Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo discussed the upcoming MCU event movie during a new interview with Fandango, and among other things, the filmmakers revealed the film's updated runtime.
Back in July, THR reported an "official" runtime of 165 minutes (2 hours and 45 minutes), but it seems Doomsday will be significantly shorter.
“It's a two-and-a-half-hour movie, or so," said Anthony when asked how long the movie will be. So, it could be a little longer, but we don't see that "or so" translating to an additional 15 minutes.
"It's a focused propulsive narrative that has like an organizing principle at its center, and everything has to orbit around that. That's part of the creative challenge for Joe and I – just figuring out how that what that orbit is and how it all smashes together."
"I think people are going to be surprised," he added. "It's a very surprising ending. It's a very surprising movie and that's all we'll say about it."
Doomsday will, of course, feature the debut of the villainous Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), and Joe explained what makes the character such a formidable foe for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
“He is a very powerful character... He’s a genius. He studied his foes, he understands them, and he’s also well-planned. He’s not somebody who just does something off the cuff. So, everything is meticulous with him, and he knows that, if he’s going to step on a battlefield against somebody, he has to have the tactical advantage or a power advantage against that person. So, he’s very difficult to beat.”
“It’s intense. It’s different than any of the other movies Marvel’s made.," Joe added when asked if Doomsday will be the "scariest" MCU movie. "The tone is very different — you have Robert Downey Jr. playing one of the all-time great villains and he’s going to bring a level of gravitas, and energy to that that can be frightening.”
Finally, Anthony shared his excitement to work with the OG X-Men cast, describing Channing Tatum's Gambit as a "real treat" for fans
“To be able to work with those actors is like a dream come true for us. It’s part of the sort of Marvel miracle... [the Avengers and the X-Men] had a connection in the comics and then, as they segued into the cinema, it got divided between Hollywood studios. We never imagined the day that they could find their way back to one another. So, the fact that we can sort of be the facilitators of that and activate that through this movie we have to pinch ourselves.”
We also have some more (supposed) leaked details from that Russian Telegram account. There's nothing major here (a much more in-depth plot leak has previously done the rounds, after all), but there are a few intriquing new tidbits.
It's worth noting that certain things may have been lost in translation (we assume Gambit is actually Nightcrawler, for example).
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.
"Universes collide and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and ultimately face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
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.