Doctor Doom’s Avengers: Doomsday Team: Hulk Is Just the Start, Russo Brothers Hint at More Recruits

Every great villain needs a crew, and Marvel’s newest big bad is building one. After a new scene in Avengers: Endgame Encore showed Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) approaching Bruce Banner, the directors of Avengers: Doomsday have hinted that the Hulk is not the only hero Doom has his eye on.

The Endgame Encore Scene

The re-release of Avengers: Endgame included new post-credits scenes that link directly to Doomsday. In one, Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is hiding underground after unexpectedly hulking out in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, doing his best to avoid another incident. Then Doom turns up and tells him, “Mr. Banner, I’m here to collect you.” Ruffalo has not been listed in the confirmed Doomsday cast, but this scene strongly suggests the Hulk will matter to Doom’s plans.

What the Russos Said?

In an interview with Empire, Joe and Anthony Russo were careful not to reveal too much. Joe said Doom’s interest may go beyond Banner, and added that this was all they would say. The directors also admitted the questions were making them sweat, which suggests the other recruits could involve major spoilers for the story and cast.

Doom’s Recruitment at a Glance

Theory 1: Spider-Man

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is also missing from the confirmed cast. The post-credits scene in Brand New Day showed Ned’s tracker app with Spider-Man’s icon moving into space, followed by a static-like glitch. A similar glitch appears in the Encore scene where Doom collects Banner. That similarity hints Peter may have been taken too, which would reunite Downey Jr. and Holland on screen. Doom’s interest could also connect to Peter’s meddling with the Multiverse in No Way Home.

Theory 2: The Latverian Witches

The masked Latverian witches seen in Doomsday marketing may not be nameless henchwomen. If Doom is gathering Marvel characters, they could be familiar faces under the costumes. Names fans have floated include Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Clea from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter and Sylvie, a Loki variant played by Sophia Di Martino. None of this is confirmed.

Why It Matters?

Marketing has so far shown Doom as a lone operator, but these hints confirm he will not be working alone. If he keeps pulling heroes away from the existing Avengers, the teams facing him could be thinner than expected. To learn more about the film, read the Avengers: Doomsday page on Wikipedia.

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