Another image from Avengers: Doomsday has leaked (we're working off the assumption that these videos and screenshots are genuine until further notice) online, and it reveals a much better look at Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom.
We've seen plenty of promo art featuring Doctor Doom at this stage, but the recent leaked clip unveiled our first live-action glimpse of the villain as he took control of some Sentinels and unleashed them on members of the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four.
This shot is still a little blurry, but we can make out Doom rising into the air as two Sentinels loom in the background.
During a recent interview with CBR, Downey confirmed that they are doing "something different" with the character.
"A lot of it has been… there's some experimentation," said the Oppenheimer star. "We've had our moments of, 'Let's shift here.' But we landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. And it's not even about how I executed it. It's about the way it's been structured, and the other characters."
Expectations are high for Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, especially after the massive success and popularity of The Russo Bros.' previous MCU movies and what many consider to be a largely disappointing run of Multiverse Saga films.
"There's something going on in Doomsday and forward that is literally the only antidote to, 'How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame?' And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down," RDJ went on.
"I'm quite odd in that I try to stay as removed from a subjective experience of things as I can," he explained. "So I try to think like the brothers. I try to feel like I'm in the writing room. I try to feel all that stuff. But eventually, there are so many big shoes to step into that I just have to go, 'What hasn't been done as well as it can be done yet?' We're always looking for that opportunity."
Co-director Joe Russo also addressed fans' expectations, revealing that Doomsday will have a "lot of surprises," while describing the next major MCU event as "the most mature" of all of the Russos' Marvel movies.
"The stakes keep going up. But, emotional complexity is always the answer," Russo said. "You bring emotional complexity to anything, and it enriches it. It makes it a fuller experience for the audience. It surprises you. There are a lot of surprises in this. And I think [Doomsday is] the most emotionally complex of all of them. And in a lot of ways, the most mature of all of them.”
Rumored details of the movie's opening scene have also been shared online. We're not sure if they're accurate, but this breakdown does line up with previous reports.
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.