Credit: Marvel StudiosFans could have a major Marvel event on their calendars as the year draws to a close.
Marvel Studios is heading toward another major turning point, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe preparing for a structural shift that could reshape its core roster. As the studio maps out its next saga, a mix of returning favorites and notable missing names is already signaling how different the road ahead may look.
Set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, Avengers: Doomsday is positioned as one of Marvel’s most ambitious ensemble films to date. The project reunites directors Anthony and Joe Russo with Marvel for the first time since Avengers: Endgame (2019). Earlier story plans built around Kang have been scrapped, with the narrative now refocused around a different central villain.
That threat comes in the form of Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., marking a dramatic comeback for the actor in a role far removed from Tony Stark.
Marvel jump-started conversation in early 2025 with a heavily viewed “chair reveal” livestream that rolled out a lengthy cast roster. The presentation confirmed appearances from Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), and James Marsden (Cyclops).
The stream also cemented Marvel’s Multiverse strategy by bringing in several performers from the Fox-era X-Men films, including Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), and Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler). Their involvement further connects previously separate Marvel film legacies under one banner.
Still, several longtime MCU players were absent from the lineup, and some addressed it directly. Mark Ruffalo, who has portrayed Bruce Banner since The Avengers (2012), made light of the situation during a late-night appearance, joking about why he might not be involved.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ruffalo said, “They decided that it was better to get rid of me than for me to tell the end of the next movie.”
Although he won’t appear in Doomsday after confirming his absence amid rumors he was fired from the studio, Ruffalo is slated to return in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, currently dated for July 31, 2026. Industry chatter indicates that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has been more focused on Avengers: Doomsday than Spider-Man 4 during its production phase.
Ruffalo wasn’t the only missing veteran. Fans quickly noticed that names like Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers/Captain America, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine were not part of the initial cast reveal.
That changed in Evans’ case soon after. During the theatrical rollout of Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), Marvel attached a series of Doomsday teaser spots. The first revisited Steve Rogers, followed by additional previews centered on Thor, the X-Men, and the Wakandans encountering Ben Grimm/Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
What Is the Plot of Avengers: Doomsday?
New chatter about the film’s opening moments has added another layer of intrigue. According to claims from MyTimeToShineHello and reported by Comic Book Movie, the film may launch with a cross-franchise clash featuring two legacy Marvel icons.
“Apparently, the movie will open with Maguire’s web-slinger battling the X-Men, ‘and particularly Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine,'” Comic Book Movie writes. “This somewhat corroborates claims we’ve heard about an Incursion destroying Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Universe, and it gives Maguire’s Peter Parker a lot to fight for in this movie and Avengers: Secret Wars as he looks to bring back his loved ones.”
The same insider also made sweeping claims about the film’s overall scale.
“Avengers: Doomsday is not only the most epic Avengers movie, but it might be the most epic movie OF ALL TIME,” they wrote (via Comic Book Movie). “The opening scene alone tops any previous Avengers movie, and the final battle is just INSANE.”
Marvel Studios and Disney have not verified these reports, but speculation around the project has accelerated well ahead of release. With the film arriving during the high-traffic December corridor, box office watchers are already projecting major numbers if audience interest holds.
For now, much of what’s circulating remains rumor rather than fact, and this new update also slots into that category–but it is interesting nonetheless.
According to this same insider, the story could kick off with Victor Von Doom offering uneasy cooperation with the Fantastic Four as they chase down reality-breaking Incursions ravaging parallel Earths–only for his true agenda to emerge as something much more controlling and personal.
“Victor asks the Fantastic Four for help with the Incursions. They travel together with Steve Rogers to the MCU in their ship to warn everyone, then join forces to head to the X-Men universe–the source of the next Incursion that will destroy their Earths,” MyTimeToShineHello writes, via Comic Book Movie. “They have a plan to fix everything.”
The outlet expanded, writing, “The scooper adds that the movie will see Steve Rogers and Thor teaming up to seek out Loki, presumably meaning they’ll need to find him and the TVA as part of their likely doomed (pun intended) plan to save the Multiverse.”
Doom’s Latveria Emerges
Amid all of this forward-looking speculation, Marvel has also been teasing the world of Doom from a different angle. A playful animated clip released as part of Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! plants its flag firmly in Latveria, with Doom himself offering a tongue-in-cheek guided tour of his homeland–from Doomstadt’s exaggerated attractions to the amusement park cheekily dubbed “Doomland.”
In the short, he pitches “time-loop vacations” and touts Doombots as ever-watchful guides, blurring the lines between tyrant and tour guide in a moment that is at once humorous and slightly unsettling.
While there’s no official word on how that Latveria presentation ties into the events of Doomsday–or whether it’s simply a bit of supplemental world-building–the choice to spotlight Doom’s domain ahead of the film’s December 18, 2026, release underscores how strategically Marvel is weaving its promotional threads.
Taken together, the leaks and teasers paint a picture of a sprawling multiversal conflict anchored by Doom’s personal crusade and populated by heroes both old and newly aligned. Whether these rumoured openings and animated nods are accurate hints or just clever misdirection, one thing’s clear: anticipation for what Doom and the Avengers will unleash later this year isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Avengers: Doomsday Updates So Far
Interest has also centered on promotional artwork first displayed at the Walt Disney Studios Marketing Expo in Shanghai. The detailed image highlights Doctor Doom’s armor and two emblems attached to his cloak.
One symbol resembles Captain Marvel’s star, while the other mirrors Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Because the icons appear paired and deliberate, many fans believe they may signal Doom’s triumph over alternate-reality versions of those heroes rather than serving as simple costume decoration.
Whether those details are purely visual or story-driven, the artwork has prompted extensive theorizing about how powerful Doom becomes and how far Marvel plans to push the Multiverse concept. Marvel’s broader recalibration is already in motion. The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched strongly in 2025 and outpaced Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025).
Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers have repeatedly pointed to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) as the projects designed to reframe the franchise’s direction. Together, the films are expected to elevate the X-Men’s importance and redefine which characters lead the MCU’s next phase.
With Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom and a cast drawn from multiple eras of Marvel filmmaking, Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be a milestone entry as the cinematic universe transitions into its next chapter.
What’s your reaction to this potential Avengers: Doomsday storyline? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.