We've previously heard that a key one-on-one battle in Avengers: Doomsday will see Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) face-off against Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen), and it sounds like this may end up being the most exciting set piece in the movie.
According to scooper MTTSH, "The Magneto vs. Doctor Doom battle in Avengers Doomsday has been described to me as this movie’s Doctor Strange vs. Thanos - it’s the biggest, most badass fight in the film."
Strange's clash with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War was fairly brief, but it was arguably the most visually spectacular action sequence in the film, with the Sorcerer utilizing magic and accessing mirror dimensions to restrain the Mad Titan... temporarily.
Doom's use of magic and technology along with Magneto's ability to manipulate metal should make for a similarly exciting scrap. At what point in the movie this showdown is set to take place remains to be seen, but there's speculation that McKellen's revelation that Mags destroys New Jersey could be the climax of the battle.
In related news, Halle Berry continues to deny that she will reprise her role as Storm.
"Storm's not there. I promise you," the Crime 101 star tells Variety. "You all think I'm being coy and I’m being silly, but I'm not there."
Actors often like about these things, of course, but something tells is Berry is on the level here.
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars were hit with significant delays last year, with Doomsday now set to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars positioned for December 17, 2027.
Both movies will be directed by the Russo brothers, who also make their MCU return after helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
"Being able to create stories and explore characters within the Marvel Universe fulfilled a life-long dream of ours, and we discovered a powerful connection with audiences in each film that we made. We’re thrilled to collaborate once again with Kevin, Lou and the entire Marvel team to bring this epic adventure in storytelling to new and surprising places for both the fans and ourselves”, said The Russos in a statement after the SDCC panel.
Doomsday will star:
Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent
Along with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and, of course, Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.