Avengers: Doomsday release date, trailer and latest news

Doomsday is nearly here. After multiple trailers and a whopping 4 different post-credits scenes added Avengers: Endgame for its 'Encore' re-release, the hype train for the newest Avengers entry is well and truly chugging along. The question is, do we care anymore?

The answer, at least for now, seems to be a resounding yes. Avengers: Endgame Encore was a huge success helping the film to take the top spot as the highest grossing film of all time from James Cameron's Avatar. The speculation has started to reach pre-Endgame levels online, with fans starting to piece together all the glimpses we've gotten over the past year in an attempt to figure out what Dr. Doom is planning.

And then there's the return of Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, both of whom are recognised as the faces of the MCU. Where Marvel has faltered over the past few years has been in making audiences feel like next MCU entry is appointment viewing. Think back to Captain Marvel, which released between Infinity War and Endgame and grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. That was appointment viewing. Flash forward and films like Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, while both excellent, made less than Captain Marvel combined.

Thankfully, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the general aura of mystery surrounding Doomsday seems to have started to turn the tide. We haven't had a true Avengers film since Endgame and Disney is really throwing everything at this one to make sure the MCU is back on top.

Whatever happens when Doomsday finally releases remains to be seen, for now we've only got a few trailers to go on.

See what you make of the dramatic promo below:

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The film will benefit by following the mega-hit that was Brand New Day, with its post credits teaser hinting that Spider-man (or at least a Spider-man or Spider-men) will be featured in either Doomsday, Secret Wars or both.

That tease was purposefully vague, only showing Ned's Spidey Tracker app zooming further and further from New York to reveal that Spider-man is off-world on another planet. Could that be Battleworld? Or maybe we'll be revisiting Tobey Maguire's Spider-man universe? Only time will tell...

If you're eager to know more about Avengers: Doomsday, including its release date and story details released so far, read on for your full guide to what could well be the biggest film of the year.

Avengers: Doomsday will be released in cinemas on Friday 18 December 2026.

The epic film had previously been scheduled for early May of that year – a weekend that the MCU has previously dominated – but was forced to move as production was behind schedule.

In its new spot, the Marvel flick will face formidable competition from Dune: Part Three – the third film in Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet's sci-fi saga – which means that sci-fi fans will be having a very merry Christmas indeed.

Downey Jr and Chalamet addressed the clash suggesting "Dunesday" as the nickname for any double-feature events that might occur (referencing 2023's epic 'Barbenheimer').

"We'll see if we're still friends by then," joked Downey Jr (via Variety).

Who will star in Avengers: Doomsday? Confirmed cast members

Avengers: Doomsday stars Robert Downey Jr as Victor Von Doom; a towering villain that unites the combined might of several superhero teams.

It's unclear precisely what Doom has planned, or if he'll have any direct connection to Downey Jr's earlier role of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), but comic book fans know that he is not to be underestimated.

It appears that Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) will play a major role in the resistance to Doom's machinations, with the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer revisiting the character after his final moments in Endgame.

In a new scene added to Endgame during its re-release, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter's dance is interrupted by Loki's arrival, potentially hinting that the God of Stories, as he has since become known following Loki season 2, may have an issue with Steve messing with the timelines by staying with his beau.

Some fans are theorising that Steve's decision to stay in the past will be the catalyst that is causing the entire multiverse to collapse, as we see in the TVA during another of Avengers: Endgame Encore's post-credits scenes.

Even before Evans's reveal, the cast of Doomsday was looking spectacularly starry, boasting the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Thunderbolts teams, as well as wild cards Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Anthony Mackie is reprising the role of Sam Wilson aka Captain America, who was tasked with putting together a new Avengers team at the end of his recent solo outing Brave New World.

Likely candidates for that group include Letitia Wright's Shuri, the new Black Panther, plus Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and Danny Ramirez's Falcon.

As previously confirmed, the cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps will also reappear here, comprised of Pedro Pascal (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).

First Steps director Matt Shakman said – apparently mistakenly – in an interview that Mr Fantastic would go on to be "leader" of the Avengers, but Pascal himself has since corrected the record.

"It’s big news to me, that's for one," he joked, in an interview with Associated Press. "There is something that happens in the comics where he is sort of drawn in by the Avengers family and asked to be put into a leadership position.

"That is something that happens in the comics. It isn't necessarily something that my character's future entails."

The Thunderbolts* cast will also reappear in Doomsday, with Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Wyatt Russell (USAgent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), David Harbour (Red Guardian) and Lewis Pullman (Sentry) all credited in the announcement.

Meanwhile, in a surprise move, Marvel Studios has also announced the return of several cast members from 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise, which appears to have been revived in the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine's success.

Returning from that smash-hit is Channing Tatum as Gambit, alongside franchise veterans Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), James Marsden (Cyclops) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast).

Both Cumming and Marsden had warm words to say about returning from a long absence, with their incarnations of Nightcrawler and Cyclops not being seen since 2003's X-Men 2 and 2014's Days of Future Past respectively.

