At the end of March, Marvel Studios confirmed the first 27 actors cast in Avengers: Doomsday, but many more Marvel Cinematic Universe veterans are expected to join them soon. Marvel’s first Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement – which took the form of a five-and-a-half-hour chair-laying ceremony – included some predictable casting choices, as well as some major surprises. However, there were many MCU stars who were curiously omitted from the announcement, but with production well underway, another chair-laying ceremony might be on the horizon.

As well as MCU mainstays such as Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, and the casts of the New Avengers and Fantastic Four teams, Marvel Studios also confirmed that several members of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men team would be returning in Avengers: Doomsday. This promises a multiverse-spanning storyline that could lead to even more surprises in another cast announcement. With 27 actors already confirmed, including Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, there could be 27 more on the way, and these are our best predictions for who could appear in the Russo brothers’ upcoming crossover event.

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27) Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes’ War Machine

It’s been a shame to see one of the MCU’s original armoured heroes wasted during the Multiverse Saga, as Rhodey was revealed to have been replaced by a Skrull in Secret Invasion, but this transition hasn’t been explained. Avengers: Doomsday presents the perfect opportunity for Don Cheadle to return, perhaps briefly examining his experience with the Skrulls, before moving on to allow him to be a true custodian of Tony Stark’s legacy as Iron Man. With Downey Jr. returning as a villain, it would be great to see Stark’s best friend’s reaction, so we’d love to see War Machine again.

26) Brie Larson as Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel has been central to the MCU since her debut in 2019, but she has unfortunately been at the center of some confusing and misplaced criticism in recent years. The Marvels became the MCU’s lowest-grossing movie ever, despite positive reviews, making it essential for Brie Larson to return to fully redeem her cosmic character in Avengers: Doomsday. She proved pivotal to Avengers: Endgame’s narrative, and has already dealt with the multiverse in 2023, so it would make sense for her to rejoin the Avengers in 2026 to battle Doctor Doom.

25) Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner’s Hulk

It was very surprising to not see Mark Ruffalo’s name among the first roster of MCU actors returning in Avengers: Doomsday. Bruce Banner has been at the core of the MCU since the very beginning, and has been through some pretty wild changes, leading to him becoming Smart Hulk in Endgame. We last saw him alongside his Sakaarian son, Skaar (Wil Deusner), so Doomsday could give this introduction more meaning, while expanding the Hulk’s storyline even further. The Russo brothers made some controversial choices with the Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, so Doomsday could provide redemption.

24) Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk

Alongside Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, it would be fantastic to see his cousin, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters also return in Avengers: Doomsday. She-Hulk has been absent from many conversations surrounding an MCU future since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuted her with poor visual effects and unfounded review bombing, even though she’s one of the most exciting, satirical, and powerful characters introduced to the MCU in recent years. We’d love to see Maslany reteam with Ruffalo to bring these Hulks back to life in Avengers: Doomsday – especially if this comes with better CGI.

23) Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie

Tom Hiddleston has already been confirmed to be returning as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday, and set photos from the movie’s production have seemingly confirmed the Time Variance Authority will be revisited. This all creates the perfect opportunity for Sophia Di Martino to reprise her role as the Loki variant, Sylvie, who formed a close bond with Loki in his self-titled Disney+ series. Sylvie could inform other heroes about the state of the multiverse, as she has more knowledge than most, and her inclusion could open the door for Owen Wilson, Wunmi Mosaku, Ke Huy Quan, and more to also return.

22) Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie

Chris Hemsworth was the first actor confirmed to be returning in Doomsday during Marvel’s chair-laying announcement, which means the city of New Asgard could be revisited in the upcoming Phase 6 movie. This means New Asgard’s king, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, must be included, especially after defending her people in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Valkyrie fought Thanos alongside the Avengers in Endgame, so could be included as a more central hero in Doomsday, alongside her Asgardian allies, though Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor likely won’t be involved.

21) Chris Pratt as Peter Quill’s Star-Lord

The end of 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw Peter Quill leave the titular team and return to Earth, where he reunited with his grandfather. The movie ended with the promise that the Legendary Star-Lord will return, and Avengers: Doomsday is the best place for Chris Pratt to come back. Despite not having any innate superhuman gifts, Quill is a skilled fighter, an experienced leader, and has an intimate knowledge of cosmic goings-on in the MCU, so would be a huge asset to the Avengers, and he could be joined by his former Guardians of the Galaxy teammates.

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20) Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector’s Moon Knight

Aside from an appearance in the animated What If…? series, Oscar Isaac has not appeared in the MCU as Marc Spector or his alters since his debut in Moon Knight. Moon Knight is one of the most exciting new heroes in the MCU, so it would be fantastic to see him return in Avengers: Doomsday, though he might be too focused on the street-level MCU to take part. Doctor Doom has godly power, however, as down Spector, so it would be brilliant to see these two powerhouses go toe-to-toe, especially if Layla El-Faouly’s Scarlet Scarab (May Calamawy) joins them.

19) Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange

2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular Master of the Mystic Arts travel across the multiverse, providing him with an intimate knowledge of multiversal ideals and concepts. This perfectly set him up for a huge role in Avengers: Doomsday, so it’s shocking he hasn’t yet been confirmed to be involved. Strange was last seen entering the Dark Dimension with Clea (Charlize Theron) to stop an incursion, so it would be fantastic to see them both return in Doomsday to fulfil this goal and perhaps help to thwart more incursions and stop Doctor Doom.

18) Benedict Wong as Wong

If Doctor Strange and Clea return, it would make sense for Benedict Wong’s Wong to be involved in Avengers: Doomsday, too. Wong, as the current Sorcerer Supreme, is one of the most important figures in the MCU, and perhaps an easy target for Doctor Doom on his hunt for power. Wong played a crucial role in Infinity War, Endgame, and Multiverse of Madness, so it would be great to see him come back in Doomsday to continue this strong streak, displaying more of his power, maybe building a team of his own, and perhaps even becoming a victim of Doom.

17) Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might have ended with Wanda Maximoff’s demise, but teases in Agatha All Along and speculation of her return in the upcoming Vision Quest series could set up her return for Doomsday. In Marvel Comics, the Scarlet Witch is a very important figure alongside Doctor Doom, who manipulates her into being his wife, so this could be explored in the MCU’s Phase 6. With Joe Locke portraying the reincarnated Billy Maximoff, and a new Tommy Maximoff expected to debut alongside Paul Bettany’s Vision in 2026, it’s high time for a Maximoff family reunion.

16) Paul Bettany as Vision

If the Scarlet Witch returns, then it would be no surprise to see Vision come back alongside her. Paul Bettany is set to return as the white version of the vibranium synthezoid Vision in 2026’s Vision Quest series – the latest spinoff from 2021’s WandaVision. It’s assumed that Vision Quest will premiere before Avengers: Doomsday’s December 2026 release, which means Paul Bettany’s solo series could provide the perfect set-up for his role in Doomsday. One thing’s for sure – the vibranium Avenger would prove very useful in the fight against Doctor Doom.

15) Tom Holland as Peter Parker’s Spider-Man

Tom Holland is currently filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is scheduled for release in July 2026, and will see Peter Parker’s Spider-Man team up with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher on the streets of New York City. The fact that Spider-Man will be jumping back into action shortly before Avengers: Doomsday, and Brand New Day will likely mark some huge set-up for the Phase 6 crossover, there’s little doubt Tom Holland will be involved in the Russo brothers’ next MCU instalment. Spider-Man proved to be a huge asset in Infinity War and Endgame, and he’s grown even stronger since then.

14) Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams’ Wonder Man

Scheduled to premiere as Simon Williams’ Wonder Man in the self-titled Disney+ series, Wonder Man, in December 2025, we can easily see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II having a role in Avengers: Doomsday. As Wonder Man, Abdul-Mateen will debut as one of the MCU’s most powerful new characters, a superhuman who has ambitions of becoming a Hollywood star, so he’ll be crucial in the fight against Doctor Doom. It’s no wonder he wasn’t confirmed in the first round of casting for Doomsday, as the release of his own series was still a way off, but this is no longer the case.

13) Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton’s Hawkeye

After making a miraculous recovery from his 2023 snowplow accident, Jeremy Renner is ready to rejoin the MCU as Clint Barton’s Hawkeye. Barton has seemingly retired from a superhero career several times, but he surely has one or two more adventures in him. With Robert Downey Jr. returning, and Chris Hemsworth already being confirmed for Doomsday, it would be great to see the other members of the original Avengers team join them. Barton is also the mentor to one of the MCU’s most exciting new heroes, which could hint at a bigger role for her in Doomsday, too.

12) Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye

Hailee Steinfeld joined Jeremy Renner in 2021’s Hawkeye series as Kate Bishop, a sharp-shooting archer who idolized the Avenger and eventually became his mentee. Clint Barton seemed to pass on the Hawkeye mantle to Kate Bishop at the end of the Phase 4 series, setting her up to become a central hero in the MCU’s future, perhaps as a member of the Young Avengers – who were teased in 2023’s The Marvels. Avengers: Doomsday would be a great place to bring the Young Avengers together, and, as the oldest member, Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye could become the group’s natural leader.

11) Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams’ Ironheart

The most recent live-action Disney+ series released by Marvel Studios was Ironheart, which developed Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams in the wake of her debut in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With a relationship to Letitia Wright’s Shuri – who has already been confirmed for Doomsday – it would make sense for Riri to return in the upcoming crossover event. After Ironheart’s finale saw Riri strike a deal with Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen), her role in Doomsday could come with some unexpected and thrilling dark twists.

10) Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel

If the Young Avengers are set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, they won’t only include the likes of Kate Bishop, Riri Williams, Billy Maximoff, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), Skaar, and more, but Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel would also take a central position. Iman Vellani’s mutant superhero is one of the most important figures in the MCU, and will surely bridge the gap between the old and reset MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars. After partnering with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau to save the universe in The Marvels, there’s no doubt Ms. Marvel will reunite with them in Doomsday.

9) Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau

The end of The Marvels saw Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau become trapped in an alternate reality inhabited by the X-Men – including Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, who has already been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. This means that her return in Doomsday is practically inevitable, as it would be silly to explore a multiverse-spanning story without revisiting the Earth Rambeau is now trapped on. This could explain the confirmation of so many X-Men members returning in Doomsday – perhaps Monica is trapped on Earth 10005 – and would open the door for another exciting new character to return alongside her.

8) Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau’s Binary

The Maria Rambeau of Earth 616 passed away during the Blip, but several of her variants have already been introduced to the MCU. While Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel was killed by the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels introduced her Binary variant, who had teamed up with the X-Men. Revisiting this alternate reality – where Monica Rambeau found herself trapped – presents the opportunity for Lashana Lynch to better develop Maria’s Binary persona, perhaps establishing herself as one of the MCU’s most powerful new characters, and giving Lynch a more substantial role in the franchise.

7) Famke Janssen as Jean Grey

So far, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, Kelsey Grammer, and Channing Tatum have all been confirmed to be reprising their X-Men roles in Doomsday. There are many omissions, however, and one of the most prominent is that of Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey. Jean deserves to return after X-Men: The Last Stand fumbled her delivery of the Dark Phoenix, as she needs some serious redemption. We hope Jean Grey is finally done justice on-screen in the MCU, but, before Marvel Studios recasts the iconic X-Men hero, we’d love to see Janssen get another chance.

6) Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe’s Storm

Another iconic X-Men member who wasn’t included among those in the first cast announcement for Avengers: Doomsday was Storm, with neither Halle Berry nor Alexandra Shipp being confirmed to be reprising the role. Berry has been the subject of rumors for several years, with speculation suggesting she’ll reprise the role of Storm, who never quite got the chance to display her almost god-like power in Fox’s X-Men franchise. After Earth 10005 was revisited in Deadpool & Wolverine, and with many X-Men members already confirmed, we would love to see Halle Berry’s Storm return to action before the role is recast.

5) Hugh Jackman as Logan’s Wolverine

Speaking of Deadpool & Wolverine, Hugh Jackman recently shared footage of him back training in the gym, which may have teased his upcoming appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. Jackman retired from the role of Wolverine after 2017’s Logan, but returned as a variant of his original Earth 10005 hero in Deadpool & Wolverine, and could reprise this role in Doomsday. It’s every comic fan’s dream to see Wolverine and the X-Men in comic-accurate live-action costumes, and Doomsday is promising to make this happen, so, before someone else takes over from Jackman, we want him to come back just one more time.

4) Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson’s Deadpool

It would be hard to have a Deadpool & Wolverine reunion with just the latter, so it would make sense for Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson to also return. Deadpool & Wolverine became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time in 2024, making a return for the titular Merc with a Mouth practically inevitable. While Reynolds is working on a new Deadpool and X-Men team-up project, it would also be brilliant to see Deadpool team up with the Avengers and the pre-established heroes of the MCU. Doomsday could reunite Deadpool with the X-Men while introducing him to the other heroes of the MCU.

3) Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

Even after the disappointment of 2023’s Secret Invasion, Nick Fury is still one of the most important figures in the MCU’s history. He helped found the original Avengers team, so it would be fantastic to see Samuel L. Jackson reprise the role for their upcoming adventure, especially with Robert Downey Jr. returning. Fury’s involvement with SABER in The Marvels means he has knowledge of the MCU’s cosmic and multiversal powers, which could prove crucial to Doomsday. Fury deserves redemption after his controversial Phase 5 adventures, so we hope he comes back and cements himself as a formidable hero once again.

2) Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter

Hayley Atwell was previously rumored to be involved with Avengers: Doomsday, but this hasn’t yet been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios. Atwell debuted as Peggy Carter back in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, and she was last seen as this original iteration in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. It’s possible this version of Peggy Carter could return, but Atwell could also play a Captain Carter variant of her character, who has previously been seen in animation and even in live-action in the MCU. A mirror to Steve Rogers’ Captain America, Captain Carter would be a great addition to Doomsday’s roster.

1) Chris Evans as Steve Rogers’ Captain America

After the shocking reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would be coming back to Marvel – as Doctor Doom rather than Iron Man – speculation stirred about who else could return. While he’d remained mum about the idea of returning as Captain America since his departure in Endgame, Chris Evans came back to the MCU as Johnny Storm’s Human Torch in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, presented a number of opportunities for him to also return in Avengers: Doomsday, whether as the Human Torch, Captain America, or another variant altogether. We want to see all the original Avengers return, so perhaps Scarlett Johansson will join, too, but only time will tell.

Who do you want to see return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post Predicting the Next 27 Actors Cast in the MCU’s Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The MCU has found a solid amount of success with its past two movies. While the box office hasn’t been as satisfying as the studio hoped for, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps received great reviews from critics and audiences. Movies like The Fantastic Four: First Steps show that Marvel is going in the right direction with how they do introduction movies, but it also displays the issue with the last couple of phases of Marvel. Every year, the MCU has introduced a slew of new characters that are meant to be utilized throughout the Multiverse Saga, but Marvel has failed to make them involved in the connected universe

While projects like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Ms. Marvel have been great introductions to new characters, Marvel needs to slow down on introducing characters and focus on building a universe again. There are so many great characters and actors in the MCU’s franchise, and to see so many of them underutilized is disheartening.

Marvel Needs to Include More Post-Endgame Characters in Their Projects

2021 saw an incredible number of MCU projects released. Disney+ released five MCU TV shows, including one animated project, in the span of a year, while there were four MCU movies released in the span of six months. TV shows like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have since seen characters carry over into different projects, but everything else has yet to have a continued story. Despite Loki being one of the highest-rated MCU television shows, almost none of the characters have carried over to different projects. The only character from that show that has appeared in another project is Kang, which we now know is a character we will likely never see again. While the TVA played a major role in Deadpool and Wolverine, none of the main cast has appeared in anything outside of a post-credit scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Loki isn’t the only project that has yet to see new characters implemented in other MCU projects. Despite being released over three years ago, Moon Knight has had no characters appear in anything outside of its show. With the talented Oscar Isaac at the forefront, it’s insane that Marvel hasn’t even attempted to include him in anything. The same goes for the Eternals. Even though they have a stacked cast of A-listers, including Angelina Jolie and now Harry Styles, the most that audiences have seen from Eternals is the giant celestial that grew from the ground at the end of the movie, and even that took four years to bring up. With the talented ensemble they have hired for their projects, it’s sad to see them underutilized.

The post-credit scenes of the recent set of Marvel projects are arguably the worst offenders in introducing characters and doing nothing with them for years. Movies like Thor: Love and Thunder teased the introduction of Clea and Hercules over three years ago, yet nothing has been seen of them since. In prior post-credit scenes, whatever is introduced usually appears in the next couple of movies, with examples including the Maximoff twins at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man. The MCU has since ended this trope, which has made the universe extremely overstuffed and convoluted, and something needs to change.

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What Can Marvel Do to Fix Their Issues?

Given their handling of character introductions, it is clear they need to stop introducing new ones altogether. Instead, they should take the Thunderbolts* route, which is to take a group of minor supporting characters they’ve introduced in past projects and dedicate a project to exploring their traits and figuring out how they fit into the universe. Thunderbolts* was not only able to make minor supporting characters feel like A-listers, but they also successfully managed to rebuild the MCU by teasing what the future looks like. The Marvels is another example of the route they should take. Although the film didn’t have as strong a script as it should have, bringing together characters who were introduced in other projects was a great idea for a movie. Taking this route with their projects would be the perfect way to tie up loose ends and start making the universe feel cohesive again.

Too many recent MCU projects, ranging from spin-offs like Echo to Thor sequels, have stood too much on their own, and Marvel needs to shift away from that and start developing a fleshed-out universe again. While individual projects can be good, Marvel has become overly focused on them in recent years, and with Avengers: Doomsday coming out in a little over a year, it is time for the spin-offs, side projects, and new character introductions to stop in favor of building up to their next big event.

With an Avengers movie in close proximity, it is insane that Marvel is still continuing to push out projects that are looking to have no implications on the MCU timeline. Projects like Vision Quest and Wonder Man sound interesting at face value, as they will see the return of past MCU villains, but these should not be Marvel’s focus right now. Introducing new characters that will have no ramifications to the MCU when it is this close to a big event film is not a smart move on Marvel’s part, and if Marvel doesn’t do something about it, then their universe will fall apart.

What do you think? Comment below if you like the MCU’s current trajectory or if there’s something they need to change.

The post Marvel Needs To Stop Introducing New Characters appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ever since Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, we’ve wondered how he’ll be connected to Tony Stark’s Iron Man – a new theory may provide the perfect explanation. Downey Jr. previously portrayed the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark between 2008’s Iron Man and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. After a hiatus and off the back of an Oscar win for Oppenheimer, he has now returned to the MCU, as he made an uncredited cameo in the mid-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Doctor Doom.

It’s unclear how Marvel Studios will explain why Victor Von Doom looks just like Tony Stark when the supervillain returns in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. A new theory posed on Reddit, however, could provide an answer, while also reinventing the origin of Doctor Doom’s iconic scarred physique from Marvel Comics. The theory suggests that Doctor Doom could be a Tony Stark variant from an alternate reality who became scarred when he used the Infinity Stones to obliterate Thanos and his armies in Endgame, but didn’t succumb to these wounds.

In Marvel Comics, Victor Von Doom scars have a dark origin story that connects directly to his long-standing rivalry with Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. The “Origin of Doctor Doom!” story in 1964’s Fantastic Four Annual #2 explained this backstory, and revealed that Doom met Richards when attending State University in America, where Doom works on developing a device that would allow him to contact his deceased mother, while Richards warns him that his calculations are off. Doom ignores these warnings and goes ahead anyway, but the device explodes and damages his physique beyond recognition.

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This spurs Doctor Doom to permanently sport his trademark metal mask and thick, green cloak, which Robert Downey Jr. was seen sporting at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The appearance of the mask in First Steps seemingly confirmed that Doom has his scars in the MCU, too, suggesting his feud with Mister Fantastic started the same way on Earth 828. However, the theory suggests that Doom may have got his scars by saving the universe from the Mad Titan instead of simply trying to contact his deceased mother, which could drastically change Doom’s role in the MCU.

This new theory hints at Doctor Doom having more heroic intentions in the live-action MCU, which could easily lead to him creating Battleworld and save many characters after incursions ravage the multiverse. This storyline is expected to unfold in Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will put Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom front-and-center, and are expected to answer exactly why he looks like Tony Stark. Secret Wars will conclude the Multiverse Saga and establish a new singular timeline for the MCU, but Doctor Doom will likely have a major role in the franchise for many years to come.

