Avengers: Doomsday Could Finally Make Yelena, Shang-Chi and 5 More Heroes Official Avengers

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are about to get a much bigger roster. With Avengers: Doomsday landing on December 18, 2026, several longtime MCU characters may finally earn the title they’ve been…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 31, 2026

2 min read

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Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are about to get a much bigger roster. With Avengers: Doomsday landing on December 18, 2026, several longtime MCU characters may finally earn the title they’ve been circling for years.

Why Avengers: Doomsday Is About to Change?

The film pits the heroes against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, a threat powerful enough to endanger the Multiverse. A recent “3 Teams Will Stand As One” promo suggests three groups will unite: Sam Wilson’s Avengers, Yelena Belova’s New Avengers, and heroes from Wakanda and Talokan. Tension over who owns the Avengers name was first hinted at in Thunderbolts.

The 7 Heroes Who May Become Full Avengers

Hero	Actor	Why They Could Qualify
Yelena Belova	Florence Pugh	Leads the New Avengers; could follow in Natasha’s footsteps
Ghost	Hannah John-Kamen	A former Ant-Man foe turned Thunderbolts ally
John Walker	Wyatt Russell	Ex-Captain America now working with the team
Sentry (Bob Reynolds)	Lewis Pullman	One of the MCU’s most powerful beings
Red Guardian	David Harbour	Longs for the recognition Steve Rogers enjoyed
Shang-Chi	Simu Liu	Has appeared alongside Sam’s rebuilt team
Shuri / Black Panther	Letitia Wright	Fought alongside Avengers, never officially joined

A Few Interesting Angles

Yelena has never officially belonged to the original organization, yet she leads a rival-sounding group, so her inclusion feels like a natural evolution. John Walker joining would put him close to Sam Wilson, whom he clashed with before, which could create fireworks.

Sentry may be the biggest power boost for a team mostly made up of skilled fighters and super soldiers. Shang-Chi hasn’t appeared in live action since his own film, so his return is a major moment.

The Maybe List

Hero	Likelihood
Namor (Tenoch Huerta)	Uneasy alliance, but complicated history
M’Baku (Winston Duke)	Fought Thanos’ forces, though inclusion isn’t guaranteed
Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton)	Confirmed for the film, but joining seems unlikely

What It Means for Marvel Fans?

The MCU has spent years scattering its heroes across films and shows. This story looks set to pull them together, resolving old rivalries and giving newer characters a place in the legacy. For background on the film, see the Avengers: Doomsday Wikipedia page, or check the official Marvel site for updates.