Tom Holland is not part of cast of Avengers: Doomsday.
However, when Marvel live-streamed the movie's cast reveal, Tom Holland's name was nowhere to be seen. Given how Spider-Man was one of the closest heroes to Downey's Iron Man and RDJ is now back in the MCU as Doctor Doom for the two Avengers movies, I expected Marvel to tap into that shared history. While Spider-Man could always be a late addition to the film's cast, I can't help but be frustrated by his absence for the time being, and with Holland's revealed desire for an MCU team-up, that absence has become even worse.
Tom Holland Has Revealed The Multiverse Saga Hero He Wants To Team Up With
The MCU Has Introduced Several Heroes In The Last Few Years
The MCU's Multiverse Saga has led to several new characters ing the franchise since Phase 4 started. That was possible due to the creation of the Marvel Studios series on Disney+, as well as the decision to add many post-credits character reveals and the like in MCU films. However, many of those characters have either gone years without interacting with other MCU players or have only done so recently. Since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home marked the latest MCU appearance of Holland's Peter Parker, Spider-Man has been absent for four years and will only return in 2026.
15 Most Powerful Marvel Heroes Missing From Avengers: Doomsday, Ranked
Marvel has announced Avengers: Doomsday's main cast, but more heroes are expected to appear in the MCU movie, and a few powerhouses fit the bill.
That means that Spider-Man has not interacted with any of the new MCU heroes introduced during the Multiverse Saga. At one point, America Chavez, who debuted in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, would have been in the MCU's third Spider-Man movie. That did not happen. While Spider-Man has been away for quite a long time, Tom Holland revealed to Entertainment Tonight during the Spider-Man: No Way Home press tour in 2021 that the new character introduced to the MCU during the Multiverse Saga that he wanted to team up with was Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
When asked about which MCU "newbies" he would like to team up with, Holland said, "I want to work with Florence Pugh. I think she's amazing. She's so good in that movie (Black Widow) and all the movies she has done... A really cool Spider-Man/Black Widow movie..." At the time, Pugh had only appeared opposite Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff in the MCU's Black Widow on the franchise's movie side, with the actress also making her MCU TV debut around Spider-Man: No Way Home's release in the form of Disney+'s Hawkeye. I would love a Spider-Man and Black Widow team-up.
Thunderbolts* Set Up Yelena Belova For A Major Avengers: Doomsday Role
Florence Pugh's Marvel Character Is Now On A Higher Shelf In The MCU
Since Tom Holland's Spider-Man was last seen in his trilogy finale and there were not a lot of opportunities for where he could have shown up in the MCU since then, the best place we could have had for Holland's Spider-Man and Pugh's Yelena Belova to meet for the first time would have been in Avengers: Doomsday. Initially, I was unsure of what role Yelena could play in the film. However, it seems to be clear that the hero will be one of the main players in the Avengers movie after Thunderbolts*.
The MCU's second movie of 2025 presented some major changes for the franchise. Thunderbolts*'s post-credits scene. I loved how Yelena Belova is seemingly the leader of the New Avengers, as she showed her leadership skills and fearless nature time and again in the MCU movie. With the two Avengers teams in the franchise — the New Avengers and Sam Wilson's Avengers team — fighting over the Avengers trademark, Yelena's role in Avengers: Doomsday should be significant.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Could Still Appear In Avengers: Doomsday
The Next Avengers Movie Is Still Keeping Many Secrets
That role for Yelena Belova is the kind of thing that I had been expecting would be in play for Tom Holland's Spider-Man in Avengers: Doomsday. However, the Peter Parker actor was not one of the stars announced by Marvel to the Avengers: Doomsday cast. While I was shocked at first by Holland's absence from the Avengers movie, I guess it makes sense. After all, Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with a solid setup for a more intimate, lower-scale, street-level story for the next Spider-Man movie. As such, I think Holland appearing next in Spider-Man: Brand New Day tracks.
Every MCU Avengers Movie |
|
|---|---|
Movie |
Release Date |
The Avengers |
2012 |
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
2015 |
Avengers: Infinity War |
2018 |
Avengers: Endgame |
2019 |
Avengers: Doomsday |
2026 |
Avengers: Secret Wars |
2027 |
However, my hopes of seeing Spider-Man, the MCU's most popular hero without Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America, in the Avengers movie are still not gone. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed that Avengers: Doomsday's cast is bigger than what was announced. Now, we don't know whether that means Marvel will share another live-stream in the future to announce the rest of the cast or if the studio will try to keep those names a surprise. But if I had to guess, I would say Spider-Man is likely one of the unannounced characters.
Why I Want To See Spider-Man And Yelena Belova Team Up In The MCU
Tom Holland's Desired Marvel Team-Up Is Perfect For Both Characters
If Tom Holland's Spider-Man is in Avengers: Doomsday, then judging by the big role Thunderbolts* set up for the team, the film would be the perfect spot for Spidey and the MCU's new Black Widow to meet. However, if Holland never shows up in the Avengers movie, there is always 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars or another MCU feature to get them together. The important part is that I see the potential in the MCU team-up Tom Holland wants. Peter Parker and Yelena Belova have somewhat similar personalities with great comedic timing.
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Over the three live-action Spider-Man movie franchises, the different Peter Parkers have donned amazing suits, but some were more comics-accurate.
Both heroes are also acrobatic fighters, which would make them fighting together onscreen an entertaining experience. Besides their similarities in lighter elements, I'm convinced Yelena and Peter would also relate on a deeper level due to their losses. Yelena lost her sister and endured the traumatic experience of growing up in the Red Room. As for Peter, he has lost many loved ones, with the world forgetting who he was. There is just so much trauma between the two that I feel they could pick each other up nicely, and I would love to see Avengers: Doomsday explore that.
Avengers: Doomsday
Cast
Thor
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
