X-Men Casting, Doctor Doom vs. Bob, and My Full D23 Predictions for the MCU's Future

D23 is this weekend, and there is a real chance we get X-Men casting news, a new trailer, or both. That is why this stream matters for fans right now: between a fresh report on the X-Men cast, a possible Friday trailer, and lingering questions about who is recast after Secret Wars, there is a lot riding on the next few days for the MCU.

We spent a chunk of the stream debating a specific shot from the Avengers Doomsday trailer, the one set in the new Avengers Tower where the team is gathered around screens. My first instinct was that the person sitting off to the side in what looks like sweatpants, flip flops and a robe is Bob, not Doctor Doom. My co-host agreed, pointing out the high socks and robe as clear Bob signifiers, not Doom. We also went back into the Doomsday trailer to look at a moment involving the Fantastic Four, where there appears to be a gap in the frame, and floated the idea that Doom could be edited out of that shot and standing dead center, since if he is anywhere in this scene he would logically be in the middle of the frame rather than off to the side. We also picked out Captain America and Ant-Man on one side with Bucky nearby, and guessed that whoever the group is staring at with confused expressions is probably Steve, based on the reactions of the people around him. As my co-host put it, "we also don't know the order of events," which is why it is hard to say definitively who is where in this sequence.

Why I Expect a New, More SDCC-Focused Trailer on Friday

I think what we get Friday is likely the trailer that was shown at San Diego Comic-Con, since we have not seen a good version of that yet. When CinemaCon attendees got their own cut of Doomsday footage, the wide release trailer ended up being different, with a decent amount of overlapping scenes but not an identical trailer. Based on that pattern, I would not be surprised if the version cut for SDCC diverges from what the general public has already seen, and honestly I hope it does.

The X-Men Casting Rumors: A Report Says Marvel Has Had Its Cast "For a While Now"

On the X-Men casting front, insider Alex Perez has said we should expect some news on certain projects in the coming days, though I am hesitant to go all in on saying we are definitely getting the full X-Men cast reveal. My theory, which I laid out in a video the day before this stream, is that we might get some casting news without getting everything. I believe San Diego Comic-Con was originally planned to include X-Men casting if it could be locked down in time, and that Marvel did not have it finalized then and skipped that part of the presentation, even though I think a lot of the roster is already locked internally.

During the stream I pulled up a claim from Beyond Reporter, who wrote, "I heard that Marvel has had its X-Men cast for a while now. Four Some some for months. So, any rumor about Marvel Studios looking for cast members at the last minute is pure BS." I said I kind of believe that, and I noted that someone has previously reported Marvel intentionally puts out misleading casting information to confuse people, which lines up with what I have been hearing.

Why Sadie Sink's Jean Grey May Be the Foundation the Rest of the Cast Is Built Around

My co-host raised the idea that Sadie Sink as Jean Grey was likely the first piece locked into place, since her casting appears to be non-negotiable, and that Marvel would have built the rest of the X-Men roster, including Cyclops and Emma Frost rumors, around who can share the screen with her effectively. The reasoning is that Sink reportedly did not even go through the full Brand New Day script before being brought on, suggesting Marvel has been quietly figuring out her chemistry with future castmates for a while. I agreed with that read, and I think the story will lean into the Jean and Cyclops dynamic in a way that echoes the first season of X-Men '97, building toward Mister Sinister and Madelyne Pryor down the line. I said I think the original X-Men films did not do justice to that dynamic, and that making Jean Grey the emotional focal point of the MCU's X-Men, with Cyclops growing into more of a leadership role, is the right call.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Reception Has Me More Excited for Doomsday

We also talked about Jean Grey's live-action introduction in Brand New Day, including the online criticism around her throwing a person in front of a car while trying to save her sister. I said that detail never crossed my mind as a problem, because she has no training, does not yet know Professor X, and is acting under duress with no established program for mutants to guide her. On the actual theater experience, I said seeing Brand New Day on an early Wednesday screening had an energy and electricity I had not felt at a Marvel release in a long time, people dressed up and cheering, which was a sharp contrast to the quieter Thursday previews I attended for Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts. Because Avengers Doomsday carries the weight of the Avengers name with more casual fans, and because the last Avengers film was Endgame, I said yes, I do think this Brand New Day energy is building anticipation for Doomsday.

What I Actually Expect From D23

Looking ahead to D23 itself, I expect a Doomsday trailer possibly tied to ticket sales, along with a possible Vision Quest trailer, though D23 has gone back and forth in past years on whether it leans into Disney Plus content or theatrical slates. We did not get the usual slate rundown at SDCC this year, and I think that is because Kevin Feige may be moving away from big premature reveals after being burned by earlier announcements, like the Blade situation that later had to change. I still believe Feige would have presented X-Men material at SDCC if it had been locked down, and that Jon Bernthal's Spider-Man Brand New Day appearance at that panel felt like filler brought in because the X-Men reveal was not ready, especially since Spider-Man already had its own separate panel with Sony. If Marvel does want to make a splash at D23, I think the ideal move is a title card, a release date, and a reveal of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey along with maybe one more surprise cast member.