On filming Doomsday, Paradise's Marsden said (via Deadline): "It's been a blast. It really has. It's been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map. It was the first real event project that I was ever a part of, and a very beloved character – this icon from the comics. And so, to step back into that role was pretty special."

Meanwhile, Cumming described it as "really healing and really nice to go back to something that was a terrible experience when I did it the first time" (in another Deadline chat), although his time on set was short as his scenes were scheduled tightly so that he could be released to host the next season of The Traitors (US).

Here's the confirmed Avengers: Doomsday cast in full:

• Robert Downey Jr (Doctor Doom)
• Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic)
• Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman)
• Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing)
• Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America)
• Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
• Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther)
• Winston Duke (M'Baku)
• Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man)
• Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang/Stature)
• Simu Liu (Shang-Chi)
• Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres / Falcon)
• Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow)
• Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)
• Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent)
• Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost)
• David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian)
• Lewis Pullman (Bob/Sentry)
• Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X)
• Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto)
• James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops)
• Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkhölme/Mystique)
• Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler)
• Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy/Beast)
• Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau/Gambit)
• Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor)
• Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
• Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America)
• Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk)
• Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter)

As you might have noticed, that list includes some rather glaring omissions who were thought to be all but guaranteed for the next Avengers film.

The absence of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch have been greeted with particular outcry from the fanbase.

However, there is hope yet that these characters could factor into the story, with Marvel teasing on its social media channels that there is "always room for more" cast members.

During a recent appearance at Chicago-based convention C2E2, Olsen reaffirmed that she knows nothing about Doomsday and its follow-up Secret Wars, adding that she prefers not to hold any Marvel secrets that could get her in trouble (via Deadline).

Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield are also uncertain, with the latter Spider-Man actor recently telling GQ that he is "unequivocally" not appearing in the blockbuster. It's just so hard to believe him after No Way Home!

Recently, Marvel fans have been debating the probability of Reynolds returning as Deadpool for the crossover, with a source telling The Hollywood Reporter that the Merc with a Mouth would have a role – albeit, probably a small one.

After appearing at both Comic Con and D23 to tease their involvement in Doomsday, it seems highly likely that both Deadpool and Wolverine will appear in the film in some capacity. Rumor has it that Wolverine may show up in a very early scene in the film fighting another familiar classic Marvel actor, so we might not have to wait long for an answer to this mystery.

Sadly for fans of Fox's original X-Men cast, Famke Janssen also revealed (via Entertainment Weekly) that Marvel Studios hasn't ever reached out to her about the prospect of a Jean Grey comeback.

Likewise, Halle Berry has repeatedly shot down rumours that she is returning as Storm, telling Variety at the Crime 101 premiere that she isn't being "coy" or "silly" when denying her involvement, so the reunion seems destined to be incomplete.

Something to consider, though, is that this line-up is for Avengers: Doomsday only, which is one half of a two-part storyline set to conclude in 2027's Secret Wars – so it seems likely that the sequel could scoop up some late-comers.

Case in point: Benedict Cumberbatch has already told Business Insider that he'll be in the "next one" as Doctor Strange, after previously assuring fans that Marvel Studios was "cooking up a storm" with its latest cinematic event.

Since revealing that the Hulk will play a role in the upcoming film via one of the new Endgame Encore post-credit scenes, the Russo's have hinted that there are still many, many characters yet to be revealed for the upcoming film. How many? Well, given the fact that there are still a lot of question marks surrounding some pretty big MCU characters, it seems like Doomsday might still have a lot more surprises in store for us.

How does Avengers: Endgame Encore setup Doomsday?

The much anticipated re-release of Endgame included multiple new scenes that hint at the events of Doomsday. According to the Russo's themselves, though, these scenes are not taken from Doomsday itself and are instead just teasers exclusively for the new version of Endgame.

The first scene, which we talked about above, shows Loki interrupting Steve and Peggy's dance at the end of the film. He tells the pair that he can help them before we cut to the credits. This lends some credence to the fan theory that Steve Rogers decision to stay in the past will form a major part of the events of Doomsday. We don't know exactly when Loki steps away from his role as the God of Stories (you know, where he's literally holding the multiverse together) but it seems like this could come before the events of Loki season 2.

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The next scene features Bruce Banner in a self-imposed isolation miles below the Earth following the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He discusses his work trying to suppress the gamma radiation in his DNA just as Dr. Doom himself arrives and forces him to transform into the Hulk. Doom then transports the Hulk out of his prison using the same magic we see in the trailer suggesting that Banner will return in the new Avengers film in some form or another. This scene also raises the question: why does Doom need to recruit the Hulk? And is he recruiting other heroes?

The next scene shows the TVA offices complete with Mobius (played by Owen Wilson) as they oversee a peaceful multiverse thanks to 'Employee of All Time' Loki. Only that peace doesn't last as two Earth's begin to collide with each other. Earth 10005, that's the Fox X-Men universe, and Earth 1127, an unknown universe, then begin firing on each other just as the multiverse itself begins to collapse with incursions happening all around them.

