AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY directors Joe and Anthony Russo still have names to add to their superhero roster, and the Hulk might be one of them.
“The farthest we can go is to say, there are characters and actors who have not been announced, who are a part of DOOMSDAY,” Anthony told Empire.
The brothers spoke with the outlet about the four new scenes in AVENGERS: ENDGAME ENCORE, the theatrical rerelease that gives audiences a running start toward December’s superhero reunion. One scene brings actor Mark Ruffalo back as Bruce Banner and puts him within reach of Doctor Doom.
That appearance naturally raises the question of whether Banner’s enormous green alter ego will join the next AVENGERS adventure. Joe offered a clue, then drew a firm line.
“I think [what] we could say is, [Banner] is certainly involved in the story that revolves around Doom,” Joe said.
“We will not confirm nor deny his appearance in DOOMSDAY,” he added in the same answer.
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In the new footage, Banner has gone deep underground when an unseen visitor arrives. Joe explained that Banner is dealing with the fallout from SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY and trying to protect the world from himself; the place he considers secure turns out to be anything but.
Empire identified the voice as Doctor Doom’s and asks why the villain wants Banner. Joe leaves that mystery intact, suggesting Doom’s interest could extend beyond Banner himself.
The cast reveal has been part of the spectacle from the start. In March 2025, Marvel spent five hours unveiling actors’ names on a line of directors’ chairs, as ABC News reported, before actor Robert Downey Jr. appeared at the end.
Downey returns to the Marvel universe as Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man. Many of the original AVENGERS characters return, and the announced ensemble also brings back X-Men actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, alongside the Fantastic Four cast led by actor Pedro Pascal.
For viewers wondering how that many heroes can share one story, the Russos pointed Empire toward another ENCORE sequence: a crisis at the Time Variance Authority. Anthony described the collapsing multiverse as the common thread that brings together the X-Men, Avengers and Fantastic Four universes.
The added scenes also revisit Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter after their dance at the end of ENDGAME, with Loki interrupting their life together. Joe told Empire that the new sequences bridge the two movies rather than simply preview scenes audiences will see again in DOOMSDAY.
Audiences have already turned that return trip into a sizable weekend. Disney reported an estimated $86 million worldwide opening for ENCORE, including $26 million domestically, in its Sept. 27 announcement.
The rerelease gives returning viewers another look at ENDGAME before Doom takes center stage, while the directors keep some of their casting surprises to themselves. For now, their promise of additional actors is definite; Hulk’s place in DOOMSDAY is not.
AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY opens in US theaters Dec. 18, 2026, according to Disney’s official movie page, which currently lists it as not yet rated.
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