Everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday is expected to be released next year.
The Avengers are assembling again and as hype builds for the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here is everything we know about the highly anticipated blockbuster.
Due for release next year, Avengers: Doomsday follows in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, which became the highest-grossing film ever, raking in 2.79 billion US dollars (£2.3 billion) at the global box office after its release in 2019.
Doomday is the penultimate film of the multiverse saga, which has explored parallel realities and cosmic threats.
Here is what we know so far:
Who are the cast?
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Robert Downey Jr announced his shock return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this time as villain Doctor Doom.
The 60-year-old was unveiled onstage at the MCU panel, leaving fans stunned.
Downey Jr has previously appeared in the MCU as Iron Man – making his debut in 2008, and going on to star as the character in eight further films.
His character, also known as Tony Stark, died in Avengers: Endgame, marking Downey Jr’s exit from the franchise after 10 years in the role.
In March this year, Marvel announced that production for the new film was under way with a video on YouTube released by the Marvel Entertainment account.
The video once again confirmed Downey Jr’s return to the franchise after his departure in 2019, as he was seen sitting in a director’s chair with his name on the back, before gesturing at the camera to shush.
Also returning is Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan and Princess Shuri actress Letitia Wright.
Anthony Mackie, whose character Sam Wilson was The Falcon but recently took the mantle of Captain America, will also star.
Ant-Man star Paul Rudd, Loki actor Tom Hiddleston, Namor actor Tenoch Huerta Mejia and Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu were among the names revealed in the video.
Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova; David Harbour as Red Guardian; Ava Starr actress Hannah John-Kamen; Wyatt Russell, who plays John Walker; and Lewis Pullman as Sentry will join the ranks.
Other cast members include Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres and Winston Duke as M’Baku.
The names of stars from the original X-Men films also feature, with Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden and Kelsey Grammer potentially returning as Nightcrawler, Mystique, Cyclops and Beast, respectively.
They will be joined by members of this year’s Fantastic Four reboot, including Invisible Woman actress Vanessa Kirby, Mister Fantastic actor Pedro Pascal, The Thing actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Johnny Storm actor Joseph Quinn.
Much to the delight of many Marvel fans, also joining the cast is Channing Tatum, who appeared as X-Men character Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Theatre, film and television actor Sir Patrick Stewart is set to feature in the film as Professor Charles Xavier.
Sir Patrick made his debut in the role in 2000 in the movie X-Men, and last appeared as Professor X in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
Rounding off the cast so far is Sir Ian McKellen, who will reprise his role as supervillain Magneto, following his last on-screen appearance as the character in the 2014 film X-Men: Days Of Future Past.
The film has been subject to online speculation as to whether it will feature any additional characters, along with the 27 already confirmed to appear.
What is the plot?
Avengers: Doomsday is expected to focus on Downey Jr’s character, Victor Werner von Doom, known as Doctor Doom, as the main antagonist.
The character is one of the most prominent supervillains in Marvel Comics, who uses his mastery of science and sorcery to pursue his goals to bring order to humanity through world domination.
Doom is regarded as one of the smartest characters and greatest threats in the Marvel Universe and is the monarch of the fictional European country of Latveria.
He also has a rivalry with Pascal’s Mister Fantastic, whose real name is Reed Richards.
The feud dates back to the pair’s college days and is fuelled by Doom’s jealousy over Richards’ intellect and their conflicting ideologies on how to improve the world.
Doom made his first, brief appearance in the mid-credits scene of Fantastic Four: First Steps, as a silent, cloaked figure interacting with Richards’ child.
Avengers: Doomsday will see the Avengers – which now consists of Hemsworth, Mackie, Hiddleston, Rudd and Wright’s characters – join forces with the Fantastic Four.
They will also team up with the X-Men, with characters played by Stewart, McKellen, Marsden, Grammer and Romijn as they reprise their roles from the original 2000s X-Men film series.
Tatum will also join the X-Men as mutant Gambit, a role he first appeared in as a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).
They will be joined by members of the reformed villain group the Thunderbolts, from the 2025 film – including Stan, Pugh, Harbour, John-Kamen and Pullman.
The film is believed to follow the events of Thunderbolts, due to take place 14 months after its conclusion, during which the anti-hero team declare themselves the New Avengers.
Looking at the Marvel comic books, Doom is believed to be on a quest for the power of the multiverse and alternate realities.
However, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have been secretive about the plot of the upcoming film, with little revealed so far.
What does it mean for the MCU?
Avengers: Doomsday is the penultimate film in the MCU’s phase six, which has focused on the multiverse and alternate realities.
Phases are an organisational structure used by Marvel Studios to group its interconnected movies and shows.
Each of the phases of the films in the Marvel sagas focuses on major characters and builds up to a huge crossover event.
Avengers: Doomsday will build to the conclusion of phases four, five and six, in a crossover event.
It will combine the characters and plotlines from across the franchise to wrap up the storylines that have been building since 2021, after Avengers: Endgame concluded the first three phases of the MCU.
The films that make up phase six are: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)
The TV shows at the centre of the phase are: Eyes of Wakanda (2025), Wonder Man (2026), Daredevil: Born Again season two (2026) and Vision Quest (2026).
Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to conclude the saga, and it is expected to be released in the US on December 17 2027.
What have the directors said?
At the MCU panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, it was announced that Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War directors, the Russo brothers, would be directing the newest instalment in the Avengers franchise.
During the panel, Anthony Russo told the crowd: “When we directed Avengers: Endgame, Joe and I truly believed that it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you.”
The directing duo, known as the Russo brothers, are co-founders of the production company AGBO, known for directing acclaimed comedies such as Arrested Development and action films like Extraction.
They are best known for their work in the MCU, having worked as directors on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
Following the announcement, the pair have continually dropped hints about their upcoming MCU installation on their social media.
A cryptic post on the duo’s Instagram showed a grainy, black-and-white photo of a V-shape
Fans were quick to speculate online what this may mean, as the anticipation for the upcoming blockbuster film builds.
Release date
The movie is due for release on December 18 2026, after being postponed from its original expected release date in May 2026.
The seven-month delay was announced by Disney in May 2025 and will also impact the scheduled release dates of other upcoming Marvel films.
In anticipation of the release of the new film, the Russo brothers announced that Avengers: Endgame will return to cinemas in September 2026.
