Hailee Steinfeld Plays It Coy on Kate Bishop’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Return as the Clues Pile Up
Kate Bishop fans have been waiting a long time for their favorite archer to pick up her bow again. Hailee Steinfeld made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the Disney+ series ‘Hawkeye’ in 2021, and the question of a Kate Bishop ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ return has become one of the franchise’s most persistent talking points.
She popped up only briefly since then, in the post-credits scene of ‘The Marvels’ alongside Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. That stinger set the stage for a Young Avengers project, now thought to be a Champions series, and rumors suggest some of those heroes could turn up in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ or ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
Steinfeld’s name was also missing from the original ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast announcement in 2025, which only fueled the speculation. Then, on September 29, she finally got asked directly. Steinfeld sat down with Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, and when he raised the rumors that Kate Bishop will return, she said she does not know and that time will tell.
Hailee Steinfeld comments on the rumors that Kate Bishop will return in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY.
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) September 30, 2026
“I don’t know. Time will tell.” pic.twitter.com/OUajwkzkXG
The answer is short and non-committal, and it leaves the door wide open. It fits Marvel’s usual playbook of keeping cast news tightly under wraps, and it is a very different tone from what she said in 2025. Back then, she told Backstage she was excited about continuing to grow with a character like Kate in something as huge as the MCU.
In the clip circulating online, Steinfeld sits in a burgundy velvet dress facing Fallon against the show’s glowing New York skyline. The show teased her visit by noting that since her last appearance she had gotten married, had a baby and starred in one of the world’s biggest movies.
The strongest evidence so far comes from a ScreenX version of the latest ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ trailer, which widens the picture to 270 degrees by showing more of the scene on either side. The expanded shot of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang appears to place them inside Kate Bishop’s apartment.
Steinfeld is not visible in the shot, but fans recognize the set. The metallic staircase resembles the one seen in ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘The Marvels’, where Kate lived with Lucky the Pizza Dog.
The clue also connects to the end of ‘The Marvels’, when Kamala Khan visited Kate’s apartment and asked her about Cassie Lang. Marvel Studios has not confirmed the ScreenX detail.
He used to be different.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc pic.twitter.com/OUutSMZneq
Reports have been circulating since spring. Industry insider James Mack said on X in April that Kate Bishop will appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, though Marvel has not confirmed any of the details.
Cassie Lang is currently the only future Young Avenger confirmed to return. Kate might not be the only archer either, since Jeremy Renner recently hinted that he will don his Hawkeye suit again with a cryptic social media photo, despite his omission from the announced cast.
A return could also put Kate back on screen with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, a pairing whose scenes in ‘Hawkeye’ drew praise for sharp humor and strong chemistry.
Even without Marvel, Steinfeld has plenty going on. She stars in Disney’s animated feature ‘Hexed’, which premieres in theaters on November 25, and she was on ‘The Tonight Show’ to talk about the film.
Marvel remains the big question mark for her, and she is not saying more for now.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a script by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely. It arrives in theaters on December 18, with ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ following on December 17, 2027.
For now, Steinfeld’s answer keeps the mystery alive, and the ScreenX footage has only made fans more certain that Kate Bishop’s story is not finished yet.
Do you think Hailee Steinfeld will return as Kate Bishop in Avengers: Doomsday?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments.
