Avengers: Doomsday: Everything we know so far

Avengers: Doomsday is landing in theaters in May 2026. It will be the first big team-up in the MCU since Endgame shook things up in 2019. Robert Downey Jr. is stepping back into the MCU but not reprising Tony Stark, he is playing Victor Von Doom or Dr. Doom.

The film is being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who are returning after their work on Infinity War and Endgame. The cast lineup reads like a who’s who of Marvel. Chris Hemsworth will return as Thor, and Pedro Pascal will join as Mister Fantastic.

Characters from the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Fox’s old-school X-Men films are all set to collide in what promises to be a packed crossover. Avengers: Doomsday will lay the groundwork for Secret Wars, which will hit theatres in 2027.

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Has Avengers: Doomsday announced a release date yet?

Marvel Studios has officially announced that Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theatres on May 1, 2026. The film, now part of Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was initially slated for May 2025 under the title Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

However, following legal issues involving Jonathan Majors, the original storyline was altered. Majors was found guilty of harassment and assault in December 2023, leading Marvel to remove both the actor and the Kang character from future projects, according to ScreenRant, March 27, 2025.

Production for Avengers: Doomsday will begin in March 2025 in the UK, giving the studio just over a year to complete the project. The film is being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, marking their return to the MCU after helming Infinity War and Endgame.

At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, the Russos described the upcoming Avengers films as a new start for the MCU, with Joe Russo stating,

“It’s a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story,” as quoted by ScreenRant, March 27, 2025.

The movie will follow The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is expected to introduce or further develop the character of Doctor Doom portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. This new iteration of Downey’s character is not a variant of Tony Stark but a separate multiversal figure, confirmed during the Comic-Con panel.

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What will Avengers: Doomsday be all about?

Avengers: Doomsday will be a turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it will be the first of two culminating films in the Multiverse Saga. While an official synopsis is yet to be released, the storyline will focus on the arrival of Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. as the central antagonist.

As noted by People, on March 26, 2025, Downey Jr. appeared at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 to confirm his return, stating,

“New mask, same task.... What did I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters.”

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The expected storyline of Avengers: Doomsday

The storyline is expected to revolve around a multiversal collapse, with Doctor Doom likely replacing Kang in triggering events that lead into Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

As per IMDb, the storyline is expected to be as follows—Doctor Doom, still frozen after his previous defeat, is held inside a containment crate. When the Silver Surfer passes Earth on a routine patrol, the energy disturbance unintentionally reactivates Doom.

Upon waking, he removes his mask and kills a welder, attempting to separate his body from the armor. He then conceals his scarred face beneath a dark green hooded cloak and begins analyzing the Silver Surfer in hopes of acquiring his cosmic powers.

Doom travels to the Russell Glacier in Greenland to propose an alliance with the Surfer. The offer is rejected, and the Surfer attacks him. However, instead of harming Doom, the energy blast heals his physical wounds, although he retains his electricity-based abilities.

Using deception, Doom convinces the Fantastic Four and the U.S. military to let him assist in capturing the Silver Surfer in Germany’s Black Forest. After the Surfer is captured, Doom equips himself with new armor featuring mystical carvings and a green leather cloak resembling his traditional appearance. He then seizes control of the Surfer’s board.

He engages the Fantastic Four in battle over Shanghai, injuring Sue Storm by impaling her with a metal spear. After the Surfer revives her, Johnny Storm absorbs his teammates’ abilities to fight Doom, becoming a one-man team. In the final moments, Doom gets knocked off the board, and Ben Grimm swings a crane that hurls him into the harbor, where he vanishes beneath the water.

However, it must be noted that Marvel Studios has yet to officially confirm any plot, script, or storylines for Avengers: Doomsday.

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Avengers: Doomsday brings back familiar MCU names like Anthony Mackie as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Letitia Wright returns as Shuri, and Paul Rudd is back as Ant-Man.

They’re joined by new faces from the Fantastic Four and the Thunderbolts. On top of that, several legacy X-Men characters are confirmed, including Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, and Mystique, as revealed in Marvel’s livestream on March 26, 2025.

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Stay tuned for more updates on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.