Do you think Doctor Doom will be a Tony Stark variant in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars? Let us know in the comments!

The post Shocking Endgame Theory Reinvents Doctor Doom’s Iconic Look for Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been months since the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, which forced fans to sit in front of their phones or TVs for hours and watch a video that did nothing but reveal names on the back of chairs. It’s still one of the most popular videos in Marvel Studios history, though, so there’s still something to be said about the company’s ability to stay in the spotlight. However, all has been quiet on the Doomsday front since filming started. There have been photos of cast members together here and an image of a potential set piece there, but nothing mind-blowing. Well, the drought is over because a new bombshell has joined the cast of the movie.

Earlier this week, Ryan Reynolds made headlines by posting an image of the Avengers logo with graffiti on it on his Instagram page. It appeared to be the handiwork of the actor’s mercenary alter ego, Wade Wilson, better known as Deadpool, but the lack of a caption made the post’s purpose hard to decipher. Speculation ran rampant that Reynolds was confirming his role in the next Avengers movie, and while that may have been premature, fans had the right idea. The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that Deadpool will, in fact, appear in Doomsday, and the outlet even has some juicy information about his role.

It appears that, while the Merc With a Mouth will share the screen with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in 2026, he won’t be joining their ranks just yet. That’s sure to disappoint Deadpool, who tried so hard to become an Avenger prior to the events of Deadpool & Wolverine. However, there’s another team that could use his help even more, one he has a complicated history with.

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Deadpool Could Team Up With the X-Men Again in Avengers: Doomsday

In the first two Deadpool movies, Colossus tries really hard to make Deadpool an X-Man, even bringing him to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters at one point. But hanging out with kids and following the rules isn’t Wade’s style, so he chooses to continue to do things his own way. In the years since spurning Colossus, Deadpool has turned over a new leaf, embracing having a family and fighting to protect it. While the X-Men aren’t his family, they are fellow mutants, and they will be in grave danger in Doomsday.

Several cast members from Fox’s original X-Men movies will reprise their roles in the fifth Avengers film, and while their places in the story are a mystery, they’re sure to involve Doctor Doom and his assault on the multiverse. To ensure his family and the rest of existence survive, Deadpool is going to have to embrace being a team player. It’s unclear whether he will be able to drag Wolverine with him, but it’s hard to imagine him going into battle without his angry friend.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Are you excited that Deadpool is going to appear in Avengers: Doomsday? What kind of role do you think he’ll have in the movie? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Another Major Mutant Joins the Cast of Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Is Avengers: Doomsday doomed before it’s even wrapped? The upcoming Avengers film has already been delayed, but recent rumors and reports from the Marvel movie’s set in the United Kingdom paint a troubling picture of production. On the most recent episode of The Hot Mic Podcast, hosts John Rocha and Jeff Sneider dive into the potential causes of the behind-the-scenes strife on the set of Doomsday, along with why the film allegedly needs three weeks of reshoots amid shifting filming strategies. And apparently, it may all have to do with a single actor with a long history in the MCU.

“The dysfunction I’ve heard on this set is rivaled only by that of Fast and Furious movies,” Sneider told co-host Rocha. “There’s just a lot of testosterone and a lot of ego on that set. A lot of people who think they know what way is the best way. In the end, there’s only one person’s way who matters, and that’s actually Robert Downey Jr.’s way.”

Sneider detailed that the alleged reason for Doomsday’s reshoots has to do with how they were filming Downey’s Doctor Doom. According to the rumors, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t even on camera to begin with. The production used a face double for the actor and a body double for him in Doom’s iconic suit while Downey stood off-camera and read his character’s lines.

“After two or three weeks, [Downey] was like, ‘This isn’t working, I want to reshoot everything with me in the suit,” Sneider said. “That’s what I heard.”

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On its surface, the rumor does make sense. So much of the MCU’s success is thanks to Downey’s portrayal of Tony Stark. His first outing as the superhero in Iron Man not only launched the cinematic universe when it became a surprise hit in 2008, but Stark went on to serve as the MCU’s lynchpin and central character for the next decade on screen. It stands to reason, then, that the actor would have a tremendous amount of sway over at Marvel. However, given that Downey likely received an eight-figure payday for playing Doctor Doom, the production’s missteps compelled Sneider to ask the question, “Why are we paying talent boatloads of money and then not using the talent?”

A “Sinking Ship” May Be to Blame for Doomsday’s Dysfunction

Sneider went on to share his theories for where the dysfunction of the Doomsday set stems from. “It’s about egos…you can see it very clearly. This reeks of too many cooks in the kitchen and too many people who sense a ship is sinking, and they’re going to get theirs before the ship goes down.”

Sneider is seemingly referring to the lackluster performance of Marvel’s last two theatrical releases, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It wasn’t that long ago that a Marvel movie was almost guaranteed to be a blockbuster hit, but Thunderbolts* took in only $382 million, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps had a sharp second-weekend dropoff in ticket sales, and has yet to cross the $500-million mark at the global box office.

“That, to me, concerns me when you look at all the dysfunctional set,” Sneider continued. “You wouldn’t hear any of this dysfunction on other sets, on all the other big movies. But it’s clear that everyone’s gotten big…everyone’s got their particular way of working and what they want to do now, and they’re not willing to give in a little bit more like they did in the past.”

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, 2026. Do you believe the rumors about Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Rumor Details “Dysfunction” on Set, Reason for Reshoots appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The first couple of Avengers movies focus on one group of heroes. In The Avengers, Nick Fury brings together the most formidable characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to fend off Loki, who is looking to invade Earth with his Chitauri army. The situation isn’t all that different in Avengers: Age of Ultron, as the same core group is back and meets a couple of new friends along the way, including Vision, Pietro Maximoff, and Wanda Maximoff. However, after Captain America: Civil War, most of the Avengers are no longer on speaking terms, which complicates matters in Avengers: Infinity War. The solution is to break everyone into teams that attack Thanos on multiple fronts.

Choosing not to unite proves to be a mistake for the MCU’s heroes, but it doesn’t seem like anyone has learned their lesson. In Avengers: Doomsday, several groups will face Doctor Doom, and not all of them are on the best of terms. Here’s every confirmed and rumored super team for Doomsday.

1) Confirmed: The New Avengers

Earth-616’s first line of defense in Doomsday will be the newly formed New Avengers. At the end of Thunderbolts*, the titular team gets put into the spotlight by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and despite being ill-prepared for the moment, everyone appears to be doing a bang-up job. The only real issue they have is that they’re beefing with another group that also claims to be comprised of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

2) Confirmed: Sam Wilson’s Avengers

The fight against the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World makes Sam Wilson realize that it’s time to put the Avengers back together. His first recruit is Joaquin Torres, but before he can reach out to the likes of Shuri, Ant-Man, and Shang-Chi, the New Avengers steal his thunder. Losing out on the Avengers name isn’t sitting right with Sam, so he’s taking his former buddy Bucky Barnes to court. Their relationship is likely to get worse before it gets better in Doomsday.

3) Confirmed: The Fantastic Four

Marvel’s First Family is sure to bring some perspective to Doomsday when they arrive on Earth-616 looking for help. The end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps implies that Doctor Doom has Franklin Richards, which forces the team to travel to another dimension because its members are the only heroes in their own. Reed Richards and Sue Storm won’t stop until they have their son back and Doom is out of the picture.

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4) Confirmed: The X-Men

The biggest wild card in Doomsday is the X-Men, played by members of Fox’s original cast. It remains to be seen what kind of role the mutants will play, as they’re no longer in their primes. However, no matter how much fighting they do, it feels unlikely that they’ll be around for the entirety of the movie, as the focus will be on the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Doom could make quick work of the X-Men to prove that he means business.

5) Rumored: Loki’s Team

While that already seems like too many mouths to feed, rumor has it that Doomsday will feature a couple of other notable groups. According to Cosmic Circus, Loki will have his own team. Of course, the God of Mischief is sitting on the throne at the End of Time at the moment, holding the multiverse together, but he can’t stay off his feet forever if Doom is looking to destroy his hard work. Loki could use members of the Time Variance Authority and maybe even his brother, Thor, to fight back.

6) Rumored: Doctor Doom’s Team

While Doom is powerful on his own, he’s going to have a tough time facing all these MCU teams alone. Well, his solution may be to bring together a group of remarkable villains. Cosmic Circus reports that Doom will also have a team in Doomsday, and while the outlet doesn’t have any information about his recruits, it’s fair to assume he will reach out to some familiar faces, including a Steve Rogers variant.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Which team do you think will have the biggest impact in Avengers: Doomsday? Is there another Marvel group you want to see in the movie? We love responding to our readers, so share your opinion in the comments below.

The post Every Super Team Confirmed & Rumored for Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The shadow of Thanos (Josh Brolin) defined the first saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the Avengers battled foes like Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the malevolent A.I. Ultron (James Spader), the Mad Titan was the architect of a much larger conflict. When he finally stepped forward in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos proved his physical dominance by overpowering the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and systematically taking down Earth’s heroes. Thanos’ eventual success in gathering all six Infinity Stones and erasing half of all life established his role as the MCU’s paramount threat, a villain whose victory was so absolute it forced the survivors to break reality for a chance to reverse it.

Yet, the slate of films and Disney+ series released since Avengers: Endgame has fundamentally reshaped the MCU’s power dynamics. The introduction of the multiverse, cosmic deities, and conceptual entities has populated the MCU with a new class of beings that operate on an entirely different axis from the Mad Titan’s physical and strategic might. Their very presence recontextualizes the Titan’s reign, proving that even a villain who conquered the universe was still just one player in a much larger, and far more dangerous, game.

10) Kang the Conqueror

While the variant known as He Who Remains appeared in the first season of Loki, the warlord Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) made his formal debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. A brilliant scientist from the 31st century exiled to the Quantum Realm, Kang’s power comes from his sophisticated battle suit. This armor provides him with immense physical strength and durability, but his primary offensive abilities are the powerful energy beams he projects from his hands and the telekinetic-like control he exerts to restrain opponents and manipulate objects.

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In Quantumania, Kang single-handedly dismantled the local freedom fighter army and overpowered the entire Ant-Man family in direct combat. The film showcases his abilities when he catches the energy blasts from Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), generates a force field to deflect attacks, and telekinetically pins down a giant-sized Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). His intellect is shown to be a weapon itself, as he manipulated Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and built a vast empire within the Quantum Realm. His ultimate power, however, was revealed after his defeat, with the introduction of the Council of Kangs, an infinite army of his variants poised to threaten all of reality, all as powerful as the Conqueror.

9) Ikaris

Introduced in the film Eternals, Ikaris (Richard Madden) served for centuries as the tactical leader and primary weapon of his team. While he possesses the baseline superhuman strength and durability of all Eternals, his cosmic powers are also channeled into supersonic flight and intense beams of pure energy projected from his eyes. These two powers elevate him into a top-tier combatant, designed by the Celestials to be an overwhelming force.

The MCU puts Ikaris’ full power on display during his final confrontation with his former teammates. He uses his flight to create a powerful vortex to disrupt the super-speed of Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) and demonstrates his raw strength by shattering the complex cosmic restraints forged by Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry). In addition, his energy beams are shown to be incredibly destructive, carving through the hull of their Celestial-built starship, the Domo, and overpowering the combined defenses of the team. Even when facing a unified front, Ikaris proves to be a one-man assault team, shrugging off attacks and ruthlessly pressing his advantage with lethal efficiency.

8) G’iah

First seen as a child in Captain Marvel, the Skrull G’iah (Emilia Clarke) was transformed into one of the most powerful beings in the universe during the events of the Disney+ series Secret Invasion. After obtaining the Harvest, a vial containing the DNA of dozens of combatants from the Battle of Earth, she used a Super-Skrull machine to rewrite her genetic code. This process granted her access to a massive library of superhuman abilities.

The full scope of G’iah’s new power is unleashed in her final battle against the similarly empowered Skrull leader Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). The MCU depicts her as a master of adaptation, instantly healing from a fatal stab wound using the Extremis ability before countering with the brute strength of Cull Obsidian’s arm. She effortlessly shifts tactics, phasing through one of Gravik’s attacks using the powers of Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and then attempting to use the sleep-inducing touch of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Her victory is secured by combining the raw physical power of Drax’s (Dave Bautista) arm with an energy blast from Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) abilities. Her ability to channel all these powers at her will makes G’iah nearly unstoppable.

7) Wiccan

Formally introduced as a costumed hero in the series Agatha All Along, William Kaplan (Joe Locke) is a teenager who discovers he is the magical reincarnation of Billy Maximoff, one of the Scarlet Witch’s sons. His powers are not learned but are innate, a direct inheritance of his mother’s reality-altering Chaos Magic. This makes him a natural conduit for an untamed mystical energy capable of challenging reality, positioning him as one of the most significant magical beings to emerge in the MCU.

When confronted by threats in Agatha All Along, Billy instinctively unleashes powerful waves of psionic force and demonstrates fine telekinetic control over objects. His most significant feat, however, is reality manipulation. He single-handedly manifests the Witches’ Road, a mythical magical plane that even the veteran sorceress Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) believed to be a mere fairy tale. This act shows that his abilities go beyond casting spells, as he can fundamentally alter the very fabric of reality with his thoughts.

6) Sentry

Introduced in Thunderbolts*, Robert “Bob” Reynolds (Lewis Pullman) is a deeply unstable man who was granted the “power of a million exploding suns” from an experimental government serum. This power manifests in a staggering array of abilities, including superhuman strength and speed, flight, near-total invulnerability, and the capacity to project and manipulate immense amounts of energy. In the film, he demonstrates his might by effortlessly overpowering the entire Thunderbolts team, even absorbing a full-force shield strike from U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) without even flinching.

The Sentry’s true power, however, is also his greatest threat. Reynolds’ fractured psyche houses a malevolent alter-ego known as the Void, a shadowy entity of pure destruction. In Thunderbolts*, the Void’s power is shown to be horrifyingly absolute, as it begins to consume New York City, turning civilians into shadow imprints on the pavement with a mere gesture. This cataclysmic ability to manipulate matter and energy on a massive scale establishes him not just as a physical powerhouse, but as a reality-warping threat whose internal battle makes him one of the most dangerous beings in the MCU.

5) Arishem the Judge

As the Prime Celestial revealed in Eternals, Arishem the Judge (voiced by David Kaye) is a cosmic god responsible for creating entire galaxies and seeding planets with life. He is a being of truly incomprehensible scale, a fact the film demonstrates when he manifests in Earth’s orbit, dwarfing the planet itself. His power is so absolute that he can abduct three Eternals from the surface of the planet and pull them across impossible cosmic distances with a simple, effortless gesture.

Arishem’s function within the universal order is to create life for the sole purpose of birthing new Celestials, a cycle that concludes with the complete destruction of the host world. He operates as a fundamental force of creation and destruction, judging entire civilizations and extinguishing them as part of his natural cosmic role. This establishes him not as a conqueror seeking to impose his will upon the universe, but as an entity whose very existence is an embodiment of that universal will itself.

4) Mephisto

After years of fan theories, the demonic entity Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) made his official debut in the finale of the Disney+ series Ironheart, revealed as the mastermind behind the powers of The Hood (Anthony Ramos). The show establishes him as a manipulative deal-maker who offered Parker Robbins vast wealth in exchange for his soul. After Robbins fails, Mephisto turns his attention to Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), seeking to use her brilliant mind for his own sinister purposes and proving to be a master of temptation and corruption.

Mephisto’s powers were shown to be vast and reality-bending, as he effortlessly teleported Parker Robbins to a new location and froze a family in time with a simple hand wave, boasting he could do the same to the entire city. Mephisto’s true might, however, was demonstrated through his ultimate offer to Riri. In order to secure her compliance, he brought her human friend Natalie (Lyric Ross) from the dead, proving he possesses a level of power over life and death that operates on a fundamental cosmic scale.

3) Franklin Richards

The infant son of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Franklin Richards was introduced in The Fantastic Four: First Steps as a being of immense power. The film establishes his universal importance through its primary antagonist, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic entity who is drawn to Earth not to consume it, but to find Franklin. Galactus believes the child’s innate connection to the Power Cosmic is so great that it can absorb his eternal hunger, framing the newborn as a living solution to one of the universe’s oldest curses.

Franklin’s staggering MCU potential is put on full display in the film’s climax. After his mother, Sue, sacrifices her life to defeat Galactus, the grieving family places the infant on her chest. In a moment of pure instinct, Franklin unleashes his power and brings her back from the dead, a permanent resurrection that fundamentally alters reality. This ability to conquer death itself, performed unconsciously by a baby, demonstrates a level of control over the laws of existence that is absolute and unprecedented in the MCU.

2) Lady Death

The cosmic entity known as Death made her long-awaited debut in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along, initially introduced as Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), a powerful Green Witch. Throughout the series, she guided Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and her coven along the mythical Witches’ Road. Her true identity was unveiled in the seventh episode, “Death’s Hand in Mine,” where she revealed herself to be the literal personification of the end of all things, an abstract being in physical form.

As a fundamental force of the universe, Death operates on a plane of existence far beyond physical confrontation. The series establishes her as an entity with infinite knowledge and the absolute power to take or restore life at her whim. As the sister of Eternity, a being introduced in Thor: Love and Thunder, she is part of the highest echelon of cosmic entities in the MCU, the embodiment of a universal law and the ultimate authority over the very concept of mortality.

1) Eternity

The living embodiment of all time and space within the universe, Eternity made his monumental debut in Thor: Love and Thunder, a movie that introduces him as a sentient cosmic nexus located at the center of the universe. The film’s antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), carves a path of destruction across the cosmos with the sole purpose of reaching Eternity’s altar, where he can be granted one absolute wish.

Eternity’s power is shown to be absolute, as he grants the first being to reach him any single desire, rewriting reality to match their will. In the film’s climax, a dying Gorr forgoes his genocidal quest and instead wishes for his daughter, Love (India Hemsworth), to be brought back to life. Eternity fulfills this request without effort, creating a new living being from the cosmic ether and entrusting her to Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) care. This act establishes Eternity as a source of power so pure it can do anything instantly, from universal annihilation to the miracle of life itself.

What other powerful MCU character post-Endgame do you think could take Thanos? Share your picks in the comments!

The post 10 MCU Characters Introduced After Avengers: Endgame Who Could’ve Beaten Thanos appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s most important stars is finally returning to the big screen. After making her debut as America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, actress Xochitl Gomez seemed to confirm her return in Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently in production overseas. While attending the premiere for the upcoming film Nobody 2, the actress took a brief moment to talk to ET Online and tease what she hopes to bring to her character in the upcoming project. The young actress kept it simple, stating she’s just excited to see her future, before ultimately asking for the fans to tell her what they hope to see from America in Avengers: Doomsday.

“I’m excited to see her future. I think most importantly – actually, this thing’s going out to you guys, what do you guys want to see? What are you hoping for America’s future?” Gomez answered, careful not to give anything away. As to what three words she’d pick to hopefully describe what America embodies in Avengers: Doomsday? Gomez had some pretty exciting choices for fans. “Bravery, courage, and let’s say, powerful.”

America Chavez’s MCU Future Is Bright

The young actress had one final tease for fans when asked who she would like to, hopefully, share the screen with in the upcoming film. Careful to avoid causing rumors, though, she made a quick disclaimer before giving her answer. “I hope to share, not to say anything, this is just like speculation, vibes, I mean, I worked with her once, and I’d love to work with her again. She was a dream. I’d love to work with Elizabeth Olsen again.”

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America was an incredibly important character that was first introduced in the long-awaited Doctor Strange sequel. The character, who is not only one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful characters, is also a huge part of the Multiverse storyline being explored within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, she is born in the Utopian Parallel, an alternate dimension, and is known for her superhuman strength, durability, and the ability to open star-shaped portals for interdimensional travel. These powers were only briefly on display in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, leaving plenty for the character to still showcase on screen within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not only is America vital to the Multiverse storyline, but she’s also incredibly important to the Young Avengers team that has been teased for years now. The character joined the Young Avengers in the comic book series of the same name by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. In that lineup of Young Avengers, America teamed up with Wiccan, Hulkling, Kid Loki, Marvel Boy, and Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ve seen Ms. Marvel already approaching Kate Bishop about a team of young heroes, seemingly confirming Marvel Studios has plans for the Young Avengers, and it would seem unlikely that the studio would go against including America Chavez on the team.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit the big screen on December 18, 2026. What do you think of America Chavez’s return? Let u sknow in the comments.

