‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Bets Big on ‘X-Men,’ ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Thunderbolts,’ but Will Fans Care Without the Original Stars?

variety.com:

Marvel inundated social media on Wednesday with the cast announcement for its 2026 tentpole “Avengers: Doomsday.” Over more than five hours, the oversized superhero squad generated constant buzz (and memes) as viewers patiently watched a livestream that slowly revealed cast members’ names on the backs of director’s chairs.

It was the first official information on who will headline the first of a two-part finale to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, and Marvel pulled out all the stops.

It seems like just about everyone in Kevin Feige’s rolodex is on the call sheet. Stars from “Captain America,” “Black Panther,” “Thor” and “Ant-Man” are on the list, plus some upcoming franchise hopefuls from “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and “Thunderbolts*.” But can “Doomsday” reach the $2.79 billion box-office heights of “Endgame”?

People may bemoan superhero franchise fatigue and the overabundance of Marvel titles, but around 100,000 viewers were concurrently watching the livestream on YouTube, and “Avengers: Doomsday” was also the No.