Deadpool 4, the Hulk, and Whether Mark Ruffalo Gets Recast

On Deadpool 4, which is confirmed, I do not expect a D23 announcement given it will likely film after Secret Wars, and I said it is hard to answer any Deadpool or X-Force question with confidence because we do not know what the post-Secret Wars reboot looks like. My co-host mentioned a report claiming the Hulk is being fully rebooted in Secret Wars, and I said I personally want the Hulk recast, especially since Kevin Feige has already said Iron Man and Captain America will be recast. My co-host added that Mark Ruffalo and Disney do not seem to be getting along well right now.

My Case for Recasting the Entire Original Avengers Lineup

I argued that since the X-Men are effectively starting from scratch and the post-Secret Wars universe will be the new baseline going forward, Marvel should start as much of the Avengers roster from scratch as possible too, though that does not necessarily rule out keeping someone like Thor around in a different role. My co-host framed this as wanting the fewest possible narrative strings tying the new universe back to the old one, pointing out that the original Iron Man and Captain America had no prior continuity to write around, and that the less Marvel has to retroactively justify who survives, the better for future writing.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man Is Staying, and His Leverage Has Changed

On recasting Spider-Man, I said I do not think we need a new Spider-Man, and that Tom Holland now says he would play the role forever if Marvel keeps him around. I think when Holland previously said he did not want to play Spider-Man forever, he had far less influence in the writing room than he does now, and it sounds like he pushed for creative input on Brand New Day. We also discussed reports that Holland has spoken about disliking parts of Hollywood, which I said tracks with things I have heard from people I know about pressure to go along with certain things in the industry.

Black Cat, Spider-Gwen, and the MJ Memory Problem

On whether Felicia Hardy could show up as Black Cat, I said I genuinely do not know, and wondered aloud whether Tom Holland and Zendaya being married in real life affects those creative decisions, though I do think Holland puts the fans first. Given that MJ's arc ends with her not remembering or loving Peter, I said there could be room for Peter to move on with a new romantic interest before eventually reconciling with MJ. On fan casting, I said I would personally love to see Sydney Sweeney as Black Cat, while my co-host joked that Zendaya reportedly is not a fan of Sweeney.

Fan-Casting a New Iron Man and a New Hulk

We pulled up a comicbook.com list ranking fan picks for a new Iron Man, which included Orlando Bloom, David Castañeda, Miles Teller (who my co-host noted already played Mister Fantastic), and Jonathan Bailey, before landing on the number one pick, Matt Bomer, who we both agreed actually looks the part. For a rebooted Hulk, my pick is Daniel Radcliffe, mainly because I think he can commit to going believably unhinged on screen, even though he is on the shorter side for the role.

Will the Young Avengers Crowd Out the Next Avengers Team?

Responding to a viewer worried about the Young Avengers taking over Doomsday or Secret Wars, I said I do not expect them to have a huge role in Doomsday beyond what we have already seen with Cassie Lang, and that characters like Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Wiccan and Speed are more likely to be told to stay out of the fight while the Avengers deal with the threat directly. I do think they get a more meaningful mission in Secret Wars. As for concerns about tone, I said that with a new Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk likely being introduced, it is hard to imagine the Young Avengers stepping into the spotlight meant for a rebuilt Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four lineup, plus a hoped-for Illuminati.

Could Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Show Up in Doomsday or Secret Wars?

Asked whether all three live-action Spider-Man actors could appear in Doomsday, I said I would have expected to hear something by now if that were the plan, and that I would not count on Andrew Garfield showing up in Doomsday specifically. My reasoning is that showing Tobey Maguire's universe being destroyed and colliding with the X-Men serves a clear narrative purpose, tying into why the X-Men are hostile toward the Avengers and Fantastic Four after surviving incursions, whereas showing additional destroyed universes would undercut a role I expect Garfield to play in Secret Wars instead.

Chris Hemsworth as the New Odin, and the Case for Amora the Enchantress

On whether Thor could become the new Odin figure after Secret Wars, I said my honest guess is that Chris Hemsworth's Thor gains the Odin Force during Doomsday or Secret Wars and sticks around as an Allfather-type character, though whether that means the story is fully closing out his arc is impossible to say without knowing how Secret Wars actually ends. Finally, asked about introducing Amora the Enchantress alongside Loki, I said I would be fully on board with that, noting Marvel already gestured toward her with Hela and that the real character deserves her own introduction.

Do you think Marvel reveals its X-Men cast at D23, or does the studio hold off again and let outlets like Deadline break the news first?