Credit: Marvel Studios Comic Con / Marvel Studios / edited by ITMThe Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been about moving forward, raising the stakes with each new chapter. But in a shocking twist, Disney seems ready to take things back—way back. With Avengers: Doomsday slated for 2026, the studio isn’t just setting up another blockbuster team-up.
It’s quietly preparing a massive reset that brings the MCU full circle to the era of Avengers: Endgame (2019). This is thrilling and a little unsettling for fans, almost like Marvel’s version of a doomsday clock ticking to zero.
The idea of going back in time creates buzz that the MCU hasn’t seen since the Infinity War/Endgame one-two punch. And as Phase 6 unfolds, it’s clear Marvel is laying the groundwork for something bigger than anyone expected.
Phase 6 Begins With Fantastic Four
The first piece of that puzzle arrived with Fantastic Four: First Steps, just released as Marvel’s Phase 6 kick-off. The film reintroduced audiences to Marvel’s “First Family” in a retro-futurist style that deliberately felt different from the darker, more grounded stories of late. The Fantastic Four’s arrival isn’t just another origin—it’s a doorway into the Multiverse, a key theme driving Marvel’s new saga.
With First Steps out, the next big focus is Spider-Man. His fourth film is on the way and will bridge the gap before Doomsday. Considering where Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) left Peter stripped of his connections, forgotten by his friends and allies, and fighting crime alone.
Rumors suggest a darker, more mature Spider-Man story could be coming. Fans are speculating about a Peter weighed down by loss and responsibility, embodying the grittier tone Marvel has been teasing.
A Darker MCU Tone
If Thunderbolts (2025) proved anything, Marvel is no longer afraid to lean into shadowy corners of its universe. That film centered on morally gray antiheroes and questionable government tactics, showing that the MCU may be ready to trade some of its hopeful optimism for moral ambiguity. In contrast, Spider-Man’s rumored darker arc and the Thunderbolts’ success suggest that Marvel is steering toward more complex, sometimes uncomfortable storytelling.
However, even as Marvel takes risks with new tones and characters, Disney is moving the MCU back to Endgame. This reset, which will fully manifest in Avengers: Doomsday, is billed as one of the boldest creative pivots in MCU history.
Enter Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday is expected to bring together familiar heroes and brand-new recruits. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Tom Holland, and possibly even Ryan Reynolds are among those expected to appear. But the big headline is Robert Downey Jr.’s return—only this time, not as Tony Stark, but as the villainous Doctor Doom.
The storyline is rumored to center on Doom threatening the entire Multiverse, hopping across realities, including everything from the Fantastic Four’s world to the Fox-era X-Men. If that sounds massive, it’s because it is—Marvel appears determined to make Doomsday the biggest Marvel film since Endgame.
A Major Leak Surfaces
Recently, fans learned a surprising detail about Doomsday that makes the “back to Endgame” talk very real. According to reliable scooper UnBoxPHD, Doomsday will revisit Steve Rogers’ alternate timeline—the one he chose when he stayed in the past to live out his life with Peggy Carter. The leaker shared that a replica of Steve and Peggy’s house, first seen in Endgame’s final scene, has reportedly been built in Windsor Great Park for Doomsday filming.
The new house is said to look almost identical to the original, though smaller and adapted for production needs. While photos haven’t leaked, the mere suggestion of this set has fans buzzing about what it could mean for the film’s story.
Why Steve and Peggy Matter
If Marvel revisits Steve and Peggy’s home, it suggests that Captain America’s choice at the end of Endgame isn’t just a closed book—it’s a ticking time bomb in the Multiverse. Steve went back in time, stayed there, and rewrote history. That makes him a significant variable in the Multiverse’s stability, precisely the figure Doctor Doom might target in his hunt for those responsible for incursions across realities.
Bringing Steve and Peggy back would also strike an emotional chord. Fans said goodbye to Chris Evans’ Captain America in 2019, but seeing him again—even briefly—would underline the idea that no timeline is truly closed when dealing with Multiversal storytelling. Peggy Carter’s presence would remind audiences of the human stakes at the center of all this chaos: love, sacrifice, and choices ripple across universes.
Back to Endgame
So why would Disney move the MCU all the way back to Endgame? Simple: that film remains the emotional high-water mark of the franchise. It was where audiences laughed, cried, and collectively celebrated more than a decade of storytelling. By rewinding to that moment, Marvel can tap back into the same nostalgia while also reshaping the Multiverse saga with new consequences.
Steve’s choice to stay with Peggy has always raised questions. Was it selfish? Did it disrupt the timeline in ways we never saw? If Doomsday is indeed exploring those repercussions, it could reframe one of the MCU’s most iconic endings as the beginning of its next apocalypse.
Why This Reset Changes Everything
Disney’s decision to return the MCU to Avengers: Endgame in Doomsday isn’t just a nostalgic callback. It’s a deliberate reset, a narrative doomsday clock that rewinds the universe to where fans felt the most invested. With Spider-Man’s future uncertain, the Thunderbolts hinting at a darker tone, and Doctor Doom looming over the Multiverse, the stage is set for Marvel’s most daring gamble yet.
If Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter truly return, it won’t just be a tearful reunion—it’ll be the moment fans realize that Endgame was never the end.