The post One of the MCU’s Most Important Missing Stars Just Teased Their Avengers Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing for its next massive crossover event with Avengers: Doomsday, a film poised to unite an epic ensemble of heroes against a new multiversal threat. Helmed by the Russo Brothers, the directors behind Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the movie is set to feature the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and many more fan-favorite characters in a story that promises to reshape the franchise before Avengers: Secret Wars reboots the universe. However, the most significant Doomsday reveal has been the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic villain, Doctor Doom, the Latverian tyrant defined by the metallic mask he wears to conceal his horribly scarred face.

The decision to cast Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom sparked a firestorm of speculation about this new villain’s origins and connection to the MCU’s history. Theories have ranged from Doom being a malevolent variant of Tony Stark from another reality to the idea that he might be using the deceased hero’s corpse as a grotesque disguise to manipulate his former allies. Now, an intriguing new theory posted by Reddit user TheGreatMason in the r/MCUTheories subreddit offers a compelling explanation for how the MCU’s Doctor Doom may have gotten his infamous scars, tying his origin directly to one of the most pivotal moments in the Infinity Saga.

In the MCU, The Infinity Stones Hurt Their Wielder

Long before anyone assembled the Gauntlet, direct contact with a single stone proved lethal for most mortals in the MCU. In Thor: The Dark World, the Aether, or Reality Stone, slowly poisoned Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), its parasitic energy consuming her from the inside. The danger was made even more explicit in Guardians of the Galaxy, when the Power Stone instantly obliterated the Collector’s (Benicio del Toro) servant who dared to touch it. Furthermore, the Guardians themselves only survived wielding the Power Stone for a few moments by sharing the burden, an act that nearly tore them apart and was only possible due to Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) half-Celestial physiology.

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While a single stone was deadly, wielding the combined cosmic power of all six through the Infinity Gauntlet escalated that threat. After achieving his victory in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos (Josh Brolin) was left with a charred and useless arm, the power of his snap having permanently crippled the Mad Titan. The effort of using the stones a second time, to destroy them, nearly killed him and left him a broken shell of his former self, easily dispatched by Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

Avengers: Endgame drove the point home by having the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), a creature born from gamma radiation and arguably one of the few beings strong enough to even attempt the feat, be maimed by the effort of reversing the Blip, his arm left scorched and seemingly beyond repair. The ultimate price, however, was paid by Tony Stark. His mortal body, even protected by his most advanced suit of armor, was no match for the raw cosmic power he unleashed to defeat Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet.

Did the MCU Doctor Doom Use the Infinity Gauntlet?

The Reddit theory from TheGreatMason builds directly upon this established lore to propose a fascinating origin for Doctor Doom’s scars. The theory points to a key detail from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which confirmed that other universes found their own ways to defeat Thanos. From this, TheGreatMason posits a compelling scenario: “So, what if Doom comes from a universe where he used the Infinity Stones to defeat Thanos but still managed to survive thanks to his knowledge of the mystic arts?” 

In this alternate reality, Victor Von Doom would have been the one to step up and make the ultimate play by holding the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy Thanos, just like Tony Stark did in Avengers: Endgame. His unique mastery of technology and magic, vastly explored in Marvel Comics, would make him a far more plausible survivor of the Gauntlet’s power. This heroic sacrifice, however, would have come with the same terrible cost. As the theory compellingly argues, Doom’s “face could be scarred the same way Tony’s face was scarred at the end of Endgame, and he could be the celebrated main hero of his home world.”

If Marvel Studios goes along this route, showing how Doctor Doom defeated Thanos could be a great way to tell audiences how powerful the new MCU villain is. In addition, the shared trauma between Doom and the Avengers of the Sacred Timeline, both having survived Thanos’ invasion, would make it easier for the villain to manipulate the heroes. As TheGreatMason posits, “if he has the same exact scar as 616 Tony because he is the hero who saved that world from Thanos, there are more reasons to trust him.”

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

What do you think of this theory for Doctor Doom’s origin in the MCU? Join the discussion in the comments!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Could Replicate a Major MCU Moment With a Twist According to New Theory appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and even more heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe come together in this incredible new fan art imagining the battle of 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel Studios has already announced several exciting heroes set to return in Doomsday, the Russo brothers’ next MCU crossover event. They’ll be banding together to take on Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, and this promises to be an epic battle that has now been depicted in some striking new art.

Shared by @70.6ix and @welove_marvel, this new art brings together many of the confirmed heroes for Avengers: Doomsday, as well as some that have been heavily rumored to be returning. The scene depicts these characters not only battling each other and Doctor Doom, but also a legion of Doombots – Doctor Doom’s robotic army from Marvel Comics. Some of the MCU’s biggest battles and set pieces are expected for Avengers: Doomsday, and this art showcases exactly what this could look like.

The art sees confirmed heroes such as Shang-Chi, the Fantastic Four, members of the Thunderbolts, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Shuri’s Black Panther, Ant-Man, and a number of X-Men taking on Doombots. Several rumored characters also show up, including Daredevil, Deadpool, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and more. If Avengers: Doomsday includes all these characters, the Phase 6 movie promises to be the MCU’s biggest crossover event yet – even larger than Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

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Robert Downey Jr. made his first uncredited appearance as Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ post-credits scene, suggesting his iteration of the masked supervillain has a prior connection to Earth 828’s Fantastic Four. This makes the debut of Marvel’s First Family even more exciting, and makes us even more excited to see Doomsday pay off this tag and the end-credits scene of Thunderbolts*. This saw a version of the Fantastic Four’s ship, the Excelsior, appear in the skies of Earth 616. How the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom will travel the multiverse hasn’t yet become clear.

Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, and will be followed by a sequel, Avenger: Secret Wars, on December 17, 2027, which will conclude the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Secret Wars is expected to end in a “reset” of the MCU into a singular timeline, explaining the integration of multiversal groups of X-Men and Fantastic Four into the MCU’s main continuity. This implies Doomsday and Secret Wars will see Doctor Doom and Marvel’s heroes fighting to stop incursions from destroying the multiverse, which promises some epic battles to come.

Are you excited to see the MCU’s heroes battle Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post Avengers, X-Men, & Fantastic Four Battle Doombot Army in Epic Avengers: Doomsday Fan Art appeared first on ComicBook.com.

All eyes are on Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. All three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s 2025 films, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, use post-credits scenes to tease the upcoming team-up project, setting the stage for Doctor Doom. The villain will surely set his sights on conquering the multiverse after his meeting with Franklin Richards, who has the potential to be the most powerful character in the MCU. However, no matter what Doom cooks up in his next appearance, the events of Doomsday will be small potatoes compared to what comes after in Avengers: Secret Wars.

Secret Wars is the biggest event in Marvel Comics history, bringing together characters from every universe to fight for survival. The MCU is going to put its heroes in the same spot, which opens the doors for plenty of wild Easter eggs. Here are seven Marvel movies that Secret Wars needs to reference.

1) Avengers: Doomsday

To get the obvious out of the way, Secret Wars will be a direct follow-up to Doomsday. It’s unclear whether the fifth Avengers movie will take a page out of Avengers: Infinity War‘s playbook by ending on a cliffhanger that makes the wait for the next film unbearable, but Marvel Studios isn’t afraid to return to the well. A good bet would be that Doomsday ends with the creation of Battleworld and all the heroes realizing they’re in for the fight of their lives.

2) Spider-Man: Brand New Day

It’s hard to believe, but Tom Holland has yet to be announced as part of the cast of Doomsday. The actor is busy filming another MCU movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is going to swing into theaters a few months before Doomsday. With Peter Parker off on his own, Secret Wars will seemingly have to do some heavy lifting by bringing him back into the fold after his run-in with the Hulk and Punisher.

3) Deadpool & Wolverine

Two other major MCU characters without invites to the Doomsday party are Wade Wilson and Logan, the stars of 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. While plenty of X-Men are returning to the big screen in 2026, the MCU might be saving its two biggest mutants for Secret Wars. It’s going to be nice to learn what the duo has been up to since saving the multiverse from Cassandra Nova.

4) Ghost Rider

It’s easy to lose track of all the Marvel series on Disney+ because they typically have low stakes. Well, Ironheart bucks that trend by introducing Mephisto, a mysterious villain who makes an offer to the titular hero. Mephisto explains that he has deals with lots of people, and, based on the character’s comic book history, Johnny Cage is definitely one of them. Secret Wars can confirm the connection by bringing Nicolas Cage back into the fold for one last ride.

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5) Spider-Man 3

One of the most iconic images from the Secret Wars comic is of Spider-Man discovering the symbiote and donning his black suit for the first time. If Secret Wars follows in the source material’s footsteps, it will recreate this moment with Holland’s Peter. Fortunately, there’s a Spider-Man variant in the multiverse who already has experience with the alien threat and has a history with Earth 616’s Wall-Crawler.

6) Venom: The Last Dance

While Secret Wars really has no reason to reference Sony’s franchise, there’s at least one good thing to come out of it: Tom Hardy’s Venom. During the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Eddie Brock finds himself on Earth-616, and while Venom: The Last Dance shuts down any hope of him meeting Spider-Man, Secret Wars can open the door again. Seeing two symbiotes share the screen would be too good an opportunity to pass up.

7) Elektra

Deadpool and Wolverine are able to fight back against Cassandra because they join a group of freedom fighters in the Void, which includes Gambit, Blade, X-23, and Elektra. Channing Tatum is part of the Doomsday cast, and it’s safe to assume that X-23 will go wherever her “father” Wolverine does. That leaves Elektra and Blade as the last two heroes without a chair. However, Jennifer Garner’s assassin has more potential than her Daywalker friend, making her the more likely candidate to return in Secret Wars and talk about her past adventures.

Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters on December 17, 2027.

Do you hope Avengers: Secret Wars references all these movies? Are there any other Marvel projects you want to see get a shout-out? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 7 Marvel Movies That Avengers: Secret Wars Needs to Reference appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After years of critical and commercial disappointments, Warner Bros. Discovery has finally committed to a clear vision for its most valuable intellectual property. The formation of DC Studios, led by co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, marked a pivotal moment for the brand, promising a unified and creatively coherent cinematic universe designed to rival the industry’s reigning champion, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first chapter of this ambitious new era, Gunn’s own Superman, has already been released to widespread critical acclaim, signaling a powerful new direction. Furthermore, in an unexpected but decisive victory, the film is also poised to become the biggest superhero movie of 2025, giving DC Studios a monumental win over Marvel for the first time in years and proving their new approach can deliver blockbuster results.

The question that hangs over Superman‘s initial triumph is whether it represents a momentary shift or the beginning of a genuine paradigm change. For over a decade, the MCU has been the undisputed king of the box office, an unstoppable cultural and financial juggernaut that seemed untouchable. However, with Superman outperforming Marvel’s entire 2025 slate, DC has drawn first blood in this new phase of the superhero box office war. This victory provides the new DCU with a stable foundation built on both quality and commercial appeal, something its predecessor, the DC Extended Universe, never truly achieved. Now, with a clear roadmap and a proven hit, the industry is watching to see if the DCU has what it takes to not just compete with the MCU, but to one day surpass it.

The MCU Has Been Struggling

To understand the magnitude of DC’s current opportunity, it is essential to first acknowledge the unprecedented success of the MCU. The Infinity Saga, spanning 23 films across three phases, was a masterclass in long-form storytelling and brand building, culminating in the world-conquering success of Avengers: Endgame. Phase 3 alone grossed over $11 billion worldwide, cementing the MCU as the most successful film franchise in history. By then, Marvel Studios seemed incapable of missing, turning obscure characters into household names, and consistently delivering billion-dollar blockbusters. That golden era, however, has definitively ended.

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In the years following Endgame, the MCU has suffered from a noticeable decline in both quality and commercial performance. For starters, the once-lauded sense of interconnectivity that made every entry feel essential has given way to a scattered and unfocused narrative. As a result, Phase 4, while still financially successful with a gross of over $5.8 billion, was widely criticized for its lack of a clear overarching direction. This downward trend accelerated dramatically in Phase 5, which concluded as the lowest-grossing phase in the MCU’s history, earning a combined total of approximately $3.66 billion. This figure is shockingly lower than the $3.81 billion earned by the six films of Phase 1 over a decade ago, illustrating a significant regression in audience engagement.

This financial downturn is a direct reflection of a series of creative misfires. Films like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (47% on Rotten Tomatoes) and The Marvels (54% on Rotten Tomatoes) were met with poor reviews and disappointing box office returns, with The Marvels becoming the MCU’s biggest commercial bomb. Even critically successful entries like Thunderbolts* failed to connect with audiences, earning just $382 million worldwide. Marvel Studios’ latest release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, was once more unable to translate good reviews into box office profitability. This pattern of diminishing returns suggests a deeper problem beyond simple “superhero fatigue.” The studio’s post-Endgame strategy, characterized by oversaturation and a perceived drop in quality control, has eroded the fan trust that was once its greatest asset.

The MCU Is Bringing Out the Big Guns (But Is That Enough?)

In response to its recent struggles, Marvel Studios is course-correcting by narrowing its focus and betting big on its most reliable properties. The studio has scaled back its release schedule, with only three films currently slated for 2026 and 2027 combined, all of them heavy hitters. Spider-Man: Brand New Day builds upon the massive success of Tom Holland’s hero, whose last two films earned a combined $3 billion, by injecting a major crossover appeal. The confirmed appearances of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk promise a fresh street-level dynamic, helping connect Spider-Man to other MCU properties.

Beyond that, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars represent the studio’s ultimate financial safety net. The Avengers brand is one of the most dominant in Hollywood, and the return of Robert Downey Jr. will position these movies as unmissable saga-defining events for a global audience. Finally, Marvel Studios has unprecedented control of its most successful characters, as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are soon joining the Scared Timeline to boost the MCU’s popularity. That, summed with the MCU’s soft-reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars, could give the studio the clean slate it so desperately needs.

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This slate, however, cannot hide the troubling reality that Marvel has failed to fix its systemic production issues. The studio continues to value release dates over creative readiness, a problem illustrated by the development of Avengers: Doomsday. While the movie is deep into filming, the script has not been finished yet, and key actors don’t even know how many more scenes they must shoot before production wraps. This choice repeats the exact patchwork strategy that led to extensive reshoots on previous films such as Captain America: Brave New World.

Constant script rewrites during production inevitably lead to massive reshoots that cause budgets to spiral out of control. Unsurprisingly, when a film’s budget inflates from a planned $200 million to over $270 million, as it did for The Marvels, the path to profitability becomes incredibly narrow. The break-even point for these blockbusters can easily exceed $600 million worldwide, transforming what should be successful theatrical runs into financial disappointments. This costly method is the polar opposite of the writer-focused and financially varied approach being implemented by DC Studios, giving the DCU a clear advantage in the next couple of years.

The DCU’s Production Philosophy Is Its Biggest Strength

Under Gunn and Safran, DC Studios has established a writer-centric model, ensuring that every project is built upon a solid narrative foundation before heading into production. In other words, DC Studios only puts a movie in the calendar once the story is great, while Marvel Studios tries to figure out the story of movies that have already been scheduled for release. This commitment to script quality was evident in Superman, whose critical and commercial success was driven by strong character work and an emotionally resonant plot. In short, by prioritizing the creative vision from the outset, DC is fostering an environment that is more likely to produce high-quality films that connect with audiences on a deeper level.

Furthermore, the DCU is being built on a far more sustainable financial model. As Gunn underlined, not every film will be a world-ending epic with a quarter-billion-dollar budget. Instead, the studio is developing a varied slate of projects with a wide range of budgets, tailored to the scale and appeal of each character. For instance, the upcoming Clayface film is reportedly being produced as a smaller-scale horror story with a budget of around $40 million. A film like this does not need to gross a billion dollars to be a resounding success, and even a modest box office take of $200 million would make it wildly profitable, generating significant revenue that can then be used by DC Studios to fund larger tentpole events.

This tiered financial strategy lowers the immense pressure on each release and provides greater creative freedom. It allows DC to take risks on unconventional characters and genre-specific stories without betting the entire studio on their success. While the MCU is still operating on an outdated model where every film must be a global phenomenon, the DCU is building a healthier and more resilient ecosystem. In the end, that could lead the DCU to become more relevant in the long term. The MCU may win the next few box office rounds with its heavy hitters, but the DCU is playing a longer, smarter game.

Do you think the DCU’s new strategy is enough to eventually overtake the MCU? Join the discussion in the comments!

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s Spidey suit ends an Iron Man trend that’s defined Peter Parker throughout the MCU, and it may have ramifications for Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. Thanks to Brand New Day‘s official set video, costume reveal, and countless unofficial set photos, there have been enough pictures of Spider-Man to satisfy even J. Jonah Jameson. No major plot elements have been revealed by them (yet), but they do give a sense of what this movie will be, including it delivering on the promise of being a true street-level Spider-Man movie.

The “new” Spider-Man suit is a big part of that – although it’s not really new at all. Based on what’s been shown, this is the same costume from Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending, with a few tweaks. That’s likely because the suit was never made for that movie, and was instead entirely CGI. Now that it’s real and being worn by Tom Holland, there are inevitably some small differences in color and design. Regardless, it’s one of the MCU’s best Spider-Man costumes so far, but what’s most notable about it is what it leaves behind from past versions the web-slinger has worn.

Spider-Man Is Moving On From Iron Man In Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s suit won’t be made by Tony Stark, nor use any Stark technology. If that holds true through the entire movie, it’ll Spidey’s first MCU appearance where he’s not had at least one suit that in some way came from Stark. The suit is a homemade one that Peter created in No Way Home‘s closing scene, which wasn’t just because of his newfound status where the world has forgotten who he is, but more symbolic of his future.

The suit represents not only what Peter has lost due to Doctor Strange’s spell, but that he must now forge his own sense of identity. And to do that, he has to move beyond Tony. Since he entered the MCU, Holland’s Web Head has been defined by his relationship to his mentor, at times feeling as much like Iron Man 2.0 as he did Spider-Man. That not only gave him some upgrades (not that his powers really need them), but meant we’ve not seen him much as, well, a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

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Peter will never forget Tony, nor all he did for him. But this highlights that he’s found a sense of peace with what happened, and that he can begin to move on. He can live up to Iron Man’s legacy by being a great superhero, but crucially, by being his own hero too.

RDJ As Doom Must Have A Major Impact On Spider-Man

It’s good that Peter will be able to move on from being so singularly defined by Iron Man, but the timing of his newfound acceptance is very unfortunate. Tony Stark may not be coming back to the MCU (although… you wouldn’t bet against it), but someone with his face will be appearing soon – and as the biggest new threat to the multiverse. Holland hasn’t yet been confirmed for Doomsday, presumably due to it filming at the same time as Brand New Day (with some rumors they’ll take place concurrently in-universe). Still, it seems likely he’ll have some role, and if not in that movie, then certainly in Secret Wars.

When that happens, it means Spider-Man will be going up against Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom. And with that, there’s surely no way we don’t get a scene where Doom’s face is revealed to Peter – his great hero and mentor’s face now staring at him as the biggest villain he’s faced this side of Thanos. Not only is he going to be dealing with that threat, but also the shock of seeing his former friend and father figure once again, now in a twisted fashion. It’ll dredge up a lot of trauma and pain for Peter, making Downey Jr’s return as Doom so much worse for him, but also a very powerful moment if done right.

Doom himself may even use this to his advantage. Whether theories of Tony Stark being a Victor von Doom variant all along or true or not, he can use the fact that he has Iron Man’s face as a strength. Like it should be with Spider-Man, it can be a means of throwing the heroes off their game, where even the slightest pause could give him an edge. Doom’s genius-level intellect will leave no stone unturned, so it’d be surprising if he didn’t learn about Tony and the fact that they share a face, and find out how best to utilize that. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, it could be in a way that doesn’t leave him feeling so good.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on July 31st, 2026. Avengers: Doomsday is slated for December 18th, 2026, and will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17th, 2027.

