The latest trailer for Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday has arrived, offering a look at Robert Downey Jr.'s voice as Doctor Doom and Steve Rogers sporting a beard, yet details remain scarce. Much of the trailer recycles footage from earlier teasers, including Professor X and Magneto, the Wakandans meeting the Fantastic Four, and Cyclops unleashing his optic blast. However, the trailer also provides the first official look at Sam Wilson's new Avengers lineup, which appears notably sparse, leading to speculation that key characters may have been removed.
This development follows the events of Thunderbolts, where the U.S. government has apparently bestowed the "Avengers" name upon a separate team composed of Yelena Belova, US Agent, Sentry, Red Guardian, Ghost, and Bucky Barnes. The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts indicated that Sam Wilson is also assembling his own team, potentially leading to two distinct groups sharing the Avengers moniker.
The new trailer depicts Thor addressing three separate teams: the Fantastic Four, the "New Avengers" (the Thunderbolts), and Sam's Avengers, which currently seems to consist only of himself and Ant-Man. While Joaquin Torres, also known as Falcon, is visible elsewhere in the trailer, the composition of Sam's primary team remains ambiguous. This mirrors previous instances where Marvel Studios has edited characters out of trailers, such as Spider-Man from Captain America: Civil War and alternate Spider-Man variants from Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The most compelling evidence for a hidden cameo is a noticeable empty space next to Sam Wilson on his side of the room during a team scene. The limited size of his current team also fuels this theory.
Potential candidates for this hidden spot include Shang-Chi, who is seen in the trailer fighting alongside Gambit, though his official inclusion in the Avengers would still be significant news. Hulk and Spider-Man are also possibilities, depending on their status following Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Actress Evangeline Lilly, who plays Wasp, has fueled speculation about her potential return after stepping away from acting in 2024. She previously hinted at a possible appearance in future Avengers films via an Instagram comment with a winking emoji in response to a fan's question.
Alternatively, the empty space could simply be unoccupied, reflecting a general underwhelment with Sam Wilson's tenure as Captain America, following perceived mediocre outings like Brave New World and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on December 18.