Michael Douglas is hanging up the quantum suit and sitting Avengers: Doomsday out. The 80-year-old Hollywood legend (and occasional tiny multiverse traveler) has confirmed he’s not returning as Hank Pym.
Let’s be honest. After nearly getting erased by Thanos, aged backwards/forwards/sideways, and the love of his life trapped in the quantum realm, maybe the man’s earned a little break. However, it seems the actor is not only taking a break from the MCU. But he’s also considering stepping back from acting.
Michael Douglas Not Reprising His MCU Role
In an interview with Deadline (via MovieWeb), for the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the Wall Street actor also set the record straight for his future in the MCU. He said that he’s not coming back: “I had the experience, and I was excited to do it. I’d never done a green screen picture before.”
He clarified that it’s not just reprising his role as Hank. He’s also not too keen to be acting again anytime soon. “I did ‘The Kominsky Method’ because I wanted to work with Chuck Lorre and try some comedy. But I’m enjoying my hiatus and enjoying my life. It was overwhelming running the production company and acting at the same time.”
He did say he’s not closing his door to being in front of the camera. However, only “if something good comes up that I really like.” Although he’s not feeling a “burning desire” to act, he will still continue producing: “I still love bringing people together.”
Ant-Man in Avengers: Doomsday
Even if we will not see Hank in Avengers: Doomsday, another tiny superhero is sure to be part of the cast. Paul Rudd is set to reprise his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. Rudd already played the character in five MCU movies: Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
Aside from Rudd, Chris Hemsworth will also reprise his role as Thor alongside his brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, with Robert Downey Jr. coming back not as Iron Man, but as Dr. Doom. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are also back as Sam Wilson/Captain America and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, respectively. Simu Liu as Shang-Chi and Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther are also included in the ensemble cast. Also joining them are the casts of Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the OG X-Men (sans Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, and Famke Janssen).
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for a theatrical release on May 1, 2026.