The post Spider-Man: Brand New Day Just Made RDJ’s Return Even Worse appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Most of the hype surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is thanks to Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rather than reprising his role as Iron Man for the next team-up movie, the Oscar-winning actor will be a villain this time around, bringing Doctor Doom to the big screen for the first time since 2015. However, Downey Jr. isn’t the only actor who’s getting another chance to put on a costume in a comic book movie. Many of the actors from Fox’s original X-Men films are also set to appear in Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Kelsey Grammer, and James Marsden.

One mutant that’s flying under the radar is Nightcrawler, played by Alan Cumming. Despite being a major part of X2: X-Men United, Nightcrawler doesn’t return in X-Men: The Last Stand. Cumming is ready for his encore, though, telling anyone who will listen about how excited he is to return in Doomsday. Well, the actor may have gotten a little ahead of himself because he posted an image that might spoil his character’s new look in the MCU.

In addition to releasing a photo of a set of teeth, Cumming showed off what appears to be a cardboard box with a couple of interesting images on it from the set of Doomsday. Next to the word “waste” is an image of Nightcrawler from Marvel Comics, and next to the word “Confidential” is another version of the character, one that bears a resemblance to Cumming. While there is some speculation online that the box could be repurposing fan art and doesn’t mean anything, it’s not unusual to find visual aids on sets, especially on a production as large as Doomsday.

In X2, Nightcrawler doesn’t wear his comics-accurate suit, donning a trench coat and long pants. However, based on Cumming’s post, the MCU might be taking a different approach with the character, putting him in his comics-accurate red and black suit. If that’s the case, it could be good news for the rest of the X-Men, who never got a chance to embrace their campy roots.

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Avengers: Doomsday Could Be Giving the Original X-Men Cast a Chance to Escape Black Leather

It’s no secret that Fox’s first few X-Men movies chose not to embrace their comic book history. There’s even a joke about Wolverine feeling uncomfortable in his costume, with Cyclops quipping, “What would you prefer, yellow spandex?” While later films would let up a little bit and put the mutants in more colorful outfits, there was still an effort by Fox to avoid getting too “comic book-y.” The MCU takes the opposite approach, which could mean the X-Men are about to have a lot of fun in Doomsday.

Professor X already got to use his yellow chair in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it’s safe to assume he’ll be back in that in 2026. Cyclops may also add some yellow to his look if his outfit takes inspiration from the one the mutant dons in X-Men ’97. No matter what costumes the MCU chooses for its iconic team of mutants, it just has to be better than black leather, which went out of style long before the characters stopped wearing it.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

What do you think of Nightcrawler’s look in Avengers: Doomsday? Do you hope the rest of the X-Men get comics-accurate costumes? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Star Accidentally Reveals Major X-Men Upgrade for the MCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ryan Reynolds has just teased Deadpool’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a new social media post ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. Reynolds debuted as the Merc with a Mouth back in 2016’s Deadpool, with it and its 2018 sequel becoming two of the most popular instalments of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine brought the titular antihero into the MCU proper, however, and achieved even higher levels of success, making Deadpool’s return to the MCU all but inevitable, and Reynolds might now have provided confirmation.

On August 12, 2025, Ryan Reynolds shared an image of the Avengers symbol seen throughout Deadpool & Wolverine on Instagram. Instead of the blue tones seen in Deadpool & Wolverine, however, the symbol is now painted red, suggesting that it may be being used for a different MCU project, perhaps even Avengers: Doomsday. While Reynolds offers no explanation about this post’s meaning – there’s no caption to give anything away – the fact that Avengers: Doomsday is currently filming implies that this symbol could coincide with the Russo brothers’ upcoming crossover.

Reynolds previously shared this same logo on his Instagram a month before the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. The Phase 5 movie revealed that this symbol was the one used by Cassandra Nova’s (Emma Corrin) army of variants trapped in the Void at the End of Time, rather than an “Anarchist Avengers” team that had been speculated. Even so, Marvel did form a new superhero team in Deadpool & Wolverine, comprising Deadpool, Wolverine, Gambit, Elektra, Blade, X-23, and, briefly, the Human Torch, so Deadpool may have adopted this logo for his own team ahead of his return in Avengers: Doomsday.

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Ever since Deadpool & Wolverine became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever and the strongest Deadpool adventure, Ryan Reynolds’ return to the MCU has been inevitable. Even so, the star has remained quiet about when or where Deadpool will be seen again, though he did recently confirm that he is writing a Deadpool and X-Men team-up movie, which hasn’t yet been officially announced by Marvel Studios. With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars expected to explore several different realities, including Earth 616, Earth 828, and the X-Men’s Earth 10005, these crossovers are the perfect place for Deadpool to return.

There’s no doubt Deadpool will become an important and regular fixture in the MCU, even after Avengers: Secret Wars resets the franchise into a new, singular timeline. The Merc with a Mouth is one of Marvel’s most popular characters, and now that’s he’s officially in the MCU, the door is open for him to crossover with a wide variety of characters he never could before. This could include the Avengers in 2026’s Doomsday, with Deadpool joining the fight against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in an effort to save the universe he has already fought so hard to protect.

Do you want to see Deadpool return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps hasn’t quite set the box alight in the way Marvel might’ve hoped, but there are much bigger things to come. The first Fantastic Four movie in the MCU had a pretty good opening weekend, with $117 million domestic and a worldwide haul of $216m. It suffered a sharp drop in its second domestic weekend, which set alarm bells ringing that it’d already flamed out, though such panic is a little unwarranted. The movie may not represent a return to the MCU’s heyday, and is perhaps representative of a new normal for Marvel Studios.

Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ box office stands at $434m and, against a reported budget of $200m, it should end its run as a modest success for Marvel. That’d be a slight improvement on the previous MCU movie, Thunderbolts* ($382m), albeit not one that screams Marvel is back. We were so used to seeing MCU movies easily make $600m, and several reach $1 billion or higher, that anything below still feels like a surprise. But while First Steps‘ performance is in line with where the franchise has been recently, it’s about to soar much higher once again.

The Only MCU Movies With Release Dates Are All Big Hitters

After its post-Avengers: Endgame period of expansion backfired, Disney is cutting back a little on its MCU releases. Though three released in 2025, there are currently only that many Marvel movies with release dates across 2026 and 2027 combined. That will undoubtedly change, of course, and we’ll likely see them stick with at least two movies per year, but it does mean that right now the upcoming movies are among Marvel’s heaviest hitters:

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 31, 2026
• Avengers: Doomsday – December 18, 2026
• Avengers: Secret Wars – December 17, 2027

Heading into Spider-Man 4, the Tom Holland-led franchise is on a major winning streak. Spider-Man: Far From Home made just over $1 billion at the box office, before No Way Home, buoyed by appearances from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, swung to a massive $1.9bn. Brand New Day probably won’t reach that, as it’ll be a more street-level movie rather than a nostalgia-driven multiversal event, but the MCU Spidey brand is so strong that it will be expected to clear $1bn.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars should be even more guaranteed successes. The lowest-grossing of the four Avengers movies so far is Age of Ultron, which made $1.4bn, a relative disappointment given the expectation was it’d surpass the first installment ($1.5bn). The franchise went to a whole other level entirely with Avengers: Infinity War, which became the first MCU movie to break the $2bn barrier, and then levelled up again with Avengers: Endgame, which grossed $2.7bn and briefly took Avatar‘s title of the highest-grossing movie of all time.

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Simply put, Avengers movies have an average $1.9 billion at the box office. MCU Spider-Man movies have an average $1.3bn. The cinematic universe has had its struggles, and it’d be unwise to expect either to match their immediate predecessors, but with prime release dates, plenty of hype, and in the case of Doomsday (and likely Secret Wars) an absurd amount of star power, these should all be making over $1 billion, and the Avengers movies much, much more than that.

Spider-Man & The Avengers Won’t Prove If Marvel Is Back

The upside for Marvel is that, between these three movies, it should easily be looking at upwards of $4 billion at the box office. The downside is that if they are the successes we expect, it won’t reveal a great deal about the state of the MCU. It’ll be the non-sequels that reveal the truth about interest in Marvel, and whether Spidey and the Avengers have done enough to revive it more broadly.

Again, it’s currently unknown which movies will happen or when, but things that we know are in development include an X-Men reboot, Armor Wars, Blade, and a mystery movie being produced by Scarlett Johansson. Of course, step one is actually getting those done, given Blade was first announced back in 2019 and still doesn’t have a finished script, but if they happen, they’ll all be box office tests. The X-Men should be a home run, in theory, but it’ll depend on how Marvel chooses to introduce them. Their introduction will likely have a lot of hype, even if the brand was tarnished at the end of the Fox era.

The others are bigger challenges. Will people turn up for Armor Wars, rather than viewing it as Iron Man Lite? Blade could probably have a lower budget (and likely an R-rating), setting different expectations for success. The Wesley Snipes movies performed well, but made $418m combined (unadjusted for inflation; adjusted, it’s roughly above $800m). It’d be unfair to expect the reboot to be a monster smash, but perhaps that’s the kind of thing the MCU needs more of, rather than everything having budgets of over $200m and needing to make $500m+ at the box office.

Ultimately, the MCU is – and will continue to be – fine. There are plenty of other sequels it can make that’ll be big hitters, such as Black Panther 3. Fantastic Four 2 (assuming it happens) should perform better after the characters have been in Avengers movies, and thus exposed to a wider audience. But whether Marvel returns to the kind of dominant force where gambles like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man pay off big style is another matter entirely, and it’ll take a few years to get that answer.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently playing in theaters.

The post After Fantastic Four, the MCU’s Next 3 Movies Are All Guaranteed to EASILY Make $1 Billion appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters, officially kicking off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing the iconic super-team. The film wastes no time establishing its world, bringing in not just the core four but also their extended family, including the charming robot H.E.R.B.I.E. and the infant Franklin Richards. Plus, as the first chapter in a phase that will culminate in the massive crossover events Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the movie clearly connects to the overarching Multiverse Saga. However, while much of the MCU is currently focused on alternate timelines, First Steps has a curious hook to the universe’s mystical side, which is rumored to gain more importance in Phase 7. That’s because The Fantastic Four: First Steps sets one of its most powerful new characters on an inevitable collision course with one of the MCU’s most formidable mystic figures.

Warning: Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below.

The climax of The Fantastic Four: First Steps revolves around the team’s desperate plan to stop Galactus (Ralph Ineson) from claiming the newborn Franklin, whose latent reality-warping abilities make him a being of immense cosmic importance. The final confrontation sees Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) expend all of her energy to push Galactus through a portal leading to a different corner of the universe, an act of heroism that saves the world but costs her her life. As Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) holds her body, a grieving Franklin reaches out for his mother. Reed places the baby on her chest, and in that moment, Franklin’s power brings her back from the dead, her eyes glowing with energy as she draws a new breath.

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This act of resurrection is a staggering display of power, proving that even as an infant, Franklin can permanently alter the most fundamental laws of life and death. At the same time, while the Fantastic Four see it as a miracle, this event is a profound violation of the natural order. By reversing a death, Franklin has undoubtedly attracted the attention of the very entity that governs it, Death (Aubrey Plaza) herself, who was recently introduced in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along.

Will Franklin Richards Face Death After the Multiversal Saga?

The Disney+ series Agatha All Along fundamentally changed the cosmic landscape of the MCU by introducing Death as a literal entity. Initially disguised as the Green Witch Rio Vidal, she is revealed to be a primordial force of the universe, the very embodiment of life’s end. The series establishes that she is not a villain in the traditional sense, but an abstract being whose existence is a fundamental law of reality. Throughout the series, she is shown to be impervious to the most powerful forms of magic, demonstrating that she cannot be fought, harmed, or defeated, as she is an inevitable constant.

The central conflict of Agatha All Along provides a clear understanding of Death’s rules and power. Her entire focus is on Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke), whom she deems an “abomination” because his very existence violates her domain. Billy’s soul, magically created by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), cheated its fate by reincarnating into the body of a boy who had already died. This act is a perversion of the natural order, a cosmic loophole that Death cannot abide.

Franklin Richards’ resurrection of his mother is a far more direct violation of Death’s law. While Billy’s soul found a way to sidestep the rules, Franklin’s power was used to shatter them entirely by forcibly pulling a soul back from Death’s realm and restoring it to its original body. This is a direct challenge to Death’s authority and the very concept of permanence that she embodies.

While the immediate future of the MCU is focused on the multiversal threats of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, this transgression has undoubtedly put Franklin on Death’s radar. His miraculous act of love has made an enemy of one of the universe’s most fundamental and implacable forces, setting the stage for a future conflict where the young powerhouse must answer for breaking a rule that was meant to be absolute.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

Do you think Frankling Richards’ defiance of Death will have repercussions in the MCU? Share your theories in the comments!

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Powerhouse Just Made an Enemy of One of MCU’s Most Powerful Figures appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Comics is famous for its massive crossover events, sprawling storylines that unite dozens of characters against a universe-shattering threat. For decades, epics like The Infinity Gauntlet and Secret Wars have defined eras of storytelling and given fans unforgettable moments. However, not every event is a classic. In the long history of Marvel, few storylines are as widely despised as 1996’s “Heroes Reborn”. The event was a desperate swing from Marvel Comics that is now largely remembered as a creative and commercial failure. Still, with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU now has a chance to take the core concept of this infamous event and finally get it right.

Warning: Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below.

The original “Heroes Reborn” was born from corporate desperation. In the mid-1990s, the comic book speculator bubble had violently burst, and while the X-Men line of books remained a sales juggernaut, Marvel’s foundational titles like Avengers and Fantastic Four were suffering from plummeting sales and creative stagnation. Facing the threat of bankruptcy, Marvel initiated a radical plan to reset some of its major superheroes.

Why Is “Heroes Reborn” Such a Despised Marvel Experiment?

The narrative catalyst for the “Heroes Reborn” label was the “Onslaught” saga, a massive crossover event where the Avengers and the Fantastic Four seemingly sacrificed their lives to stop Onslaught, a monstrous psychic entity created from the merged subconsciousness of Professor X and Magneto. However, instead of dying, the heroes were secretly transported to a pocket universe subconsciously created by a grieving Franklin Richards, who couldn’t bear to watch his family perish. This became the “Counter-Earth,” where the heroes would be rebooted without any previous memory of their past adventures.

To execute this reboot, Marvel made the highly controversial decision to outsource the production of its four core titles — Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Avengers, and Captain America — to the studios of their former star artists, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. These were two of the founders of Image Comics, a rival publisher they had started after a very public and acrimonious split with Marvel just a few years earlier. The move was widely seen as a humiliating admission of defeat, with Marvel handing its crown jewels to the very creators who had left them behind. The decision also caused significant internal backlash and alienated loyal readers by unceremoniously removing popular creative teams. The most notable casualty was the universally acclaimed team of writer Mark Waid and artist Ron Garney on Captain America, whose character-driven run was a critical and sales success that stood in stark contrast to the gritty trends of the era.

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The “Heroes Reborn” books themselves were largely a critical disaster and a commercial disappointment after an initial sales spike. The new origins were often seen as convoluted, and the art style was heavily criticized for embodying the worst excesses of ’90s comics. This was most famously exemplified by Rob Liefeld’s promotional art for Captain America, which depicted Steve Rogers with a bizarrely distorted and impossibly large chest. The image became an instant source of ridicule and remains an infamous meme symbolizing the era’s anatomical absurdities. Liefeld’s run was so poorly received that Marvel terminated his contract after only six issues, with Jim Lee’s studio taking over the remaining books to finish the year-long experiment. Ultimately, the event failed to revitalize the characters, and the Heroes Return miniseries brought the heroes back to the main Marvel universe, with most fans celebrating the end of the failed relaunch.

The MCU Can Redeem “Heroes Reborn”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps establishes its version of Franklin Richards as a being with incredible reality-warping powers. In the movie, Galactus (Ralph Ineson) wants to take control of Franklin so the baby can absorb the Celestial’s never-ending hunger, freeing him from his torment. Furthermore, during the movie’s final arc, Franklin even resurrects his mother after Sue (Vanessa Kirby) sacrifices herself to push Galactus into a portal towards a distant corner of the universe. Finally, The Fantastic Four: First Steps reveals Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) is after Franklin, underlining how the child will play a major role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, developed to put an end to the Multiversal Saga. It seems, then, that Franklin Richards might help Marvel Studios to soft-reboot the MCU, likely mimicking his role in “Heroes Reborn.”

When he single-handedly resurrects his mother from death as an infant, he demonstrates an ability to rewrite the most fundamental laws of existence. This act positions him as one of the most powerful figures in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the Multiverse Saga builds towards the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the very fabric of countless realities will be threatened with annihilation. This level of cosmic chaos requires an equally powerful solution, and Franklin Richards is being perfectly set up to be that solution. Just as he did in the comics, Franklin can save everyone from a collapsing multiverse by using his immense power to create a single, new, stable reality: a reborn MCU.

A “Heroes Reborn” scenario done right opens up a wealth of creative opportunities for a new phase of the MCU. It would allow Marvel to streamline its universe, providing a clean slate for new audiences while rewarding longtime fans who witnessed its creation. This new reality could feature a new Tony Stark facing a more comic-accurate Mandarin, or a new Steve Rogers embarking on adventures that the original never had the chance to. 

Recent comments from Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, who confirmed original Avengers will eventually be recast, perfectly align with this possibility. A Franklin-created universe provides the ideal in-story mechanism to introduce new actors into these iconic roles without invalidating the monumental legacies of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, for instance. In addition, this narrative path would allow the MCU to both discard everything that didn’t work before while also maintaining the canon coherence that ties every project together. Something similar also happened in Marvel Comics after the second Secret Wars miniseries, so there’s enough precedent for the MCU to do the same. As such, by making the creation of a new universe the very endpoint of its grandest saga, the MCU can take the name of Marvel’s worst event and transform it into the foundation for its most promising future.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

Do you think the MCU should adapt a version of Heroes Reborn after Secret Wars? Let us know in the comments.

The post The MCU Has a Chance to Redeem One of Marvel’s Worst Events Ever (Thanks to Franklin Richards) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Production on Marvel Studios’ next Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday, began in April, and a new report suggests one major star from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already finished with their scenes. While announcing that Pedro Pascal has signed on to star in the Searchlight Pictures film Behemoth! from writer-director Tony Gilroy, Deadline stated Pascal is done filming his role as Reed Richards in Doomsday. It’s unknown just when the actor wrapped, but it is important to note that it may be too early to know if Pascal is entirely done with the production, especially given Marvel Studios’ reputation for extensive reshoots.

Production on Avengers: Doomsday is still very much underway, which isn’t so surprising when factoring in the massive cast Marvel Studios has assembled for the film. Pascal’s Reed Richards, who debuted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is expected to be an important part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, which begs to question, what does it mean if Pascal is already finished filming on Avengers: Doomsday?

What Is Mister Fantastic’s Role In Avengers: Doomsday?

In an interview, The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman appeared to suggest Pascal’s Mister Fantastic would be the leader of the Avengers. Shakman later clarified the confusion about Reed Richards’ role in Avengers: Doomsday, and after fan reaction to Shakman’s comments, a new report surfaced stating that Pascal’s role in Avengers: Doomsday will be integral to the story, but that he won’t be the centerpiece of the film. However, this should not be reason for fans to be concerned. Marvel Studios and the Russo brothers are still fleshing out the script as production continues on the movie, which could mean that Pascal will have more filming to do at a later date, or he could be brought back in for reshoots or extra scenes.

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It’s also worth noting that Avengers: Doomsday has an an enormous cast. Not only does the film have to include a plethora of characters that have already been established within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also incl X-Men characters from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies. While the Fantastic Four, and its impressive cast, are important for both Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, it’s also important to note that Marvel’s First Family are still new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has been around since 2008. They’ll be important to the film, but they (Pascal included), more than likely will not be the only characters leading the way.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, is now playing in theaters everywhere. What do you think Reed’s role will be in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments.

The post Major MCU Star Already Done Filming Avengers: Doomsday (& What That Could Mean) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

James Marsden defined the role of Cyclops for a generation of moviegoers, becoming the first actor to bring the X-Men’s field leader to life in a major theatrical film with 2000’s X-Men. His portrayal was immensely popular, which created significant fan disappointment following the character’s unceremonious death in X-Men: The Last Stand. After a brief time-altering cameo in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, Marsden’s tenure as the character seemed complete. Now, after a decade-long absence, he is confirmed to be putting on the visor one last time for the massive crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the actor discussed his long-awaited return, framing it as a special and fitting farewell to the iconic role that launched his career.

