10 Marvel Actors Least Likely To Return For Avengers: 5 & 6 (And Why They Won"t)

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Despite a wealth of actors having appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not all of them are likely to return in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. As the MCU’s movie timeline has introduced a staggering number of characters inspired by the pages of Marvel Comics, the franchise hasn’t always been able to keep them all at the forefront of its projects. As such, there are many instances of characters who haven’t been seen for some time within the MCU timeline.
However, within the movies and TV shows of the MCU, there have also been actors who have since left the franchise. Though the multiverse has unlocked the potential to resurrect dead characters or facilitate imaginative returns for long unseen figures, the actors in question have made their returns in future Avengers movies incredibly unlikely. With that in mind, here are 10 actors unlikely to return for Avengers 5 and 6, and why they seemingly won’t come back to the MCU.
10 Dave Bautista As Drax Last Appeared In: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Close After the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it seemed that many of the trilogy’s main characters might not return to the MCU, simply because their narrative arcs had come to a natural end. One such character was Dave Bautista’s Drax, particularly as the actor announced that he would be leaving the MCU behind after Vol. 3. Subsequent interviews have not made his return seem any more likely.
In an interview with Gizmodo, Bautista was asked about the likelihood of an MCU return. He firmly asserted that he was done with Drax, but that he would be open to appear as a different character. Considering the scope of the MCU’s multiverse, this is possible, but not entirely plausible. With the MCU already having facilitated Robert Downey Jr.’s return in a recast role, it’s unlikely they would do the same with Dave Bautista ahead of Avengers 5 & 6.
9 Hugo Weaving As Red Skull Last Appeared In: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Close Hugo Weaving is an actor with a wealth of experience in franchise roles, and his turn as the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger showed that he was an excellent fit for the villain. However, Red Skull did not reappear until Avengers: Infinity War, where he had been subtly recast. Instead of Weaving, Ross Marquand played the villain, and only in a relatively small capacity considering his status as a major Marvel antagonist.
In an interview with Time Out in 2020, Weaving explained that his attempts to reprise the role were met with difficult negotiations with Marvel Studios. Ultimately, no agreement could be reached and Weaving neglected to return, making his reappearance in future Avengers movies seem unlikely. What’s more, as Marquand has since taken over the role, it’s more likely that if Red Skull was to appear, that it would be him rather than Weaving to play the villain.
8 Scarlett Johansson As Black Widow Last Appeared In: Black Widow (2021) Close As one of the founding Avengers in the movies of the MCU, Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow served as a key figure throughout the Infinity Saga. Her death in Avengers: Endgame was as shocking as it was heroic, with her sacrifice allowing the Avengers to undo Thanos’ snap and save countless lives. Considering her importance within the MCU, Scarlet Johansson has been quizzed multiple times on a possible return, though it seems unlikely to happen.
Johansson herself has been measured in her answers, not explicitly ruling out the possibility of a return despite what it would mean for Black Widow"s ending. However, it"s notable that Johansson has returned to the MCU as an executive producer for Thunderbolts*, suggesting this is the capacity she will be involved in any other projects as well, rather than appearing as Natasha on-screen. Though it’s certainly within the realms of possibility, it seems incredibly unlikely that Johansson’s Black Widow will be resurrected in the MCU to facilitate the actor’s return.
7 Terrence Howard As War Machine Last Appeared In: Iron Man (2008) Close After appearing as Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes in 2008’s Iron Man, Terrence Howard was recast for the sequel, with Don Cheadle assuming the role and donning the War Machine armor in the MCU. The reasons that Howard was recast have since been publicly aired, with the actor feeling particularly aggrieved by his experience working with Marvel Studios. The actor has been outspoken on the issue, making it clear that he’s not likely to return.
It seems all but impossible for the MCU to bring back Howard’s iteration of Rhodey for upcoming Avengers movies. Though he could theoretically appear as a variant, it would be a needless revisitation of a previous casting that ended acrimoniously. Though Howard has since stated that he holds no ill will toward Marvel, his focus on other projects would likely prevent him from making an MCU return.
6 Clark Gregg As Phil Coulson Last Appeared In: Captain Marvel (2019) Close Clark Gregg is another actor that was present in the MCU’s earliest movie, and played a major role in Phase 1 of the franchise. Phil Coulson’s death in The Avengers was what galvanized the heroes into uniting as a team, making his demise an important part of the MCU’s canon. His later role in Agents of SHIELD expanded upon his previous appearance in the MCU proper, though whether the show is canon has always been kept deliberately vague.
