The Multiverse Saga has been a bit of a mixed bag for fans. However, with Marvel Studios now looking to return to quality over quantity, the hope is that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will conclude this era of storytelling in style.
Yesterday brought us our first look at Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, thanks to some promo art and a light show. Interestingly, the latter—which is obviously promoting Avengers: Doomsday—indicates that the movie will recreate an iconic moment from Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic's Secret Wars.
It's easy to miss, but as you can see below, the video features Doom showcasing his powers and the iconic comic book moment that saw him violently lay waste to Thanos.
On the page, several heroes and villains from Earth 616 survive the final Incursion, and the latter group eventually confronts Doom on Battleworld. Alas, their uprising ends abruptly when Victor plunges his fist into the Mad Titan Thanos' chest, reducing him to little more than a skeleton in his hand.
It's an epic moment that drives home just how powerful "God" Doom, who rules over a patchwork Battleworld reality at this point, has become. While we can't guarantee this will be in Avengers: Doomsday, it certainly seems likely, and how better to establish Doom as a true threat than by having him easily dispatch the most powerful villain ever faced by Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
Remember, multiple scoopers have said we'll see Josh Brolin's Thanos in the next Avengers movies, possibly in his "King Thanos" form, so where there's smoke, there's definitely fire in this instance.
There's been some scepticism about how good a fit Downey is for the MCU's Doom. Still, provided he's not just Iron Man in a different mask, it's looking a lot like the Oscar-winner is finally bringing the Doctor Doom fans have dreamed of seeing on screen to life for Avengers: Doomsday.
You can take a closer look at this Doom vs. Thanos tease in the posts below.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make their Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and Ryan Reynolds are also set to appear, according to recent reports from the trades.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.