“I’m getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume,” Marsden said. “I was excited because you’re a part of something gigantic, and I’ve spent 20 years listening to people say, ‘when are you coming back? When are you coming back? Are you coming back?’ I’m dead. Well, maybe not. I’m going to have a tough time struggling to get into costume if they waited a couple more years. So 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.”

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Marsden’s return is a key part of a larger reunion of actors from the original Fox X-Men franchise. He will be joined in Avengers: Doomsday by several former co-stars, including Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast. The integration of these characters into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe was officially paved in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, where Grammer’s Beast made a surprise appearance to greet Monica Rambeau after she was stranded in an alternate reality.

Everything We Know About Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday is positioned to be a universe-shattering epic, with Joe and Anthony Russo returning to the director’s chairs after their celebrated work on Infinity War and Endgame. The central narrative is reported to involve catastrophic multiverse “incursions,” forcing heroes from across realities to unite against a threat too immense for any single team to handle. In a stunning turn, Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU as the film’s primary antagonist, the tyrannical Victor von Doom. The sheer scope of the project is reflected in its sprawling cast, which brings together heroes from every corner of Marvel’s cinematic history for an unprecedented team-up event.

The film will feature the full roster of the New Avengers, first established in Thunderbolts*, fighting alongside legacy MCU heroes like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Anthony Mackie’s Captain America. Avengers: Doomsday will also serve as the major crossover debut for the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic and his super-powered family into the multiversal conflict. The production itself remains a highly dynamic affair, with reports from the set indicating that the script of Avengers: Doomsday is being continuously refined even as filming proceeds. This aligns with Marvel’s well-known “plussing” method, a fluid creative process that allows writers, directors, and actors to workshop and integrate new ideas throughout production, ensuring the final story is as strong as possible.

Avengers: Doomsday is slated to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

What do you hope to see in James Marsden’s final performance as Cyclops? Let us know in the comments!

The post James Marsden Teases Cyclops Farewell in Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios works hard to ensure its villains are memorable. The first couple of phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a lot of flak for having one-note bad guys that had lackluster motivations. The narrative changed greatly when the Mad Titan finally got up out of his chair and started making moves. Rather than craving control, Thanos wanted to help guide the universe into a new era of prosperity by wiping out half of life. He didn’t judge one person against another, allowing fate to decide who lived and who died. The Avengers didn’t appreciate losing so many of their loved ones, so they pulled off a time heist to acquire the Infinity Stones and bring everyone back.

Thanos lost his life shortly after during the Battle of Earth, and ever since, the MCU has been looking for its next Big Bad. Well, the search is finally over because Doctor Doom is here and ready to wreak havoc in Avengers: Doomsday. While Doom’s arrival probably means there isn’t room for Thanos anymore, actor Josh Brolin isn’t ruling out a return to the MCU.

During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor talked about his relationships with Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers, which are as good as they’ve ever been.

“I talk to Downey probably four to six times a year,” Brolin said. “I talk to the Russos probably four to six times a week. I mean, I talk to Joe a lot. We have a business that we’re doing together and all this kind of stuff, but I love them. I love both of them.”

Horowitz pushed a little by asking whether Brolin would get back in the Thanos mo-cap suit if the right thing came along.

“Of course, they’re going to come up with something really fun,” he continued. “And I mean, who knows? Who knows? That was a ten-year building kind of thing; that was its own kind of book-ended deal. And I don’t know what they’re going to do, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting.”

The Russos aren’t going to want Brolin to show up and steal the thunder from their new villain, but there could be a role for his character, especially if the powers that be at Marvel Studios have been listening to the fans.

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Killing Thanos Would Prove Just How Dangerous the MCU’s Doctor Doom Is

A panel from the 2015 Secret Wars comic book by Jonathan Hickman makes the rounds on social media frequently, showing Doctor Doom killing Thanos by ripping his spine out. Since the announcement that Downey Jr. would be playing Doctor Doom, fans have been calling for the Russos to recreate the moment in live-action. It remains to be seen whether the directors will listen, but at least Brolin is game for it if the opportunity does arise.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Would you like to see Josh Brolin return as Thanos in the MCU? How would you feel if the Mad Titan fought Doctor Doom? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Marvel Star Addresses Thanos’ MCU Return Following Doctor Doom’s Debut appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has pitted the Avengers against some of their most iconic adversaries from the comics, including the trickster god Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the rogue A.I. Ultron (James Spader), and the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin). Following the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios positioned Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) to be the next major threat, but those plans faltered, leading to a narrative pivot towards Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), who made his debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps before headlining Avengers: Doomsday. Meanwhile, other significant Avengers villains from the comics, such as Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in Black Widow and the Kree Empire, featuring Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), in Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy, have been utilized in more contained stories rather than team-level threats.

While it may seem the MCU is struggling to find its next Avengers-level threats, the decades-long publication history of The Avengers in Marvel Comics provides a vast and varied rogues’ gallery of villains who have yet to make their cinematic debut. These antagonists range from cosmic deities and criminal masterminds to psychological terrors and dark reflections of the heroes themselves. While the films have adapted some of the most famous names, there remains a deep roster of powerful characters who have tested Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in unique ways and could provide formidable challenges for future on-screen rosters.

10) The Zodiac

Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema, the human-led Zodiac Cartel first appeared in 1970’s The Avengers #72. This criminal syndicate’s leadership is structured around the astrological signs, with a different member taking command based on the dominant sign. The group was founded by corrupt businessman Cornelius Van Lundy, who took the mantle of Taurus. Their primary weapon is the Zodiac Key, an extra-dimensional artifact of immense power.

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The Zodiac first battled the Avengers when they attempted to take over Manhattan using a device called the “Star-Blazer.” The Avengers were systematically tested by the group’s coordinated attacks and astrological-based strategies, which made them highly unpredictable. Later, a second version of the team, composed entirely of androids, was created by the villain Scorpio to sow further chaos, battling both the Avengers and the Defenders. The Zodiac’s combination of organized crime, esoteric strategy, and access to powerful technology makes them a uniquely persistent threat, forcing the heroes to overcome a foe that is constantly changing its leadership and tactics.

9) Space Phantom

One of the Avengers’ earliest foes, the Space Phantom debuted in 1963’s The Avengers #2, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. These beings are servants of the time-traveling villain Immortus, warped by their extended existence in the timeless dimension of Limbo. A Space Phantom possesses the insidious ability to perfectly replicate another being, simultaneously banishing the original to Limbo, planting the seeds of dissent.

In their very first encounter, a lone Space Phantom infiltrated the Avengers and impersonated Giant-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk. The ensuing confusion and mistrust turned the heroes against one another, leading directly to the Hulk quitting the team out of frustration. The Space Phantoms represent a psychological threat rather than a physical one. They test the Avengers’ unity and trust, turning the team’s own members into weapons and forcing them to confront the paranoia that an enemy could be hiding in plain sight.

8) Onslaught

Onslaught is a sentient psionic entity created by writers Scott Lobdell and Mark Waid and artist Andy Kubert, first appearing in full in 1996’s X-Men vol. 2, #53. He was born from the subconscious minds of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto after Xavier psychically shut down Magneto’s mind during the “Fatal Attractions” storyline. This act merged the darkest parts of Magneto’s psyche with Xavier’s own repressed negativity, creating a new being with the combined telepathic, magnetic, and reality-warping powers of both mutants.

Though originating in the X-Men comics, Onslaught’s most famous storyline saw him engage the combined forces of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. His power was so immense that defeating him required the apparent sacrifice of all of Earth’s non-mutant heroes, who seemingly perished absorbing his energy. Onslaught is a cataclysmic-level threat, a being of pure psychic energy whose very existence is a perversion of two of the world’s most powerful mutants. With Marvel Studios determined to explore a Mutanta Saga in the future, Onslaught can unite the Avengers and the X-Men in the MCU.

7) Enchantress

Amora, the Enchantress, is an Asgardian sorceress created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who debuted in 1964’s Journey into Mystery #103. A powerful magic-wielder, her abilities include energy projection, teleportation, and transmutation. She specializes in charms and mind control, often using a kiss to enslave men to her will. Having learned magic first from Karnilla, Queen of the Norns, and later by seducing other sorcerers to learn their secrets, Amora became one of the most formidable mystics in Asgard.

The Enchantress, frequently allied with the Executioner, has consistently challenged Thor and the Avengers. In one of her early schemes, she gave powers to a man named Erik Josten, creating the first Power Man, and used her illusions to turn New York City against the Avengers, forcing them to disband. Her motivations are often a mix of seeking greater power and an obsessive love for Thor, making her a complex antagonist.

6) Squadron Sinister

The Squadron Sinister first appeared in 1969’s The Avengers #69, created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema as a direct pastiche of DC Comics’ Justice League. The team was created by the cosmic Elder of the Universe known as the Grandmaster to serve as his champions in a game against Kang the Conqueror’s chosen champions, the Avengers. The original lineup consisted of Hyperion (Superman), Nighthawk (Batman), the Whizzer (The Flash), and Doctor Spectrum (Green Lantern).

In their first appearance, the Squadron battled the Avengers in one-on-one contests across the globe, with the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance. Though the Avengers were ultimately victorious, the Squadron Sinister established themselves as a dark mirror to Marvel’s heroes. They possess the same incredible power levels as the Avengers, but operate without any moral compass. A heroic version from another reality, the Squadron Supreme, was later introduced, and it was retconned that the Sinister were copies of them. Still, with the Multiverse doors open in the MCU, the original Squadron Sinister could still appear.

5) Annihilus

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the insectoid ruler of the Negative Zone, Annihilus, first appeared in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6. His power stems from the Cosmic Control Rod, a device that grants him immense strength, energy manipulation, and a greatly extended lifespan. Driven by a paranoid fear of death, Annihilus seeks to destroy any life that could potentially threaten his existence, making him one of the biggest threats to the entire cosmos.

While primarily a foe of the Fantastic Four, Annihilus’s most significant conflict was against the entire Marvel universe in the Annihilation event. Leading a massive fleet called the Annihilation Wave from the Negative Zone, he launched a devastating war that destroyed countless worlds, including the home of the Nova Corps. Annihilus represents a force of pure nihilistic conquest, and his command of the Annihilation Wave makes him a galactic-level threat who can unite cosmic heroes and villains against a common enemy.

4) Count Nefaria

Count Luchino Nefaria, created by Stan Lee and Don Heck for 1965’s The Avengers #13, was a wealthy Italian aristocrat and a powerful leader of the Maggia crime syndicate. Seeking to defeat the Avengers personally, he subjected himself to a process that granted him the combined powers of the villains Living Laser, Power Man, and Whirlwind, amplified one hundred times over. This transformed his body into a being of pure ionic energy.

This new form granted Nefaria immense superhuman strength rivaling Thor’s, speed, and invulnerability, along with the ability to project ionic energy. He is effectively immortal but must occasionally drain other ionic beings, like Wonder Man, to maintain his power, making him a unique kind of energy vampire. In one of his most notable storylines, he single-handedly defeated the entire Avengers roster, showcasing his status as a top-tier threat who combines the strategic mind of a crime lord with the raw power of a physical god.

3) Super-Adaptoid

The Super-Adaptoid first appeared in 1966’s Tales of Suspense #82, created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Gene Colan. This advanced android was built by the scientific terrorist organization A.I.M. and contains a shard of the reality-warping Cosmic Cube within its body. This power source gives the Adaptoid its signature ability to perfectly duplicate the powers, weapons, and appearance of any superhuman it encounters.

In its initial encounters, the Super-Adaptoid battled Captain America and later the entire Avengers team, copying the combined powers of Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, and Captain America to become a single overwhelming threat. Its purpose is to analyze and defeat any opposition through perfect replication, forcing heroes to fight a mirror image of themselves that possesses all of their strengths. Its only true weakness is its artificial nature, lacking the ingenuity and spirit of the heroes it copies.

2) Korvac

Michael Korvac debuted in 1975’s Giant-Size Defenders #3, by Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin, as a computer technician from the 31st century of an alternate Earth who was transformed into a powerful cyborg by the alien Badoon. After fleeing through time, he stumbled upon the worldship of Galactus and absorbed a portion of the Power Cosmic, elevating him to a god-like being with the ability to manipulate matter and energy on a vast scale.

Korvac’s story culminated in “The Korvac Saga,” a celebrated storyline running through The Avengers #167-177. Arriving in the 20th century, a seemingly benevolent Korvac sought to secretly establish a utopian Earth under his absolute rule. This brought him into conflict with both the Avengers and the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Korvac is a complex villain who genuinely believes his actions are for the greater good, making his battle with the heroes a tragic confrontation over the nature of free will and the corrupting influence of absolute power.

1) Beyonder

The Beyonder is a nigh-omnipotent cosmic entity from a realm beyond the multiverse, first appearing in the Secret Wars crossover event, created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck. Possessing power far exceeding almost any other being in the Marvel Universe, the Beyonder became fascinated with the concepts of good and evil. To study this, he kidnapped a large group of Earth’s heroes and villains and transported them to a patchwork planet called Battleworld, forcing them to fight in the first Secret Wars.

Later, in Secret Wars II, the Beyonder came to Earth in a human form to experience human desire and emotion, a journey that nearly led him to destroy the multiverse out of sheer frustration. The Beyonder is not a traditional villain but a narrative force, a being whose power is so immense that reality itself is merely a tool for his experiments. He represents a threat on a multiversal scale, forcing heroes to confront a being for whom concepts like morality and existence are merely points of curiosity.

Which Avengers villain would you like to see the most in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Share your picks in the commentaries!

The post 10 Great Avengers Villains Still Not in the MCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Chris Hemsworth addresses fan concerns about Thor dying in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote the second season of his series Limitless: Live Better Now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran discussed the reaction to a video he posted earlier this year that reflected on his time playing the God of Thunder. Many interpreted it as a sign that Hemsworth was preparing to step away from the role following Doomsday — perhaps after Thor sacrificed himself in the battle against Doctor Doom. According to the actor, that wasn’t his intention. He was simply looking back at his tenure as Thor as the character begins a new chapter.

“I had a few people ask me about it, and someone on my team said, ‘Ugh, we’ve given the wrong impression here,'” Hemsworth said. “We didn’t do any [damage control]; there was no damage control necessary. But a lot was read into a little. I was [already] off starting another chapter of this character, and this journey has been the biggest part of my career. So [the video] was a moment of gratitude, and it wasn’t anything else. But it definitely got misconstrued and perceived in a different way.”

Hemsworth’s video, which was posted back in May as Avengers: Doomsday went into production, was accompanied by a caption reflecting on Thor’s legacy in the MCU. Commemorating his journey in the franchise, Hemsworth thanked fans for their continued support over the past 15 years. The actor wrote that “playing Thor has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” sparking speculation he was going to retire from the franchise soon.

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Thor is currently the only one of the original six Avengers confirmed to appear in Doomsday [though Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. will appear in the film as another character]. It is unknown if Hemsworth will also reprise the role in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. Doomsday will mark the tenth time the actor has portrayed Thor on the big screen (including an uncredited cameo in Doctor Strange). He’s had key roles in all four previous Avengers movies and has headlined four solo Thor films.

It’s easy to see why many fans read Hemsworth’s caption the way they did. The actor has been part of the franchise since the Phase 1 days, and there will likely come a time when he bids the MCU adieu, following the footsteps of his longtime co-stars Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Doomsday could have been a great outlet for a farewell like that, giving Thor one last heroic moment as he protects the multiverse from Doctor Doom. Given the audience’s relationship with the character, it would have been a very emotional development if Thor died in Doomsday, giving the film a poignant gut punch to illustrate how powerful a threat Doom is.

Hemsworth could just be playing coy in an attempt to misdirect viewers, but it’s encouraging to hear his somewhat cryptic post wasn’t meant to be a “goodbye.” While the Thor film series has been uneven, Hemsworth consistently delivers strong performances in the role and remains a fan favorite. Several films in the Multiverse Saga have underwhelmed at the box office, so Marvel might want to keep one of the original Avengers around for a bit. Despite Thor: Love and Thunder‘s mixed reception, there would probably be strong interest in a fifth Thor installment — especially if it marked a new era with a different take on the character. Hopefully, Hemsworth has a bright Marvel future ahead.

The post Thor’s Avengers: Doomsday Death Fears Addressed by Chris Hemsworth appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s upcoming crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday, is set to bring an unprecedented number of heroes together, and following the critical and audience acclaim of this summer’s Thunderbolts*, fans are particularly excited to see that entire team return. Having been publicly rebranded by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in a stunning power play, the team is now officially operating as the New Avengers. While the whole squad has been embraced by fans, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova has cemented herself as a true fan-favorite, with her strong leadership being a core part of the new team’s dynamic. Now, new information from insider Daniel Richtman provides good news for fans of the new Black Widow, clarifying that, contrary to some early reports, Yelena will still be leading the New Avengers into battle.

Previous rumors had suggested that Yelena would be folding into Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) government-sanctioned Avengers for Doomsday, a move that would have significantly undermined the powerful ending of Thunderbolts*. In that film, the team discovered their mission was a setup and successfully turned the tables on their manipulative government handler, Director de Fontaine. While Val seized the narrative by publicly rebranding them as the “New Avengers,” the team ended the film with crucial leverage over her, securing their autonomy. A merger with Sam’s team would have felt like a narrative step backward, effectively dissolving the independence they fought so hard to win. This concern was amplified by the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, which revealed Sam Wilson was taking legal action to trademark the “Avengers” name, setting up a direct conflict between the two heroic factions.

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Richtman’s new report clarifies the nature of their collaboration in a way that respects the established canon. He states, “She’s [Yelena] just accompanying them when they travel to another universe,” and confirms she will not be officially joining Sam’s team. This is a crucial distinction. It means the New Avengers are not being disbanded, and both Yelena and Sam will retain their respective leadership positions during Avengers: Doomsday. If that proves true, it means Avengers: Doomsday will likely feature an uneasy alliance between the two factions, forced to work together against a common threat that is too great for either to handle alone.

Everything We Know About Avengers: Doomsday, So Far

Avengers: Doomsday promises to be one of the most ambitious films in MCU history, with Joe and Anthony Russo returning to direct the massive ensemble. The central conflict will revolve around a new primary antagonist, with Robert Downey Jr. making his villainous MCU debut as Doctor Doom. While Marvel Studios has not released an official synopsis, insider reports indicate the plot will involve catastrophic multiverse “incursions,” forcing the heroes of the main universe to team up with characters from across different realities to confront Doom’s multiversal threat.

The confirmed cast list for the film is staggering, uniting multiple corners of the Marvel universe. The New Avengers will return in full force. They will be joined by other established heroes like Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). The film will also serve as the crossover debut for the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) into the fold.

A major element of the film will be the integration of characters from Fox’s original X-Men franchise. Confirmed returning actors include Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. Romijn recently spoke about the surreal experience of returning to the role and hinted at the film’s fluid creative process. “[I’m] not quite sure if I’m done shooting,” she revealed. “The script hasn’t — they haven’t finished writing it. They keep everything very close to the vest themselves in an effort to keep everything under wraps.”

Avengers: Doomsday is slated to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

Which character interaction are you most excited to see in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post New Avengers: Doomsday Rumor May Be Good News for a Marvel Fan-Favorite appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For over a decade, Chris Hemsworth’s journey as Thor has been a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A few months ago, the actor shared a video celebrating his 15-year legacy with the character, a move many fans interpreted as a potential farewell, leading to speculation that his time as the God of Thunder might be coming to an end in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. However, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the second season of his National Geographic series, now titled Limitless: Live Better Now, the actor revealed that a stunt he pitched was shot down by executives precisely because they couldn’t risk his future as Thor.

“I was going to attempt to surf a 40-foot wave and train with big wave specialists, but we couldn’t get it through the ranks,” Hemsworth revealed. “The risk assessment, basically, was too far gone, so I ended up climbing a 200-meter dam wall. They both have a fair amount of risk attached to them, but [the dam climb] got past the risk assessment team. So there definitely was [concern from above]: ‘No, we need him to go off and shoot Thor next. We can’t have him drown while filming a big wave episode.’”

