Which Characters Are In The Most Danger Of Dying In 'Avengers: Doomsday'?

Hype is continuing to build in the lead up to the release of Avengers: Doomsday, the penultimate chapter in the MCU's Multiverse saga, in December 2026. With the growing hype comes discussion, with many fans combing through trailers and interviews forming their theories about what we can expect in the upcoming film.

Doctor Victor Von Doom is one of the most dangerous villains the Avengers have faced, and because of this, fans are expecting at least one significant death in the film. Let's take a look at the characters likely to be in the most danger in Avengers: Doomsday.

Pretty much all of the returning Fox-verse X-Men

For longtime Marvel fans, one of the most unexpected and exciting elements of Avengers: Doomsday is that a number of actors from Fox's original X-Men film trilogy are set to reprise their roles. Currently confirmed to return are Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Rebecca Romijin as Mystique. Alongside the above, Channing Tatum is reprising his role as Gambit from 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine, which at the time of it's release, appeared to represent a love letter/ fond goodbye to the Fox-verse.

Now, it appears the true goodbye to the Fox-verse may come in Doomsday. In the teaser announcing the return of the X-Men, Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters is in ruins, and in studying the other trailers and production stills, fans have noticed a relatively low presence from the X-Men apart from a battle between Gambit and Shang-Chi, another between Yelena and Mystique, and the possible presence of an injured Magneto in a group meeting with some of the Avengers. Some believe this hints that the Fox-verse X-Men are mostly there as sacrificial lambs.

Of course, the reduced presence in the trailers could be simply to avoid spoilers, however, with the MCU launching their own X-Men in 2028, it makes sense that they'd want to take the Fox-verse OG's off the board and avoid muddying the waters.

Loki

Following the events of the Loki series finale, the Loki variant created during the events of Endgame now sits upon a throne at the centre of the Multiverse and holding it all together, becoming the God of Stories/Guardian of the Multiverse. As a Guardian of the Multiverse, observing all the different branches, Loki is sure to be a key figure in the closing chapters of the Multiverse saga.

Previously the main villain of the first Avengers film, Loki is now set up to be one of the greatest heroes in Doomsday. His position watching over the Multiverse has sparked theories that he may be the first to notice the impending danger and warn the other heroes, or that he will be the one to bring Steve Rogers back to help the heroes. Unfortunately, Loki's abilities may also make him a key target for Doom.

On the other hand, Loki has 'died' onscreen three times already. This number is raised to five if you count the two occasions in the Loki series when he is pruned. A fourth/sixth death, even if permanent this time, may feel a little excessive. Some fans fear a flip to the script, where Loki may have to witness the death of somebody he cares about.

Thor

From the second trailer for the film, it seems that Thor will be taking a leadership role in Doomsday, being the one to rally and unite the two feuding branches of the Avengers in the face of Doom. Thor is also likely fighting to protect his adopted daughter, Love, who may be the recipient of one of the 'stolen lives' Doom refers to in the second trailer. His role as a uniting force for the team, as well as the fact that he may be protecting one of Doom's direct targets, puts Thor squarely in the danger zone.

Taking out one of the few remaining original Avengers would be a serious blow to the team, and cement Doom as a threat to be taking seriously. On the other hand, Thor: Love and Thunder ends on a cliffhanger that has not yet been resolved, and unlikely to be resolved in either of the upcoming Avengers films.

This suggests that at least one more solo Thor film is in the works at Marvel Studios, which means the God of Thunder is probably safe in Doomsday and Secret Wars. However, if Doom did want to prove he meant business by offing an original Avenger, Doomsday does provide one other option..

Steve Rogers

For many fans, one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of Doomsday's marketing so far is the film's very first teaser, which confirmed the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. Note, Evans is returning as Steve, not Captain America. Steve is even the only character to appear out of uniform in Doomsday's cast poster. Steve's return comes with questions. Last seen, he was living happily ever after in the past with Peggy Carter, so why is he back now?

The answer likely doesn't bode well. Some fans theorise that Steve's decision to go back and be with Peggy, and the birth of their baby son (rumoured to be named James in honour of Steve's best friend, James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes), could cause an incursion triggering the events of Avengers: Doomsday, or even be responsible for the tragedy Sue Storm says befell Victor Von Doom in the film's second trailer. If so, it makes sense that Doom would be gunning for him.

That said, bringing Steve back just to kill him seems an odd choice. It might be more interesting, from a story perspective, to see the near morally perfect Steve have to face the consequences of his mistake.

Bucky Barnes

James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes, first introduced to the MCU back in Phase One's Captain America: The First Avenger, has had a rough time of it. After falling to his apparent death in The First Avenger, Bucky was actually kidnapped and brainwashed by H.Y.D.R.A, spending decades as brutal assassin The Winter Soldier. After spending time recovering from the trauma of his time as The Winter Soldier, Bucky is currently a member of the New Avengers/Thunderbolts.

For a while now, fans have suspected that Bucky may be in danger come Doomsday. He is one of the few remaining characters introduced in Phase One who is still a major presence in the MCU, he is the best friend of the returning Steve Rogers, and, perhaps most crucially, he is one of the only characters to have positive connections with both the New Avengers, Sam Wilson's Avengers, and the Wakandans. Bucky is also absolutely a character to make a sacrifice play if the situation called for it, as well as being one of three Super Soldiers currently part of the MCU, four if you count the returning Steve. Some fans think this number is getting excessive, hence the likelihood of losing at least one in Doomsday.

As a long serving character, Bucky's death would sting for fans. However, like Coulson's death in The Avengers, it could also potentially unite the different factions of the team in grief and vengeance. The Avengers work best when they have someone to avenge.

Scott Lang

Introduced back in 2015's Ant-Man, Scott Lang quickly became a mainstay of the MCU. After becoming trapped in the Quantum realm at the exact moment Thanos snapped his fingers, Scott played a vital role in Avengers: Endgame, providing the information that helped Tony Stark discover time travel. In 2023, Scott opened phase 5 of the MCU with the release of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.

Rumour has it that Doom will be targeting the heroes' children. This rumour is supported by a number of shots highlighting the children in the second trailer, including Scott with his daughter, Cassie. While most of the children in question are still minors, Cassie is in her late teens, and already in possession of a Pym-tech supersuit of her own. This means that Cassie is more likely to involve herself in dangerous situations, and, therefore, Scott is more likely to place himself in the line of fire protecting her.

If Scott were to die, it could set up elements of a long-rumoured Young Avengers: The Children's Crusade adaptation. In The Children's Crusade comic, Cassie defies instructions and avert's Scott's death while time travelling.

Of course, all of this is speculation. We'll have to wait and see how things truly unfold when Avengers: Doomsday hits theatres in December.