The New Avengers vs. The OG Team? David Harbour & Lewis Pullman Tease Their Dynamic In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
The biggest challenge facing the heroes of “Avengers: Doomsday” may not just be Doctor Doom. According to David Harbour, the different superhero teams coming together in the movie will have plenty of disagreements before they can actually work as one.
Harbour, who plays Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian, recently discussed the relationship between the New Avengers and the original Avengers during an interview with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The actor explained that the two groups do not exactly share the same approach when it comes to saving the world.
The New Avengers were formed from the team previously known as the Thunderbolts. After their events in “Thunderbolts,” the group of unlikely heroes earned the Avengers name, but Harbour says they still have their own way of doing things.
“I mean, there’s trouble for sure,” Harbour told Entertainment Weekly’s Gerrad Hall. “We definitely approach things differently than those guys and we have different ideas about how to do things.” The actor then joked that his team believes their methods are the correct ones, even if the other heroes do not agree.
“I mean, clearly, we are right, but not everyone agrees with us,” Harbour added.
Lewis Pullman, who joins the team as Bob Reynolds, also known as Sentry and the Void, agreed that the conflict between the two groups will be part of what makes the movie interesting. Speaking alongside Harbour, Pullman described the New Avengers’ path as something very different from the traditional superhero formula.
“It’s definitely kind of a… unexpected route to get to the same destination, but it’s extra fun,” Pullman said.
The New Avengers lineup includes Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Ghost, John Walker, and Red Guardian. These characters are very different from the original Avengers, who were built around heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk. While the first team represented classic superheroes, the new group is made up of characters with complicated histories and much more questionable pasts.
That difference in personality could create some of the movie’s most interesting moments. The original Avengers have also changed dramatically since the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Many of the former members have moved on, while Sam Wilson’s Captain America has been trying to build a new generation of heroes.
One character who could help connect both teams is Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier has relationships with both sides of the MCU’s history. He fought alongside Steve Rogers, worked with Sam Wilson, and has experience dealing with powerful heroes across the universe. That could make him one of the most important figures when the teams finally meet.
However, the New Avengers and the original Avengers are only part of the massive lineup coming together in “Avengers: Doomsday.” The movie will also bring back members of the original X-Men universe and introduce the Fantastic Four into the larger conflict.
With Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., threatening the future of multiple worlds, these heroes will have to put their differences aside quickly. Whether the New Avengers can truly work alongside the legends who came before them could become one of the biggest storylines in the film.
Which Avengers team will be more important in Avengers: Doomsday?
“Avengers: Doomsday” arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026.
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