The final post-credits scene comes at the very end when we hear Tony Stark hammering away to make his first Iron Man suit. Only, this time the sound is revealed to be not Tony Stark but Doom hammering away as he makes himself a new mask.

What is Avengers: Doomsday about?

While we don't know much, we do know that the film will see Sam Wilson's Avengers, The New Avengers, the Wakandan's and The Fantastic Four team up to take on one of Marvel's most iconic baddies in Victor Von Doom.

The character made a brief appearance in the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, where he is seen (albeit, only from behind), approaching the universe's most powerful four-year-old: Franklin Richards.

What does he want with him exactly? That remains to be seen.

Much like Infinity War and Endgame, which became two of the highest-grossing films of all time, Doomsday and its sequel Secret Wars will serve as two parts of a larger narrative – with one leading directly into the other.

Teasing the plot to The Hollywood Reporter, co-director Joe Russo said: "I think these movies are going to be a surprise to people – we found a way into the story that’s very exciting to us but we think very radical and I think it’s going to challenge audiences."

In the 2016 comic book series Secret Wars, upon which the film may be inspired, Doctor Doom salvages elements of a destroyed multiverse and reforms them as 'Battleworld' – a domain in which he is the unquestioned god and ruler.

Prior to this storyline, the Marvel comics had dealt with the concept of incursions, whereby one reality would collide with another, either destroying both or causing one side to take a deadly defensive action.

Perhaps these terrifying events might begin occurring in Avengers: Doomsday, leading Doctor Doom to create his surreal new reality as he did in the source material – leaving enormous questions lingering for Secret Wars to answer.

Given what we've seen so far, it does seem like Doom is trying to build something out of the ashes of the multiverse.

The post-credits scene in Thunderbolts* added weight to this theory, with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) addressing a "space crisis" which could well be other planets or realities on a collision course with Earth.

Yelena vents frustration that her own New Avengers teams are viewed negatively by the press and public, while Sam Wilson's separately assembled team is regarded as more legitimate – and refusing to share intel.

That's when an inter-dimensional ship carrying the Fantastic Four is spotted entering the atmosphere, with the team likely to be carrying a dire warning of apocalyptic threat (if the film's subtitle is any indication).

Interestingly, the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene was actually filmed on the set of Avengers: Doomsday, with director Jake Schreier describing it as "a small hint of that film" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Another threat to the Fantastic Four will come from a most unexpected place, with Nightcrawler actor Alan Cumming recently revealing that he's filming an action scene that involves "hitting Pedro Pascal against the head" (via Buzzfeed).

No doubt Mr Fantastic and Nightcrawler will eventually reconcile to face their real adversary.

Don't expect the crossover to come to a neat conclusion, though, with Captain America star Mackie apparently confirming that – as expected – Doomsday will end on a cliffhanger comparable to the catastrophic 'snap' in 2018's Infinity War.

"It's one of those stories that really pushes the boundaries," he teased in an interview with Collider. The cliffhanger at the end... the last moments of the film, it really builds and sets us up for a way for the continuation of the Marvel saga, which is really exciting."

Mackie added: "You see these characters, and you see how they're introduced and how they play in the universe moving forward, and no one is safe. Everyone is expendable."

In a chat with CBR, co-star Robert Downey Jr acknowledged that there's a great deal of pressure involved in returning to the MCU after such a wildly successful original run – and the need to pull the franchise out of its recent slump.

"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 laboured long and hard to bring that down," he teased.

Why was Avengers: The Kang Dynasty cancelled?

Previously, the fifth movie in the Avengers franchise was to be named The Kang Dynasty and to continue plot threads previously established in Disney Plus series Loki and Marvel blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Jonathan Majors appeared in both projects as variants of Kang the Conquerer; a powerful time-travelling menace who was initially intended to be the MCU's next Thanos-level threat.

However, Majors was dropped by Marvel Studios after he was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend by a jury in New York. He was convicted on two counts but acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

Some had expected Marvel Studios to continue the storyline with a new actor as Kang, but the company has instead decided to go in an entirely different direction with its plans.

Avengers: Doomsday trailer

As of writing, the last full trailer, labelled as a 'Special Look', dropped around a month ago. That's prior to the release of Avengers: Endgame Encore and its multiple post-credits additions. You can watch the special look trailer below:

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Prior to the special look trailer, Marvel dropped three teasers for Avengers: Doomsday ahead of screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Given that directors Anthony and Joe Russo have encouraged fans to look for "clues" in each of these snippets, with fan theories appearing at a rapid rate – including a few that a Doctor Doom expert told us - we still think its worth keeping tabs on these teasers in the lead up to the film.

Watch the Steve Rogers trailer here:

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Then there's this trailer featuring the Fox X-Men characters.

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And lastly, this trailer featuring Black Panther and The Thing meeting for the first time.

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Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas in December 2026.

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