Avengers: Doomsday is currently shooting in the UK, and had it still been scheduled for a May 2026 release, chances are we'd have seen a teaser playing in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash this December.
That wasn't meant to be, unfortunately, and the closest thing to a first look we've had remains the post-credits scenes for Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Now, though, we may have some intel on what Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is up to in Avengers: Doomsday.
According to scooper Daniel Richtman, "In Avengers Doomsday, Doom is after people [who] caused Incursions to the Multiverse." This might explain recent rumblings about Chris Evans' Steve Rogers being targeted by Victor Von Doom after Cap's happy ending in Avengers: Endgame.
Now, is Doom looking to punish them, or could their deaths be part of his plan to "save" the Multiverse? Fans have long questioned how Captain America spent decades living with Peggy Carter before "returning" to the present day, particularly as it contradicted the Multiversal rules established in Loki.
Marvel Studios' plans for its Avengers movies have changed significantly in recent years, particularly after Kang the Conqueror was no longer considered a fitting choice for the Multiverse Saga's big bad.
The trades have reported that Evans and Hayley Atwell will star in Avengers: Doomsday, and this latest rumour goes some way in explaining their roles in the movie. We'll see whether it pans, though, particularly as the movie's script is said to be in a constant state of flux.
"It’s a very intense process developing the character," Joe Russo said earlier this year of Downey's approach to Doom. "He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialled in."
He added that the Oscar-winner is "writing backstory, costume ideas," noting, "I think he just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character."
Anthony concurred and said, "That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is."
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 the 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.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Captain America and Avengers 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.