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The first season of Limitless with Chris Hemsworth saw the actor push his body to its absolute extremes to explore the science of longevity. For the second season, titled Limitless: Live Better Now, the focus shifts to more accessible challenges that explore how to live better overall by confronting universal issues like pain, fear, and cognitive decline. The three-part series will see Hemsworth take on intense new trials, including learning to play the drums for a live performance with Ed Sheeran, enduring South Korean Special Forces training to manage chronic pain, and scaling a 600-foot dam wall in the Swiss Alps to embrace risk.

Chris Hemsworth Confirms His Career as Thor Is Not Ending Soon

That heartfelt video post that sparked retirement rumors was, according to Hemsworth, simply a moment of reflection that was misinterpreted by the public. He clarified that there was never any internal discussion about damage control because his journey with Marvel was far from over when he posted it.

“I had a few people ask me about it, and someone on my team said, ‘Ugh, we’ve given the wrong impression here,’” Hemsworth cleared up. “We didn’t do any [damage control]; there was no damage control necessary. But a lot was read into a little. I was [already] off starting another chapter of this character, and this journey has been the biggest part of my career. So [the video] was a moment of gratitude, and it wasn’t anything else. But it definitely got misconstrued and perceived in a different way.”

Hemsworth’s return as the God of Thunder is already confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, which will see Joe and Anthony Russo return to direct after their celebrated run on Infinity War and Endgame. Beyond the team-up film, the most direct setup for his solo future remains the post-credits scene of Thor: Love and Thunder, which introduced Brett Goldstein as Hercules and tasked him with hunting down the Asgardian. While Marvel has not officially announced a slate past Avengers: Secret Wars, insiders report that Thor 5 is in early development. Taika Waititi has publicly confirmed he will not be involved, stating he has other film commitments that will take up the next several years. This departure opens the door for the creative reinvention Hemsworth himself has said he is looking for after feeling Love and Thunder became “too silly.”

Limitless: Live Better Now will begin streaming on August 15th on Disney+. As for Thor, the God of Thunder will return when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

What kind of future do you want to see for Thor in the MCU? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Chris Hemsworth Reveals Disney Scrapped a Stunt From His New Series Because of Marvel Future appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most successful franchises of all time. Having officially begun all the way back in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, its story has already spanned well over 100 hours of viewing across movies, TV shows, and various special features. It has grown into one of the most popular franchises in modern cinema, with its movies regularly breaking box office records and the franchise weaving itself a place in the fabric of pop culture as a result. As always, Marvel Studios are looking to the future, with several exciting projects on the horizon.

2026 is already shaping up to be an important year for the MCU. The year is set to see numerous releases for the franchise, bringing its story toward the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga as part of the build-up to Avengers: Secret Wars. Though there are still MCU releases set for late 2025, Marvel has also got some incredibly exciting projects currently slated for release in 2026.

Marvel Movies Set for 2026 Release 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026) 

Spider-Man’s fourth solo movie in the MCU is one of the most anticipated projects in the franchise’s near future, largely due to the already exceptional MCU stories which have featured the hero. Subtitled Brand New Day, the movie is set to explore Spider-Man’s work as a New York hero after magically erasing his identity as Peter Parker. With the introduction of Mephisto into the MCU in Ironheart, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now looking even more exciting, and is currently set for release on July 31, 2026.

Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) 

What may well be one of the most exciting movies in the MCU is also set for a 2026 release in the form of Avengers: Doomsday. The movie is set to introduce long-awaited villain Doctor Doom into the MCU, with Robert Downey Jr. announced to be returning to play the iconic antagonist. Doomsday will also feature an expansive cast of existing MCU heroes, with various actors set to reprise their Marvel roles in the first part of the Multiverse Saga’s conclusion. Avengers: Doomsday is currently slated for release on December 18, 2026.

Marvel TV Shows Set for 2026 Release 

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (March 2026) 

2026 is also set to feature the release of a new instalment of an existing MCU Disney+ series, with Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 scheduled to premiere in March. It will follow on directly from the end of Season 1, which saw Daredevil and Kingpin once again at odds in the MCU. Season 2 of the show will bring back the cast from first season and see Daredevil wage all-out war on Wilson Fisk in an attempt to thwart his plans for New York.

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Vision Quest (TBC) 

The MCU is set to finally resolve multiple dangling plot threads in 2026 with the release of Vision Quest. The series, which will feature Vision following his resurrection in WandaVision, will surely feature the return of other MCU characters, including the long-awaited revival of Ultron after his apparent demise in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The show has not yet been given a confirmed release date, but is still currently set for release in 2026 at the time of writing.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (TBC) 

Even before the first season had been released, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was renewed for a second season, which is currently set for a 2026 release. With the first season having received glowing reviews, the animated show’s return is highly anticipated, with several exciting new characters also set to appear. An official release date has not been set, but Season 2 is currently slated for release some time in 2026.

The Punisher Special (TBC) 

After Punisher’s appearance in Daredevil: Born Again, Frank Castle’s MCU story has been confirmed as far from over. The vigilante anti-hero has always proved a fan favorite, with Jon Bernthal’s performance widely cited as one of the best iterations of the character. He is set to return to the MCU in a mid-length special presentation in the vein of Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. While an official date has not been set, it is currently tipped for a 2026 release.

X-Men ‘97 Season 2 (TBC) 

Season 1 of X-Men ’97 brought Marvel’s mutant heroes to the MCU in emphatic fashion, and though it was swiftly renewed for another season, a two-year wait was announced. That wait sets X-Men ’97 Season 2 up for release in 2026, even though a specific date has yet to be formally announced for the next instalment. Regardless, the popularity of Season 1 and the considerable wait for the follow-up makes X-Men ’97 Season 2 yet another exciting Marvel release slated for 2026.

The post All 7 Marvel Movie & TV Projects Releasing in 2026 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps brings Marvel’s First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with them comes one of the most powerful beings in all of comic book lore: Franklin Richards. In the first cinematic adaptation to include the extended Fantastic Four family, the story immediately establishes the infant son of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) as a being whose abilities will have consequences for the entire MCU.

In the comics, Franklin is a reality-warper of almost limitless ability, capable of making any thought or desire manifest. This power set puts him in direct comparison with the Reality Stone, the infamous Infinity Gem that Thanos (Josh Brolin) used to achieve his universe-altering goals during the Infinity Saga. So, what is the difference between the Reality Stone and Franklin Richard, anyway? The release of First Steps now provides a detailed look at how the MCU is adapting Franklin’s god-like powers, allowing for a direct analysis of how he measures up to the formidable artifact.

Warning: Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below.

The Reality Stone first appeared in the MCU as the Aether, a fluid weapon sought by the Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) in Thor: The Dark World. Malekith’s plan was to use the Aether’s power during the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, to extinguish all light in the universe, plunging it into eternal darkness. As a result, the movie immediately established the Reality Stone’s true potential for universe-scale destruction, as the Aether is capable of rewriting the fundamental laws of existence on a grand scale.

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Years later, when Thanos acquired the Reality Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, he demonstrated its powers were not boundless. For instance, Thanos used the Reality Stone to create a convincing illusion of a thriving Knowhere to trap the Guardians of the Galaxy, and he effortlessly altered the physical forms of his enemies, temporarily turning Drax (Dave Bautista) into a pile of living cubes and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) into a cascade of ribbons. However, this usage also highlighted a key limitation: without the support of the other Infinity Stones, once Thanos left the scene, Drax and Mantis immediately reverted to their original states, indicating that the Reality Stone’s power requires continuous application to sustain its changes.

The most critical limitation of all Infinity Stones was then established in the Disney+ series Loki. In the series, the Time Variance Authority, an organization operating outside of time, was shown to possess countless Infinity Stones gathered from pruned timelines. Within the TVA’s headquarters, these artifacts were completely powerless, reduced to nothing more than colorful paperweights. This revealed that, in the MCU, the power of an Infinity Stone is fundamentally bound to its native timeline. As such, the Reality Stone cannot function or exert any influence on a multiversal scale, a restriction that Franklin Richards does not appear to share.

How Powerful Is Franklin Richards in the MCU?

In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Franklin’s power is presented as a latent force. The film’s antagonist, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), is drawn to Earth by his insatiable hunger, but his ultimate objective becomes the newborn Franklin. The Devourer of Worlds reveals that the child possesses the Power Cosmic, an energy source so immense that it can absorb Galactus’ eternal hunger, freeing him from his curse by allowing Franklin to take his place. While the Fantastic Four doesn’t understand the nature of the Power Cosmic, the film’s plot immediately frames Franklin as a being whose innate abilities can rewrite the fundamental nature of a cosmic entity that precedes the universe itself, making the baby incredibly powerful.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps’s climax provides an even more staggering demonstration of Franklin’s abilities. The Fantastic Four’s plan to defeat Galactus is to use Franklin as bait, luring the world-eater away from his ship and through a teleportation portal to a distant corner of the universe. In a desperate act to save her child, Sue uses all her strength to telekinetically contain and push Galactus’s massive form through the portal. The exertion is too much for her body, and after saving the world, she dies in Reed’s arms. As a grieving Reed holds her, the infant Franklin begins to cry. Reed places the baby on his mother’s chest, and in that moment, Franklin’s power brings her back to life, her eyes glowing with blue energy for an instant. The family realizes that Franklin, as a baby, already wields the power to conquer death itself, a permanent alteration of reality that suggests Franklin surpasses the temporary manipulations of the Reality Stone. 

Finally, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits scene hints at a much larger scale for Franklin’s powers. The scene reveals Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) kneeling near the child, signaling his awareness of the boy’s power and his intent to use it. Given that Avengers: Doomsday is a multiversal story, Doom’s interest strongly implies that Franklin’s abilities are not confined to a single timeline. In the comics, Franklin is an Omega-level mutant whose powers grew to the point where he could create fully-formed, self-sustaining pocket universes from his imagination and even defeat cosmic entities like Celestials. If the MCU’s Franklin can perform similar feats, he possesses a capability that the MCU Reality Stone explicitly lacks. While the Stone is a universal tool, Franklin is shaping up to be a multiversal engine, putting him on an entirely different level.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

What do you think is the full extent of Franklin Richards’ powers in the MCU? Share your theories in the comments!

The post The MCU’s New Most Powerful Character Makes an Infinity Stone Look Weak appeared first on ComicBook.com.

This post contains spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces a quartet of characters who will play roles throughout the rest of the Multiverse Saga, but at least one of them may not get as much screen time as expected in Avengers: Doomsday. Now that First Steps is out, Variety zoomed out to take a look at where things stand in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Included in the report is a detail about how Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards will factor into Doomsday. While it’s said that Mister Fantastic has an “integral role” in Doomsday, it’s also mentioned that “Pascal is not the centerpiece” of the movie.

Pascal’s First Steps co-stars, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, are not mentioned in the report, leaving the sizes of their respective roles in Doomsday a mystery. The specifics about Pascal’s involvement were mentioned in a section covering Marvel’s casting strategies and actor salaries, which included a claim stating Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth “won’t be working at a discount” on Doomsday.

Kicking off Phase 6, The Fantastic Four: First Steps tells a largely self-contained story but still provides some setup for Avengers: Doomsday. Most notably, the film’s post-credits scene quickly establishes high stakes for the Fantastic Four moving forward, as Doctor Doom is seen taking great interest in young Franklin Richards — Reed and Sue Storm’s son who has already demonstrated signs of incredible power.

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While Doomsday serves as the continuation of the Fantastic Four’s arc in the MCU, Marvel’s First Family is just one of many superhero teams that will be featured. Doomsday is also set to include the New Avengers, Sam Wilson’s separate Avengers team, and a version of the X-Men played by actors from the Fox films. Kevin Feige has hinted that there are even more Doomsday casting announcements to be made at a later date, adding to what is already a very large ensemble.

The First Steps post-credits scene is very brief, but one reading of it is that it could serve as an inciting incident in Doomsday, with Doctor Doom kidnapping Franklin, sending the Fantastic Four on a journey that takes them to Earth-616. If Franklin is going to factor into Doom’s plot to control the multiverse, it would have been plausible to expect someone like Reed Richards to be front and center in the story, doing whatever it takes to rescue his son. So, it might come as a surprise to hear Reed isn’t “the centerpiece” in Doomsday. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that he (and presumably the other members of the Fantastic Four) still have key roles to play. They may not be the primary focus, but they’ll still have an impactful part when it’s all said and done.

Given the sprawling nature of the Doomsday cast, it’s very difficult to tell who will be the centerpiece. This isn’t like Avengers: Endgame, which clearly revolved around the original six Avengers as they worked alongside a handful of allies to reverse Thanos’ snap. Marvel hasn’t had an established Avengers roster since, so anyone could be the centerpiece. Some actors aren’t sure if they’re done shooting their scenes or not because the script is still being worked on. Perhaps Doomsday will be more of an ensemble piece than previous Avengers movies since there will be so many characters to service. Because the MCU has been without a go-to Avengers roster for years, Doomsday can split time evenly between each group, giving all of them equal billing. Some characters will take precedence over others, of course, but there’s no reason why Reed and family can’t share the spotlight.

The post A Fantastic Four Star’s Avengers: Doomsday Role Won’t Be As Big as Fans Thought appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has come back roaring with Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps after mightily struggling in the movie department over the last two years. Both films follow the uninspiring and overstuffed Captain America: Brave New World, the nostalgia bait free-for-all known as Deadpool and Wolverine, and the frustratingly over-edited The Marvels. Although the MCU notably triumphed at the box office with Deadpool and Wolverine, the franchise’s recent inability to deliver critical and commercial hits has emerged as a major concern. Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps seemingly put those worries to bed thanks to their self-contained stories that excel through heartfelt relationships between superheroes rather than overly heavy plot or random cameos. 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday promises to bring all of the Multiverse Saga’s plot points to a head before concluding in Avengers: Secret Wars.

Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are outstanding additions to the MCU’s film catalog, which now contains 37 titles. Despite this bout of success, it’s difficult to get on the “MCU is back” train while Avengers: Doomsday looms. The central team of anti-heroes in Thunderbolts*, comprised of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) is set to play a prominent role in Doomsday following their introduction as the New Avengers. Meanwhile, Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are set to lead the Fantastic Four in the battle against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). Doomsday is the MCU’s make-or-break project and most important movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. However, this impending clash of universes and superhero teams threatens to destroy the franchise’s recent wins.

The MCU Has Regained Some Footing With Thunderbolts* & The Fantastic Four: First Steps

After lukewarm releases such as Captain America: Brave New World, Deadpool and Wolverine, and The Marvels and disastrous endeavors like Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the MCU has finally produced a pair of gems back to back. Both boasting Rotten Tomatoes critic scores in the high 80s and audience scores in the 90s, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are certified standouts in the MCU, and for good reason. Thunderbolts* emphasizes the power of found family as its main characters unexpectedly converge as pawns of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and form a team bond through their shared dark pasts. The Fantastic Four: First Steps centers on family in a more literal sense, chronicling the titular group’s race to protect Sue’s newborn baby, Franklin, and stop Galactus (Ralph Ineson) from consuming their world.

Thunderbolts* and First Steps rely more heavily on emotional set pieces rather than action spectacles, and that greatly influences their success. From Yelena’s reckoning with her present loneliness and her heartwarming friendship with Bob to Reed and the others’ rallying around Sue as she gives birth to their newest family member, Thunderbolts* and First Steps are brimming with poignant character moments and satisfying emotional payoffs. The heroes’ connections come across as real and believable, and their actors deliver comedy and raw emotion with incredible poise. Ditching the multiverse also helps Thunderbolts* and First Steps, as their grounded stories never waver from their focus on human connection in challenging times. Even though Thunderbolts* underperformed at the box office, failing to reach the $200 million domestic mark, its triumph as a standalone superhero film cannot be ignored. Thunderbolts* and First Steps stand as two of the MCU’s best movies since Avengers: Endgame, and their similar qualities strongly factor into their greatness.

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Avengers: Doomsday Threatens to Ruin the MCU’s Recent Success

The Avengers, Thunderbolts/New Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and presumably more will cross paths in Doomsday as the film introduces Doctor Doom as the MCU’s next big bad. An overcrowded cast and a potentially messy plot that lacks the solid foundation of the Infinity Saga are significant problems, but the worst disservice of all could be done to the Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four. It’s extremely hard to fathom how these characters, as individuals and as teams, will be done justice amid this high-stakes, universe-altering narrative overflowing with different personalities from every corner of the MCU. There’s little chance Doomsday replicates the character-driven, emotionally impactful stories of Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which wouldn’t be as much of a letdown if it weren’t the aforementioned teams’ second on-screen appearances.

Thunderbolts* and First Steps lay compelling groundwork and set up their characters’ future, but it’s hardly adequate to launch them into an event such as Doomsday. The Thunderbolts need more time to flesh out their identity as the New Avengers, and the Fantastic Four could use at least one more solo venture before meeting a swarm of new faces. Doomsday has a ton on its plate, meaning it could be light on individual character development. It’s a shame that the Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four face smaller spotlights compared to their amazing solo films. The MCU’s unorganized and lackluster lead-up to Doomsday, combined with the desperation of Downey Jr., director duo Joe and Anthony Russo, and the Fox X-Men’s return, indicates a disaster in the making. Doomsday could easily undo the MCU’s recent success and deny the Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four the second outing they deserve after their excellent team debuts. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.

The post The MCU’s Comeback Might Be Doomed Despite Its Recent Success appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is officially under construction. Filming on the fourth film starring Tom Holland’s wall-crawler will get underway on July 31 in Glasgow, Scotland, according to local outlet STV News, which reports street closures through August 15. Glasgow’s Bothwell Street will double as Lexington Avenue in Spider-Man’s native New York City, where a skyscraper is under construction for what Holland has described as a “massive set piece.” And newly surfaced photos from the set appear to reveal just where Brand New Day takes place in the MCU timeline.

Thanks to photos shared on social media, set dressings on the construction site reveal the building has a scheduled completion date of December 2027. That suggests Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place sometime before Avengers: Doomsday, which we can infer is set in either 2028 or 2029.

Thunderbolts* was set primarily in fall 2027, but a 14-month time jump puts the post-credits scene — which showed the Fantastic Four arriving from Earth 828 to Earth 616, the Sacred Timeline — and Doomsday in early 2029 at the latest. (The post-credits scene with the New Avengers was filmed for Doomsday.) While it’s unclear how much time has passed between 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the former took place in late 2024.

Sony Pictures had originally dated the then-untitled Spider-Man 4 to release on July 24, 2026, just weeks after Disney and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday on May 1, 2026. The dates seemed to suggest that Brand New Day would trail Doomsday, like how Spider-Man: Far From Home was set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. Both films opened months apart in 2019, and Far From Home had Holland’s Peter Parker adjusting to a post-Blip world and the death of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man.

But then Disney pushed back Avengers: Doomsday to December 18, 2026, while Brand New Day moved to July 31, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars will then “reset” the MCU when the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga hits theaters a year later on Dec. 17, 2027.

Holland and producer Kevin Feige have intimated that, unlike Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a more street-level story after No Way Home tackled the multiverse.

“I think we were really restricted with what we could do in [Spider-Man: No Way Home] because of COVID. We shot the entire film on stages,” Holland said in a recent interview. “Now, we’re really gonna lean into that old-school filmmaking and shoot in real locations, which is why we’re starting in Glasgow.”

“It’s gonna feel like making [Spider-Man: Homecoming] again,” the actor continued. “It’s been such a long time that I’ve done it that it’s gonna feel like a breath of fresh air. And I think the fans are gonna be over the moon with what we’re putting together.”

And Feige, who confirmed that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will be making his way from the TV side of the MCU to the big screen, suggested that the plot would be smaller scale — whether or not there’s any truth to the rumors that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is involved.

“[As] sad as it is that Peter is forgotten by everyone in his life, we are seeing, for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories, him being a proper Spider-Man,” Feige told ComicBook and other outlets during a press event pegged to Fantastic Four: First Steps. “Him being by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with, for lack of a better term, street-level crime, as opposed to world-ending events that he faced when working with the other characters.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now in production and swings into theaters July 31, 2026.

