intimidating, rage-fueled Punisher in the MCU, but most also still have a soft spot for Thomas Jane’s portrayal of the character. Jane offered one of the best iterations of Punisher in The Punisher (2004), even though the film struggled with its cliche revenge plot and overly bleak tone. Even so, Jane nailed the role of Frank Castle. He looks the part to a T and provides a brilliant, calculated, and brutal persona that matches the comic book version beautifully.

Despite his well-received performance, Jane believed he was miscast as Punisher and had no interest in returning to the role. As a result, my hopes aren’t high that Avengers: Doomsday could convince him to return. However, if the movie pulls it off, it would be one pleasant surprise and would mean so much to all the fans who still consider him their Punisher.

Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider (2007) is a lot like The Punisher (2004) and Daredevil (2003) in that it boasts a divisive legacy. The film is pretty campy, but it definitely has its audience, especially if you’re a fan of fun Nicolas Cage movies like Renfield (2023) and The Rock (1996). He makes the role his own, adding a bit of over-the-top energy to the character that works quite well. Although I personally prefer Gabriel Luna’s Ghost Rider from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013), seeing Cage return to one of his most polarizing roles certainly would be fun.

Having Johnny Blaze’s Ghost Rider in the MCU would be a delight. Ghost Rider is one of Marvel’s best anti-heroes, and, after 15 years, it’s about time he returned to the big screen. However, it would be quite a surprise if Avengers: Doomsday got Cage to reprise the role, as he hasn’t shown much interest in doing so.

Terrence Howard as War Machine

Terrence Howard is one actor we imagine Marvel would have a very difficult time securing for Avengers: Doomsday. Howard was the MCU’s original James “Rhodey” Rhodes (a.k.a. War Machine), portraying the role in Iron Man (2008). He offered a unique take on the character, portraying a more laidback, humorous version that meshed well with Stark’s personality. However, a pay dispute arose during negotiations for Iron Man 2 (2010), leading to Don Cheadle taking over the role of Rhodes.

Cheadle is an excellent War Machine, too, but fans of Howard’s iteration still wonder what would’ve happened if he’d stayed in the MCU. Not only has there been no discussion of Howard returning as War Machine, but even fan speculation about it has been pretty much nonexistent. Seeing him in Avengers: Doomsday would be quite the shock.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark

Robert Downey Jr. is already starring in Avengers: Doomsday as Doctor Doom, but the MCU could drop a bigger surprise by also bringing him back as Tony Stark. Downey played Stark for over a decade, beginning with Iron Man and ending with Avengers: Endgame (2019). Even so, there have been fan theories that Stark survived Avengers: Endgame. However, the multiverse also means Stark could easily return as a variant, and it wouldn’t even have to interfere with Earth-616 Stark’s ending at all.

It wouldn’t be the first time the MCU used the multiverse to bring back an iconic actor after their character died, given Hugh Jackman’s return in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Of course, we don’t quite know what Avengers: Doomsday is doing with Doom or if he already is a Stark variant himself. Still, having Downey play Doom and Stark opposite each other would be wild, surprising, and one mind-bending way to use the multiverse.

Edward Norton as The Hulk

Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner (a.k.a. The Hulk) in one of the MCU’s earliest movies: The Incredible Hulk (2008). The film received mixed reviews for its lack of depth and poor CGI. Given its struggles, many seem to have forgotten that Norton was really an incredible Hulk. He offered an iteration that beautifully captured the Hulk's rage and Banner’s internal conflict. Unfortunately, due to creative differences, Banner was recast after The Incredible Hulk, with Mark Ruffalo taking over the role.

Recently, the MCU has brought The Incredible Hulk and its characters back into relevance with projects like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and Captain America: Brand New World (2025). Given the creative differences Norton and Marvel faced, his return seems unlikely. Still, if he were to return, it’s the kind of surprise cameo that would have movie theater audiences cheering.

Evan Peters and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver

Two actors have portrayed Quicksilver on the big screen. Aaron Taylor-Johnson briefly portrayed the MCU’s Quicksilver before his untimely demise in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Meanwhile, Evan Peters portrayed a different variant of Quicksilver in the X-Men movies. Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver’s death is still one of the most infamous moments in the MCU, as viewers slammed the improbable way he died, as well as the fact that he died much too early.

Peters offered a younger, different, but wildly fun take on Quicksilver beginning with X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), leading fans to hope for his MCU debut. Although WandaVision (2021) teased his potential return, he ultimately has not crossed over into the MCU. With Avengers: Doomsday’s multiversal premise, though, the MCU can finally bring back Peters’ beloved Quicksilver and throw in Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver while they’re at it to fix the MCU’s Quicksilver mistakes.

Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse and/or Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac has played two Marvel characters throughout his career. He joined the X-Men film series in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) as the titular villain. More recently, he starred as Marc Spector in the MCU’s Moon Knight (2022). Of the two roles, Apocalypse would be a bit more shocking to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. While Isaac is an excellent actor, his portrayal of Apocalypse fell flat due to underwhelming makeup and costume, combined with a flimsy plot. Isaac himself wished the film had done a better job, and found the role “excurciating” due to the prosthetics.

However, Avengers: Doomsday could give Marvel a chance to fix Apocalypse, perhaps by doing a CGI version with Isaac’s voice instead of the prosthetics. Additionally, even if Isaac returns only as Moon Knight, it’d still be a pleasant surprise. Fans have begun to give up hope that he’ll actually return, but a surprise cameo in Avengers: Doomsday could renew some hope.

Tom Hardy as Venom

Tom Hardy stars as the titular anti-hero in Sony’s Venom (2018), and his potential appearance in Avengers: Doomsday shouldn’t be that big of a surprise, but the MCU has made it so with how much they’ve teased but not delivered on his MCU debut. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) ended with Venom’s transportation into the MCU through the multiverse, making fans believe he’d play a significant role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). However, Spider-Man: No Way Home then revealed Venom missed all the action and relegated him to a post-credits scene, and the MCU hasn’t done anything with Venom since then.

Meanwhile, Venom: The Last Dance (2024) seemed to end Eddie Brock and Venom’s saga. As a result, I’ve pretty much lost hope that the MCU will ever just give Hardy’s Venom a proper entry. So, if Avengers: Doomsday finally actually brings Venom into the mix outside a post-credit scene, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.