Gregg has said that he would be happy to return to the MCU, but it seems unlikely to happen in upcoming Avengers movies, if at all. The simple fact of his previous death and subsequent resurrection for Agents of SHIELD already makes his place in MCU canon murky, and ironing out such details for what would likely amount to a cameo seems entirely unnecessary. As a result, it would seem that Gregg will not return as Agent Coulson in Avengers 5 & 6.
5 Zachary Levi As Fandral Last Appeared In: Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Close After Josh Dallas played Fandral in 2011’s Thor, Zachary Levi was cast in the role for the sequel, 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. He then reprized the role in Thor: Ragnarok, only for Hela to unceremoniously kill him and the other members of the Warriors Three. Considering his abrupt death, only a multiversal resurrection would lead to his plausible return in Avengers 5 or 6, though this does not seem at all likely to happen.
While appearing on the Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast, Levi explained that he was misled about Fandral and the Warriors Three’s role in The Dark World. He claimed to have voiced concerns about the way the characters were handled in the 2011 film, and asserted that he had been assured they would play a larger role in the sequels. Though Levi didn’t seem to harbor any resentment, his comments make it all the more unlikely that he’ll return, even if the MCU opted to revive a character as relatively minor as Fandral.
4 Mickey Rourke As Whiplash Last Appeared In: Iron Man 2 (2010) Close Another actor unlikely to reprise his role from Phase 1 of the MCU is Mickey Rourke, who played the villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. Despite his death, Whiplash could also be resurrected via the multiverse, but it’s all but an impossibility that Marvel will tempt Mickey Rourke back to the role. The actor has been incredibly outspoken on his brief stint in the MCU, and how he does not consider it to have been a particularly positive experience.
Rourke has claimed that many of his scenes were cut, removing much of the context for his character’s actions. Rourke believes that this ultimately made Whiplash seem far less interesting and complex than he could have been had the entirety of his performance been used. Considering Rourke’s account of working with Marvel, it’s unlikely he would wish to reprize the role, and there doesn"t seem to be a real reason for the MCU to wish to bring the villain back for upcoming releases.
3 India Hemsworth As Love Last Appeared In: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Close Chris Hemsworth’s turn as Thor in the MCU has been remarkable, and the actor enlisted his daughter, India Hemsworth, to play the role of Love in Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite being in the title, Love was a relatively minor role, but Love and Thunder’s ending teases a big future for the character. Nevertheless, it does not seem as though India Hemsworth will reprise her role in upcoming Avengers movies.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Chris Hemsworth explained that he wants India to experience a normal childhood before pursuing a career in acting. Considering her age, this makes it all but impossible for her to appear in Avengers 5 or 6, particularly as Hemsworth believes that his daughter isn’t interested in a major acting career at present. Though an MCU return for India Hemsworth is certainly possible, it seems as though it will not happen in Avengers 5 and 6.
2 Michael Douglas As Hank Pym Last Appeared In: Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Close Michael Douglas lends a huge amount of star power to the MCU, and plays one of a select few aging characters to form an older generation of heroes in the franchise. Though he has never been the MCU’s main Ant-Man, he has been a major supporting player in many narratives, making him a potentially important figure in future stories. Even so, his return for Avengers 5 and 6 is looking less and less likely.
Douglas claims to have asked for his character to be killed off in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (via Entertainment Weekly), and has also said that the only way he’d return for another Ant-Man movie would be for Hank Pym to die. His comments make it seem as though he’s done with his MCU role, and is looking for a way to end Hank Pym’s story within the franchise. As such, it does not seem likely that Douglas will return as Pym in upcoming Avengers titles.
1 Chris Evans As Steve Rogers Last Appeared In: Avengers: Endgame (2019) Close For the entirety of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Chris Evans played one of the franchise’s most important characters in Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. However, Avengers: Endgame saw the character pass the mantle to Sam Wilson, retiring into a civilian life via time travel and giving him a definitive ending. Despite rumors that Evans could return via the Multiverse, it seems unlikely to happen for several reasons.
Evans made his multiversal MCU return in Deadpool & Wolverine as Johnny Storm, reprising his earlier Marvel role instead. This makes it seem even less likely that he will return so soon after as Steve Rogers, especially as it would effectively undo the character’s satisfying ending. Considering the actor’s recent Marvel past and the character’s own MCU ending, it does not seem plausible for him to return again for upcoming Avengers movies.
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