Jeremy Renner says Hawkeye will not appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and jokes Avengers will lose without him

Jeremy Renner has said he will not appear in Avengers: Doomsday, joking that the superhero team could lose against Doctor Doom without Hawkeye on its side.

During a recent question and answer session, the actor was asked whether he would return for the upcoming Marvel film. Renner responded, “No, no, no, no. Not in that one.”

He then joked about the consequences of leaving the expert archer out of the fight, saying, “Doomsday I’m not in, so The Avengers will probably lose, just so you know… they didn’t call me so it’s their fault they’re going to lose.”

The comment prompted a playful reaction from the audience, with one person reportedly shouting “again”. The remark appeared to reference Avengers: Infinity War, in which the Avengers failed to stop Thanos from collecting the Infinity Stones. Renner’s Hawkeye was absent from that film but played a significant role in Avengers: Endgame, when the heroes ultimately defeated the villain.

Despite Renner’s apparent denial, some Marvel fans remain unconvinced. One online commenter reportedly insisted that the actor was “definitely lying”, fuelling speculation that Hawkeye could still make a surprise appearance.

Renner’s possible involvement in Avengers: Secret Wars, the planned follow up to Doomsday, has also been the subject of rumours. His wording during the question and answer session has led some to interpret his response as leaving the door open for a future Marvel appearance, although he did not explicitly confirm his participation in the later film.

Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday co director Anthony Russo has indicated that the complete cast has not yet been announced. Speaking during an Avengers: Endgame Encore question and answer event, Russo explained that some cast members had been revealed while others remained undisclosed.

Paul Bettany, who plays Vision, has also declined to confirm his involvement, telling Good Morning America that answering the question could get him fired.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 18, 2026, with its UK release set for December 16.