LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 12: Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart attend the UK Premiere of "X-Men: ... More Days of Future Past" at Odeon Leicester Square on May 12, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWere still over a year away from the theatrical release of Avengers: Doomsday, but theres already some big news about the upcoming Russo Brothers film. The movies cast was revealed Wednesday and includes some big surprises, including a whole slate of X-Men stars from the 20th Century Fox films.These actors are joined by just a couple of the original Avengers, and one of those is in a brand new role. Robert Downey Jr. returns not as Iron Man, but as the villainous Doctor Doom, a casting choice that has left many fans perplexed. Admittedly, it will be . . . strange to adjust to Tony Stark not actually being Tony Stark. Even if he hadnt played Iron Man, its an odd casting choice for the Big Bad.The full cast includes:The Avengers (and friends)The AvengersCredit: DisneyChris Hemsworth as Thor, the only original Avenger in the movie.Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America.Danny Ramirez as the Falcon.Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier.Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-ManTom Hiddleston as Loki, the antagonist of the first Avengers film.Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther.Winston Duke as MBaku.The Fantastic FourEbon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby of Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic ... More Four" at the 2024 San Diego International Comic-Con on July 27, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty ImagesPedro Pascal as Mr. FantasticVanessa Kirby as Invisible WomanJoseph Quinn as Human TorchEbon Moss-Bachrach as The ThingThe ThunderboltsThe ThunderboltsCredit: DisneyFlorence Pugh as Yelena BelovaDavid Harbour as Red GuardianWyatt Russell as U.S. AgentHannah John-Kamen as GhostLewis Pullman as BobSimu Liu as Shang-ChiTenoch Huerta Mejia as NamorThe X-MenX-MenCredit: DisneyPatrick Stewart as Professor Charles XavierIan McKellen as MagnetoKelsey Grammer as BeastAlan Cumming as NightcrawlerJames Marsden as CyclopsChanning Tatum as GambitRebecca Romjin as MystiqueThe VillainSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in ... More Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)Getty Images for DisneyRobert Downey Jr. as Doctor DoomThe MissingNotably absent from the films cast is Elizabeth Olsens Scarlet Witch. Paul Bettanys Vision is also MIA. While he died, his character lived on in a different form in WandaVision. And death hasnt stopped Professor X from returning after his fate in Logan. Im also a little surprised to not see Wiccan listed here, as the recent Disney+ series Agatha All Along certainly made him an important new character in the MCU.Likewise, its a shame not to see either Mark Ruffalos Hulk or Charlie Coxs Daredevil mentioned in the casting announcement. There are many others, some dead and gone (Scarlett Johanssons Black Widow) and others simply not listed (Benedict Cumberbatchs Dr. Strange) who will be missed. Its hard to really imagine an Avengers film without the original cast. Tom Hollands Spider-Man is also AWOL, as is Ryan Reynolds Wade Wilson/Deadpool.Of course, I am 99.99% certain that this is not the entire cast and that Disney is keeping some surprises up its sleeve, including more villains and some end-credits cameos. Maybe Hugh Jackman will pop up as Wolverine one last time.In any case, its a very big cast, but a very big cast does not necessarily a good movie make. The Russo Brothers latest film, The Electric State on Netflix, has been widely panned by critics, though their previous MCU efforts (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War and both the last two Avengers films) were all hits.Two other MCU films are set to hit theaters much sooner. Thunderbolts debuts on May 2nd and The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th. The former looks quite good, but I have some misgivings about the latter. We shall see.What do you make of this casting news? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.