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The post Spider-Man: Brand New Day Set Photos May Confirm Timeline With Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For more than a decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was built upon the bedrock of its founding heroes, with characters like Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) serving as the franchise’s narrative anchors. In the turbulent era following Avengers: Endgame, the studio has visibly struggled to find a new cornerstone, leaving audiences to wonder about the future of its sprawling narrative. That search now appears to be over, thanks to the phenomenal release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film, which introduces Marvel’s First Family to the MCU, feels both refreshingly distinct and foundational. This is largely thanks to director Matt Shakman, who brings the same masterful touch for blending high-concept genre ideas with sincere character drama that earned him acclaim for WandaVision.

Shakman’s vision for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is brought to life by a stellar cast, featuring Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm. The story follows the First Family in a vibrant retro-futuristic adventure that pits the heroes against the terrifying cosmic power of Galactus (Ralph Ineson). With its debut met by a wave of enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences, the film has firmly established its importance, leading directly to the most pressing question: What comes next?

Is The Fantastic Four: First Steps Getting a Sequel?

Marvel entered 2025 weathering a storm of audience fatigue and a string of unprecedented financial disappointments that called its entire high-budget model into question. Both Captain America: Brave New World, which took in a meager $415.1 million globally, and Thunderbolts*, which fared even worse with $381.9 million, were losses for the studio. Against this bleak backdrop, First Steps has emerged as a welcome course correction. The film shattered records with a $24.5 million haul from its Thursday previews alone, signaling immense audience anticipation that translated into a domestic opening weekend of $118 million, with another $100 million coming from international markets, a number comparable to DC Studios hit Superman, which opened with $220 million total. This commercial success is directly tied to The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ critical acclaim, with reviewers widely praising the film’s heartfelt focus on family and character, a quality many felt had been missing from the MCU for years.

Despite The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ sound commercial launch and glowing reviews, Marvel Studios has not made any official announcement regarding a direct sequel, despite early reports pointing to one. This silence, however, is a direct result of a major strategic pivot for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. After years of audience complaints about “superhero fatigue” and a noticeable dip in the consistency and quality of its projects, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Marvel was hitting the brakes and reducing its output of movies and TV shows. This new “less is more” philosophy is designed to give the studio’s creative teams the breathing room necessary to deliver high-quality films that feel like genuine cinematic events.

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In addition, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has admitted that the previous relentless pace of content could make keeping up with the overarching story feel like “homework” for audiences. The current slowdown is a direct response to that feedback, aiming to restore a sense of prestige and excitement to the MCU brand.

A sequel to First Steps, therefore, seems to be not a matter of if, but when. While the studio’s release calendar is largely mapped out on the road to Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, several dates in 2028 and beyond remain open. It is in this post-saga landscape that a sequel logically fits. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t make sense for Marvel Studios to announce a sequel right away, even if one is planned, as their focus is to wrap up the shaky Multiversal Saga with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, before moving ahead with a clean slate and focused release schedule.

The Fantastic Four Are in the MCU to Stay

Even without a sequel formally on the schedule, Marvel has already woven the Fantastic Four so intricately into the fabric of its future plans that their long-term role is guaranteed. The entire main cast is already confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, the epic 2026 crossover that serves as the first part of the closing chapter of the Multiverse Saga. The narrative justification for this is made explicit in the mid-credits scene of First Steps. The scene reveals that the iconic villain Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) is fully aware of the family and has a chilling interest in their infant son, Franklin Richards, whose reality-bending powers are established within the film. This brilliant narrative stroke makes the Fantastic Four’s personal struggle the direct catalyst for the entire saga’s climax, ensuring their story is the engine driving the multiversal war to come.

Furthermore, the team’s integration into the wider MCU is being reinforced from multiple angles. The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* already provided a critical piece of the puzzle, showing the team’s signature ship, the Excelsior, crashing into the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. The clear implication is that Doctor Doom’s hunt for Franklin will force the family on a dimension-hopping chase that brings them face-to-face with the Avengers. All of this assures fans that the Fantastic Four are a cornerstone of everything that is to come, making a second solo film a logical next step for Marvel Studios.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

What storyline would you like to see in a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Share your picks in the comments!

The post Fantastic Four 2: Everything We Know About the MCU Sequel’s Chances appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Some of the most exciting upcoming projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been perfectly set up in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Phase 6 has finally kicked off with the release of First Steps in July 2025, and Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach have finally brought Marvel’s First Family to life in the MCU. This iteration of the Fantastic Four, originating on Earth 828, are more vibrant, comic-accurate, and family-focused than previous live-action adaptations, setting up an exciting new future for the MCU and the team itself.

Marvel Studios has recently seen a huge shift behind the scenes, as more of a focus is now being put on quality over quantity. This has been evident in recent projects, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Agatha All Along, Thunderbolts*, and Ironheart, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps continues this uptick. This poses good news for the MCU’s upcoming projects, some of which were perfectly set up thanks to the Fantastic Four’s adventure in First Steps and the movie’s surprising ending – including The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ shocking and dramatic mid-credits scene.

BE WARNED: This article contains major spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

5) Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

Currently, only two MCU movies have been confirmed to be releasing in 2026, and one of these is Avengers: Doomsday. Directed by MCU veterans the Russo brothers, Doomsday will mark the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Victor Von Doom, following his official debut in the mid-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It was an incredible shock to see Doctor Doom appear in the Baxter Building at the end of First Steps, where he interacts with the now-four-year-old Franklin Richards four years after the titular team’s battle against Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

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Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four have a rich history with each other in Marvel Comics, as Doom and Reed Richards are lifelong archenemies. The Doctor Doom in First Steps was, in fact, played by Downey Jr., who originated on Earth 828, proving that this alternate reality will be hugely important to Doomsday’s story. Scheduled to premiere on December 18, 2026, Avengers: Doomsday will pit introduce the Fantastic Four to some of the MCU’s other most iconic heroes, all coming together to battle Doctor Doom, so it’s very exciting to think where this story could go next.

4) Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

Releasing a year after Avengers: Doomsday on December 17, 2027, Avengers: Secret Wars will mark the culmination of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and the final stand of the MCU’s heroes against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Doom’s appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the establishment of the Fantastic Four and their incredible powers set the stage for Secret Wars’ biggest battle. Most notably, in Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars event, it’s a fight between Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom that ends the latter’s reign, so it would be great to see this also play out in live-action.

3) Silver Surfer Special Presentation (TBC)

Although this project is little more than a rumor right now, following her successful debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it would be brilliant to see Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer headline her own MCU Special Presentation. Julia Garner delivered a stellar performance as the herald of Galactus in First Steps, and the movie even gave us a brief glimpse at her origins on Zenn-La. This deserves more examination, however, so a Special Presentation could explore Shalla-Bal’s relationship to her daughter, Galactus’ attack on her world, and her time working for the planet-eater, leading up to her sacrifice in First Steps.

2) X-Men (TBC)

While it perhaps wasn’t directly set up in First Steps, the Phase 6 movie might have introduced the first character set to appear in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot. In Marvel Comics, Franklin Richards is an Omega-level mutant and one of the universe’s most powerful characters, so it would make sense for the son of Reed Richards (Pascal) and Sue Storm (Kirby) to appear in an X-Men reboot. This reboot is being written by Michael Lesslie and directed by Thunderbolts*’ Jake Schreier, and First Steps might have just debuted yet another formidable mutant who could join a future X-Men team.

1) The Fantastic Four 2 (TBC)

A direct sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps hasn’t yet been officially announced to be in development by Marvel Studios. However, back in June, Variety suggested that a follow-up movie focused on Marvel’s First Family could fill an empty 2028 release slot. Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach have all been confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, and are expected to also appear in Secret Wars, which will establish a new singular timeline for the MCU. In this reset continuity, there’s no doubt sequels to The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be produced, positioning the titular team at the center of the MCU.

The post All 5 MCU Projects Set Up By Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on ComicBook.com.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.] Vanessa Kirby is getting transparent about that Fantastic Four: First Steps mid-credits scene. Four years after Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm/Invisible Woman (Kirby), Johnny Storm/the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) save Earth 828 from being consumed by the planet-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson), Sue comes face-to-face with the quartet’s next threat: Doctor Doom.

A four-year time jump sets the credits scene in 1969, where Franklin Richards, first-born son of the cosmically-altered Reed and Sue, is now four years old. When robot sidekick H.E.R.B.I.E. (Matthew Wood) recommends Sue read Franklin Darwin’s Origin of Species, she steps out of the room to retrieve a children’s book. She returns to find Doctor Doom, the face plate of his iron mask in hand, kneeling in front of Franklin.

Before the scene cuts to black, we see the toddler — who possesses the Power Cosmic, a fraction of the power that Galactus grants his heralds, including the Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) — reaching out to touch the unmasked face of Victor von Doom, seen in profile with a green cloak concealing his (presumably) disfigured visage. The film ends with the words: “The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”

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Kirby confirms in a new interview that the credits scene, which was directed by Avengers: Doomsday helmers Anthony and Joe Russo, marked Robert Downey Jr.’s uncredited first appearance as Doctor Doom in the MCU.

“Robert’s never not been on set. He’s always there. He is our leader,” Kirby told Variety about the former Iron Man actor. “We call him our Godfather. He’s looked after us. It’s such a joy working with the Russos and him, because they’ve had such deep collaboration for so long.”

“And it’s been amazing being pregnant and working on Avengers,” she added. “I felt so inspired and so relieved that I’ve been so taken care of. It’s been a really beautiful journey. Robert is just doing incredible work. I’m so excited.”

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Avengers: Doomsday Cast and Their Roles in Marvel’s Secret Wars, Explained

The Russos also directed the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, which showed the New Avengers — Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Bob (Lewis Pullman) — be alerted to the Fantastic Four’s ship, the Excelsior, entering Earth’s atmosphere in the Sacred Timeline.

As Doomsday‘s leading man, Downey receives top billing among a cast that includes Kirby and her Fantastic Four co-stars Pascal, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach; plus Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. Along with the aforementioned New Avengers, the cast features Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor, Mabel Cadena as Namora, Alex Livinalli as Attuma, Channing Tatum as Gambit, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Benedict Wong as Wong, and returning X-Men franchise stars Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing only in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release in theaters on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on Dec. 17, 2027.

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The post Fantastic Four’s Vanessa Kirby Confirms What Actor Was in the Post-Credits Scene appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In recent years, Marvel Studios has turned its focus from quantity to quality, limiting its output to try and focus on giving fans titles they’ll enjoy. This means less television shows, and a smaller number of films on the big screen. After two successfully received films with Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the studio is now focusing on its next Avengers movie — Avengers: Doomsday. The movie will see the return of some of the original X-Men from the Fox films, including Rebecca Romijn, who is reprising her role as Mystique. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter, however, that the script is currently unfinished, and she’s not entirely sure whether or not she’s finished filming.

Romijn was on hand at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend to promote Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, where she stopped by the THR suite to briefly talk about Doomsday. The actress was asked if she was finished shooting her scenes as Mystique, to which she answered honestly. “[I’m] not quite sure. The script hasn’t — they haven’t finished writing it. It’s been very, very fun, and we don’t know yet. They keep everything very close to the vest themselves in an effort to keep everything under wraps.”

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This shouldn’t be entirely surprising, though. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has even talked about the studio’s process, which they often refer to as “plussing.” The script will be technically finished, as the studio will not film unless a script is finished beforehand, but the script will change throughout production. This allows those involved with the project(s), including writers, directors, and actors to voice their concerns during production. It’s not a normal way of making huge blockbusters, but it is a collaborative way of filmmaking that seemingly works for Marvel Studios.

Romijn also addressed what it was like to return as Mystique after such a long time. The actor first portrayed the character over 20 years ago, and now she’s returning as the fan-favorite mutant alongside some of her old co-stars, something she called surreal. “It was very surreal to be with my old cast as well as a new cast. I had crazy dreams while I was there for a large chunk of shooting. Like, really kind of regressive dreams. It was very strange, my brain was really trying to organize. Like, wow, this is a character I played 25 years ago, 20 years ago. Yeah, [it was] very surreal.”

Avengers: Doomsday will serve as the first Avengers movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The film sees Joe and Anthony Russo return behind-the-camera to direct the massive film. The cast is led by Robert Downey Jr., who is taking a villainous turn as Victor von Doom. He’ll be joined on the big screen by Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Channing Tatum as Gambit, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and Winston Duke as M’Baku. Also set to appear in the movie are the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the cast of Thunderbolts*.

Fellow X-Men cast members returning for Avengers: Doomsday alongside Romijn are Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier/Professor X, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast. Avengers: Doomsday is slated to hit the big screen on December 18, 2026.

The post Avengers: Doomsday Still Doesn’t Have a Finished Script (& 1 Star Doesn’t Know if They’re Done Filming) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Simpons could pass up the opportunity to turn its big Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 into a gag that takes shots at Marvel Studios and its now-classic panel exactly one year ago during SDCC2024, where Robert Downey Jr. shocked the Hall H crowd (and the world) with the reveal that he’s returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. The Simpsons panelists in attendance all entered the stage dressed in their own respective Doctor Doom cosplay outfits, while moderator Jesse David Fox proclaimed that the show will “Never kowtow to the pressures of capitalism or the corporate overlords.”

If you haven’t tuned into The Simpsons in a while, this is exactly the kind of cheekily sardonic humor you’ll find there now. The sight gag of the ‘Council of Dooms’ all taking the stage at once mocks Marvel Studios and their history of elaborate Hall H stunts; possibly throws a light jab at Marvel for not being on stage as usual this year (the studio abdicated its traditional Saturday night, primetime slot). At the same time, the sight gag creates the exact kind of viral moment that’s also free promotion for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, the next big crossover event film in the franchise. The punchline being that The Simpsons was pulling the exact kind of stunt the “corporate overlords” would want.

You can watch the epic moment HERE.

Teases for the 37th season of The Simpsons include a list of celebrity cameos that includes one episode that will bring together Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Danny Pudi (Community), Adam Pally (Knuckles), Albert Brooks (Drive), Cole Escola (Hacks), and father-son duo Brendan Gleeson (Gangs of New York, Harry Potter) and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, Star Wars sequel trilogy) at the same time. There will also be another episode featuring Oscar/Emmy-winner Kieran Culkin (Succession) in more than a mere cameo, but a “juicy role.”

Remembering Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday RDJ Reveal

As you can see in the video above, ComicBook.com had the honor of being in (and recording) Hall H when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and Avengers: Doomsday directors The Russo Bros. brought out an entire parade of Doom cosplayers onstage, before revealing one of them to be Robert Downey Jr. The actor’s first line, “New mask, same task,” has already been cemented as one of the greatest of all time MCU actor soundbites. The fact that The Simpsons panel is mocking said moment on its anniversary just proves it’s been cemented as another classic pop-culture breakthrough moment for Marvel Studios.

Hopefully, the actual Avengers: Doomsday movie is as good when it hits theaters on December 18th, 2026. The Simpsons will air its new season this fall.

The post 1 Year Later, The Simpsons Just Stole Marvel’s Doctor Doom Comic-Con Moment appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally out in the wild, and with its debut, a new era of Marvel’s First Family has officially begun. With characters like Reed Richards and Sue Storm now officially in the mix, it’s exciting to think of the possibilities when they inevitably team up with some of the other fan-favorite characters in the MCU, and that discussion kicked into overdrive when First Steps director Matt Shakman spoke about Reed’s journey over the course of the film. That was mostly tied to one specific part of Shakman’s quote, that being when he said “to the guy who’s leading the Avengers“, but Shakman has clarified his comments on that status as well as anything else to do with Avengers: Doomsday.

The original quote was from an interview with Variety, where Shakman was speaking about why Pedro Pascal was the perfect person to handle Reed and his evolution throughout the film. Shakman said, “He goes from being the nerdy scientist who’s locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who’d do anything to protect his family, to the guy who’s leading the Avengers. I realized that the version we were building had to have all of those elements.”

In a new interview with Bustle (via Inverse), Shakman clarified what he meant. “I didn’t actually say that. I saw the internet said I said that,” Shakman said. “What I said, and just to clarify, was that he’s a really complex character in the comics. That he ranges from being this amazing scientist to being this leader who goes out and saves the day to being this family member, and I needed an actor who could encompass all three things. So unfortunately, a lot of that was taken out of context.”

Shakman couldn’t have been more thrilled with Pascal’s performance as Reed Richards, scything that Pascal manages to “encompass all of those elements of Reed Richards from the intelligence, the specificity of him as a scientist to the parental anxiety, the loving partner, the emotionality that was so important to the movie.”

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Now, as for Reed’s future in the MCU or his role in Avengers: Doomsday, Shakman said that’s in the court of Doomsday. “Where he goes in Avengers: Doomsday is for Avengers: Doomsday to do,” Shakman said.

It remains to be seen what Reed and the rest of the family’s role will be in the MCU moving forward, but with a Doctor Doom-focused storyline happening across the MCU, it’s only logical to expect Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben to play a substantial role in those events to come. We won’t get those answers until Avengers: Doomsday, but for now, fans can watch the Fantastic Four do their thing in First Steps, which is in theaters now.

What do you think of Shakman’s comments, and what do you hope to see for the Fantastic Four moving forward in the MCU? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Marvel and movies with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Fantastic Four Director Clarifies Comments About Reed Richards Leading Avengers appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios won’t be at Hall H this year during San Diego Comic-Con, but Robert Downey Jr. is still giving fans some behind-the-scenes teases for Avengers: Doomsday. On his official Instagram account, the actor shared a video and a photo as he gets hyped up for another day of filming. In the former, Downey is jamming out to his son Indio Downey’s new song “Change of Scenery.” The latter features a The West Coast Avengers comic book with Doctor Doom front and center on the cover, perhaps hinting that superhero team could have a role in Doomsday.

“MCU morning anthem…” Downey captioned his post, followed by promotional hashtags for Indio’s music. Check out the post in the space below:

Though their appearances in the comics date back to 1984’s The West Coast Avengers #1, that particular superhero team has never been featured in a live-action film before. There was an Easter egg referencing them in the original Ant-Man (the “Wackos” writing on the wall at the Milgrom Hotel), but that’s all the love they’ve received in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. Though the franchise boasts multiple Avengers teams, none of them go by West Coast Avengers.

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As Avengers: Doomsday makes its way through production, Downey has shared multiple teases of his highly anticipated MCU return. One of the “essentials” in his personal Doom workstation was a copy of the comic Doom #1, which chronicles Doom’s attempt to stop the threat of Galactus. Based on another behind-the-scenes photo Downey posted, the filmmakers will be using CGI to add Doctor Doom’s mask in post.

As someone who’s been with the MCU from the beginning, Downey is quite savvy when it comes to sharing teases with fans. He has a firm grasp of what he can and cannot post at this stage. Given the highly secretive nature of the Doomsday production, it’s unlikely he’s offering subtle hints of what’s in store regarding the plot. MCU actors have been guilty of revealing spoilers before, but Downey keeps the secrets locked in the vault. Odds are, he’s simply reading a variety of Doom comics to get a better understanding of how the villain has been portrayed throughout Marvel history. Even if Doomsday isn’t lifting plot points from a particular issue, the comics could still provide valuable insight and give Downey an idea for something he wants to bring to the screen.

Avengers: Doomsday is already set to feature four superhero teams (the New Avengers, Sam Wilson’s Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men), so the ensemble might get too crowded if a fifth joins the fray. Still, that doesn’t mean Doomsday can’t feature some kind of reference to the West Coast Avengers. Maybe Downey’s Doom has crossed paths with them across the multiverse, or a version of the team exists in the same reality as the X-Men. It’ll be interesting to see if the West Coast Avengers factor into the Multiverse Saga at all. Odds are, they won’t, but until we learn more about Doomsday, Downey’s latest breadcrumb is intriguing enough.

The post Robert Downey Jr. Shares Avengers: Doomsday BTS Look (Teasing Fan-Favorite Superhero Team-Up) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally in theaters, kicking off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the official introduction of the fan-favorite superteam. Set in an alternate timeline named Earth-828, the movie tells a surprisingly self-contained adventure that is primarily concerned with delivering the high-quality storytelling of the best Marvel Studios productions. Still, MCU fans might be surprised to know the plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has little to do with the upcoming crossover events, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. That’s not to say there’s no link between First Steps and Doomsday, as the movie does tease how everything fits together. However, apart from one of the movie’s two credit scenes, any clues about how the Fantastic Four fit into the MCU’s ambitious plans are mostly contextual.

Warning: Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below.

The plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps revolves around Marvel’s First Family’s dire encounter with Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds (Ralph Ineson). Doomed to feel an everlasting hunger that can only be appeased by the total consumption of worlds brimming with life, Galactus wanders the universe, devouring one planet-sized meal at a time. His emergence is always preceded by his herald, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), aka the Silver Surfer. She chooses Galactus’ targets after being bound to a life of servitude in exchange for the Devourer of Worlds sparing her home planet.

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By the time Shalla-Bal arrives on Earth, Sue (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) are pregnant with their first child, Franklin. Little do they know that Fankling possesses the mysterious Power Cosmic, a source of energy that allows him to drain Galactus’ hunger, taking the Devourer of Worlds’ place and releasing him from his curse. Galactus offers a deal with the Fantastic Four, demanding the newborn child in exchange for Earth’s safety, a proposal the First Family refuses, leading to a race against the clock to stop Galactus. Yet, Galactus’ interest in Franklin is the first clue of how the Fantastic Four will get involved in Avengers: Doomsday, as the child’s powers will draw the attention of other big Marvel villains.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Credit Scene Sets Up Avengers: Doomsday

The first credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place four years after the heroes teleported Galactus, without his ship, to a distant corner of the universe, leaving the villain stranded. In the scene, Sue goes to fetch a book for Franklin. When she returns to the living room, she sees a cloaked figure kneeling near her son. The figure is holding a metal mask and letting Franklin touch his face. That is, of course, Doctor Doom, to be played by Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Doomsday.

While the script of Avengers: Doomsday is still being written and its story is being kept under wraps, we know the movie will feature Doom as a major player in a multiversal adventure. As a brilliant scientist and a master of the mystic arts, it is likely that Doom became aware of Franklin’s powers at some point and intends to use the child to achieve his goals. The Fantastic Four: First Steps gives fans a glimpse of Franklin’s powers when he changes reality to bring Sue back to life, after she dies during the final confrontation with Galactus. So, there’s no telling how much Franklin can do as he grows older and stronger. 

If Marvel Studios draws inspiration from the comic books, Franklin will soon be able to create entire alternate dimensions, merge timelines, and change the rules of reality at will. All of these abilities will come in handy in a multiversal war. Since Doom will somehow be travelling between timelines, explaining how the Sacred Timeline and the X-Men from the Fox era will get involved with Avengers: Doomsday, Franklin might be the key to the story, a being capable of stopping (or creating) incursions with his thoughts alone.

We know from Thunderbolts* credits scene that the Fantastic Four’s ship, the Excelsior, will cross dimensions and end up in the Sacred Timeline. It’s fair to assume, then, that Doom could steal Franklin from Sue, leading the First Family on a chase after the villain to the Sacred Timeline. That would explain how all these heroes end up together, and why they will eventually join forces to stop Doom, whatever his plans might be. With more than a year before Avengers: Doomsday hit theaters, in December 2026, there’s still plenty of time for Marvel Studios to plant more narrative seeds that help fans better understand the big picture and how Doom will tie all these loose threads.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

Why do you think Doctor Doom is after Franklin in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Share your theories in the comments!

The post How Fantastic Four: First Steps Sets Up Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Director Matt Shakman has confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo were involved in the production of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. During the film’s premiere, Shakman spoke with Deadline about their partnership and how the First Family is a central part of the upcoming Avengers event. The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces the team of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all four of whom are also confirmed to return for the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday. Before the crossover, First Steps will follow the Fantastic Four in an alternate timeline where they must face Galactus, voiced by Ralph Ineson, as the primary antagonist.

“They were very curious about what we were doing,” Shakman said. “They came to tour our sets, they would watch scenes that we were cutting together, they wanted to get to know these people as they were working on their story and their script, so that I could pass the baton to them and these characters would be well cared for.”

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Shakman’s statement details the practical steps taken to ensure continuity for the characters as they transition into Avengers: Doomsday. In the next MCU event, the First Family will face Robert Downey Jr. as the team’s iconic arch-nemesis, Doctor Doom. While details on Avengers: Doomsday are being kept under wraps, the movie is expected to deal with the clash of different timelines, as its cast also includes the Fox-era X-Men heroes. Given how important the Fantastic Four is for Doctor Doom’s comic book history, the presence of the Russo Brothers on First Steps‘ set ensures Marvel Studios is determined to build a more cohesive Phase 6 after past MCU hurdles.

Ralph Ineson Hopes Galactus Will Meet Doctor Doom in the MCU

During the premiere, Ineson has also weighed in on his MCU’s future. While Ineson made it clear he was not aware of any specific plans from Marvel Studios, the actor commented on the possibility of sharing the screen with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

“I have no idea what Kevin Feige and everybody have planned,” Ineson said. “But I worked with Robert [Downey Jr.] a few years ago on Dolittle for a few days, and he’s an absolute gentleman and amazing actor, so I loved having the chance to work with him and watch him work, so, yeah, if I got the chance to team up with him again, of course I would.”

Doom and Galactus crossed paths multiple times in Marvel Comics, with the classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby storyline from 1966’s Fantastic Four #57-60 laying the foundations for their rivalry. In this definitive arc, Doctor Doom successfully executes an intricate plan to trap the Silver Surfer within his Latverian embassy. Using his own advanced technology, Doom creates a device that forcibly siphons the Power Cosmic directly from the Surfer, absorbing it into his own body. Elements of that story were loosely adapted in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but it’s only now that the MCU is introducing the two villains, making a proper adaptation possible.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25.

What do you think of the Russo Brothers’ involvement in shaping the Fantastic Four’s MCU future? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Reveals How The Russo Brothers Were Involved With the Movie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is about to hit theaters, and there is a lot riding on it, to say the least. This movie has reintroduced the Fantastic Four to moviegoing audiences for the third time in twenty years; it incorporates the characters and a whole new version of their world into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, while setting the stage for Avengers: Doomsday. That’s quite a bit to accomplish, and while First Steps doesn’t need to spend all of its screen time checking boxes, there are at least five points of explanation we need this film to provide, in order for Avengers: Doomsday to make any kind of sense, narratively and logistically.

As always, the MCU has set quite a challenging set of goals for itself with Fantastic Four: First Steps, but if the early buzz around the film is any indication, it can pull it off.

5) What Is Doom to the F4?

Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has made the bold move of stating in promotional interviews (including Empire Magazine) for the film that Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom is not a part of my film, and therefore not a part of my purview.”

That’s a wild statement for longtime Fantastic Four fans to hear: Doom is not only the F4’s arch-nemesis, their connection runs so deep that the villain’s origin has often been tied to the same events that gave the F4 their abilities, including in both of the previous movie adaptations (2005 and 2015, respectively). There’s always the possibility that Shakman is lying to protect a surprise appearance from RDJ in First Steps, but in case he is being truthful, the film still needs to find a way to define how Doom and the Fantastic Four are connected. Avengers: Doomsday will make Reed Richards vs. Doom a centerpiece of its story, and it would be a serious waste of screen time to have to walk through a situation where Doom and the F4 only become aware of one another for the first time. Even if Doom doesn’t appear in the film directly, First Steps can still find ways to acknowledge his presence, so that Doomsday can hit the ground running.

4) What Is Galactus to the Multiverse?

Ever since Fantastic Four: First Steps made it known that Galactus would be the villain of the film, diehard MCU fans have been wondering how the cosmic being would be framed within the MCU’s ever-expanding Multiverse Saga. The core question a lot of fans are wondering is: does Galactus have variants, or is he a singular being that traverses the multiverse?

Marvel Comics lore has established that it’s the former, with variants of Galactus including the “Gah Lak Tus” robotic drone swarm version of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe (1610), which eventually merged with the humanoid form from the main Marvel 616 universe. However, the MCU has deviated from quite a bit of Marvel comic book lore, especially when it comes to the cosmic side of things. At this point in the franchise, there is equally as much value in introducing the idea of there being a different Galactus for each universe as there is in floating the idea that Galactus is an entity that travels the multiverse, consuming worlds. Whatever the answer, First Steps just needs to confirm which it is.

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3) How Did the F4 Become the Biggest Heroes of Their World?

The premise of First Steps has been made pretty clear in trailers: When we meet the F4 in the film, it’s years after a life-changing space voyage left them each endowed with powers; the F4 are some of the biggest pop-culture icons of their time, celebrated for heroic deeds that have seemingly earned them the love and respect of the masses.

And yet, all the discussion and marketing for the film have done very little to let us know what events occurred to catapult the F4 to the heights of hero status. Which villains were defeated, which word-threatening disasters that were averted… everything that would make them the Avengers of their reality. First Steps needs to convey that history without it coming off as shallow expository dumping.

2) What Are Franklin Richards’ Powers in the MCU?

Fantastic Four comes with the subtitle First Steps in part as a reference to the milestone event that is the birth of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm’s (Vanessa Kirby) son, Franklin. Marvel fans know that in the comics, Franklin Richards is one of the most powerful and pivotal characters in the Marvel Universe; the final previews for the Fantastic Four reboot have confirmed fan theories that Galactus is drawn to Earth because he senses Franklin’s presence there, and comes to claim him. The looming question is: why?

In the comics, Franklin Richards can manipulate the fabric of reality, literally able to create entire worlds and universes from his imagination. That said, the MCU has gotten a little out of control with its power stacking, with bit characters like G’iah (Secret Invasion) currently holding the title of “most powerful character” in the franchise. So, if Franklin Richards is going to be a pivotal character in the climax of this MCU Multiverse Saga, then there needs to be clear guidelines about what his powers are and how strong they are. Avengers: Doomsday won’t have much time to set up the game board. As universes start colliding, we need to already know if and how Franklin can set it all right.

1) Is It Really Them In That Rocket Ship?

Marvel Studios did something we’ve rarely seen them do: seemingly spoil the end of a forthcoming film in the post-credits scene of a preceding film. But the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* did just that, revealing a jump forward in time to when the New Avengers/Thunderbolts squad make a startling discovery: an unidentified ship entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The New Avengers have no idea what the vessel is, but MCU fans instantly recognized the design in the “4” logo on the side.

Now, since Thunderbolts* was released, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has sown doubt about whether the F4 ship the New Avengers spotted is the same team from First Steps. This has led to rampant fan theories that anyone from the cast of the 2005 Fantastic Four or the 2015 reboot could be the ones seeking refuge, following the end of their universe; another theory posits that the surviving F4 members from Earth-838 could be arriving to finally settle the score for Scarlet Witch killing their Reed during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Whatever the case may be, the climax of Fantastic Four: First Steps needs to let us know whether or not this new version of the team will start Avengers: Doomsday being stranded on Earth-616.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will open in theaters and IMAX this week.

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It’s no secret that some actors in the X-Men universe often had to undergo extensive makeup times in order to be camera ready. This was something that X-Men star Rebecca Romijn was very honest about after starring as Mystique in Fox’s X-Men universe. Now, while promoting the latest season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Romijn has opened up about what it’s like to return to the character for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and what the makeup process is like now for Avengers: Doomsday. The actor told ET Now that she currently spends up to seven hours a day in makeup to get ready for filming on the new Marvel Studios movie.

That’s down just slightly from the previous nine hours it used to take to apply the full body makeup when Romijn starred in the original X-Men movies. The process, of course, doesn’t simply involve body painting, it also involves the application of prosthetics over Romijn’s body. Despite the long process it takes to physically transform into Mystique, Romijn has never truly minded the process, in fact, she previously revealed that she felt the process left her in the perfect state of mind to truly play Mystique on screen. “Although my theory is that going through nine hours of make-up, you’re in such a rotten mood, you can’t be anything but evil – it turns you into the villain that you need to be to play Mystique properly!”

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Avengers: Doomsday is currently in production in the UK with Joe and Anthony Russo returning behind the camera to direct the massive Marvel Studios film. The Russo brothers, of course, have worked on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Even with their past working with Marvel, this will mark the first time the directing duo have worked with the X-Men on the big screen. Joining Romijn in the Avengers film are her previous X-Men co-stars Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.

Romijn first appeared as Mystique in the first X-Men trilogy, consisting of 2000’s X-Men, 2003’s X2: X-Men United, and 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. She also made an uncredited cameo as the character in X-Men: First Class. The character of Mystique was last portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, who underwent a much different make-up process for the First Class trilogy, having opted instead for a body suit, which cut the entire process down to a reported three hours, with Lawrence having to endure mainly face painting for Mystique.

While fans wait for Romijn’s return as Mystique, they can now stream the original X-Men movies on Disney+. Fans can also catch the actress as Number One in the critically acclaimed Star Trek series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which just recently premiered its third season on Paramount+.

Marvel Studios’ next Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday, is slated to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. It will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars nearly a year later on December 17, 2027.

The post An Original X-Men Stars Reveals Extensive Make-up Time for Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ahead of the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel Studios officially confirmed that the main cast of that upcoming movie, including Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, would all return for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. Production on that movie has already begun as well, and now Marvel fans know one major location from the upcoming Fantastic Four movie that they should get used to seeing. Speaking in a press round table attended by ComicBook for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel boss Kevin Feige teased the dynamic of the Fantastic Four with the other Marvel heroes, and which set they’re inviting others into.

“Only speaking to the one we’re working on now, shooting now, for people who know the comics and know the word incursions, those are universes coming together,” Feige said. “We will see this world that we’ve introduced (in First Steps). We’re shooting on all the same sets that we built for Fantastic Four, and it is very fun. I would say the now iconic Baxter Building living room and kitchen where we saw the Four get to know each other in this movie, let’s say there are a lot more people in that kitchen in Avengers, and it’s fun to literally see people coming into each other’s homes, which is pretty awesome.”

Some of the other confirmed cast members for Avengers: Doomsday that could very well be making their way to the Baxter Building for Sunday dinner include Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova from Thunderbolts, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, or perhaps most interestingly, Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor. In the pages of Marvel Comics, Namor’s love for Sue Storm and rivalry with Reed Richards has been a decades-long narrative.

Feige didn’t let his teases for Doomsday, and the Avengers film that will follow it, Avengers: Secret Wars, end there however. The Marvel producer teased that fans should expect something a little different for the larger MCU than what was seen in Avengers: Endgame back in 2019.

“Unlike Endgame, which really wasn’t ended, and then we go, where do we go from here? What do we do with this level of success and this level of finality? And we used it to experiment and we used it to evolve and we used it to expand, too much,” Feige said. “Secret Wars, as in the comics, is as much about bringing certain storylines to a close as it is launching a new one. And that’s what’s very exciting, is already being well into development of the next saga.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to arrive in theaters this week, premiering on Friday, July 25. Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars to follow on December 17, 2027.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a lot of ground to cover for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, and a compelling new fan theory suggests that the marketing is just the tip of the iceberg. The movie seems to be all about the Fantastic Four’s fight against Galactus, but it also needs to set up Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) before Avengers: Doomsday. This weekend, a popular post on by Reddit user u/GoesOff_On_Tangent proposed that the trailers are only showing us the first half of the movie or so. They suggest that Galactus may be defeated early, and may serve only as set-up to Doom’s plot, and to the upcoming multiversal crossover.

The many trailers and teasers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps have given fans a clear idea of the movie’s plot — the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives on earth as the herald of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and the superhero team does its best to protect humanity from destruction, which seems to take at least two tries. Meanwhile, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) reveals that she is pregnant, and her teammates all wonder what it means for the future of the Fantastic Four. The final trailer shows several shots where Sue and her teammates hold the baby in their arms.

Last week’s post on r/FanTheories makes a few assumptions based on Marvel Comics and other fan theories as well. It assumes that Sue’s baby is Franklin Richards, a powerful telepath with the ability to warp reality itself in most depictions. Galactus and other powerful beings all fear Franklin, and many fans have speculated that Galactus will come to earth in this movie specifically to try and destroy Franklin before he can become a threat.

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Where this theory gets really interesting is its proposal that all of this is only the first half of the movie. It suggests that the Fantastic Four get help from Doom to deal with the threat of Galactus. Afterward, Doom will feel that he didn’t get enough credit for his role in the adventure, and that the Fantastic Four didn’t get enough criticism for causing the catastrophe in the fist place. He will then get rid of his rivals by sending their rocket into some kind of black hole or portal, which will explain their arrival on Earth-616 in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*.

The theory goes on to speculate about what this will mean for Avengers: Doomsday — Doom will take over his version of earth and try to protect it from multiverse incursions by any means necessary. He may be the one to bring the X-Men characters into the fold, hoping to win them to his side, but all this activity will somehow make him a threat to the Avengers of the main timeline as well. He will manipulate various factions and characters into fighting amongst themselves, and they’ll come together just in time to realize that Doom’s work is actually a threat to the entire multiverse.

It’s a solid prediction of where the MCU is going, whether all the details turn out to be true or not. It’s worth noting that so far, Marvel Studios has generally denied that Doom appears in First Steps at all. Last month, director Matt Shakman even told Empire that “Doom is not a part of my film.” The strongest evidence that he will appear in he movie is a report by The InSneider, which said that he only makes a brief cameo in the post-credits scene.

Still, fans have found it easy to speculate that Marvel is guarding the surprise, and that Doom has a big presence in this movie. For one thing, he is typically an antagonist for the Fantastic Four, and he is most likely a variant from a different universe, so it would make sense to introduce him here. For another, the studio has not had time set up Doom as the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, and they’ll need all the time they can get to do so before the grand finale.

Whether some or all of this theory is correct or not, it seems safe to assume that Marvel has some tricks up its sleeve for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie hits theaters on Friday, July 25th.

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You’ll be shocked to hear the number of Marvel Cinematic Universe projects that have been released in the seven years between Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Doomsday. Ever since each movie in Phase 1 explored the origin of the original team, the Avengers have been at the center of the MCU. Originally comprising Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Thor, the Avengers went through many changes in the years after their 2012 debut, culminating in their biggest battle yet against the Mad Titan, Thanos, in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Curiously, they haven’t been seen since.

Avengers: Endgame hit theaters in April 2019, but, since then, the Avengers have been absent for the entirety of the MCU’s Phase 4 and 5. In fact, by the time Avengers: Doomsday rolls around in December 2026 – with the Russo brothers returning to Marvel to direct – Marvel Studios will have released at least 37 projects, and we will have gone a whole seven-and-a-half years without an Avengers movie. Phase 2 featured four movies between The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, while it was seven more movies before Infinity War, but 37 projects released between Avengers movies is extreme.

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It’s unclear exactly why Marvel Studios made the decision to stop capping off MCU Phases with Avengers crossover events after Endgame. Phase 1 ended with The Avengers, Phase 2’s penultimate project was Age of Ultron, and Phase 3 drew to a close with Infinity War and Endgame. Phase 4 ended, strangely, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, however, while Ironheart recently concluded Phase 5 on Disney+. These heavily-criticized Phases of the MCU would have surely benefitted from an Avengers-level crossover event, and this statistic stresses that fact.

One benefit from not tying the MCU directly to the development of Avengers movies is that there has been more diversity in Phases 4 and 5. New heroes such as Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, the Eternals, Werewolf by Night, Ironheart, and Wonder Man might not have been introduced if the focus had been on the Avengers. However, this contributed to criticisms concerning a lack of interconnectivity, and, frankly, we miss the Avengers. Thunderbolts* introduced us to the New Avengers, and Sam Wilson’s Captain America is also building his new team ahead of Avengers Doomsday – which is a long time coming.

Are you excited to finally see the Avengers back in action in 2026? Let us know in the comments!

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All eyes are on Doctor Doom. While the villain has yet to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, it feels like he’s already scheming. The Leader alludes to “others” in the post-credits scene of Captain America: Brave New World, who are looking to mess with the multiverse. He didn’t say the name Doom or anything of the sort, but there’s no doubt that he’s warning Sam Wilson about the villain’s arrival. There are also plenty of rumors swirling around about who is on the ship that pops up in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*. While the vessel has a “4” on the side, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that Doom is adding grand theft auto to his rap sheet in order to get to Earth-616.

There’s no doubt that Doom will tussle with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday, but his motivations remain unclear. While he’s likely to go after the Fantastic Four because Reed Richards and Susan Storm’s son, Franklin Richards, has unbelievable power, there isn’t a version of Franklin on Earth-616. There is another character that could be worthy of his attention, though, and they’re currently in the wind.

Mantis Is Part of a Major Prophecy in Marvel Comics

Like her big-screen counterpart, Marvel Comics’ Mantis has connections to the Celestials. She’s raised by the Priests of Pama and destined to become the Celestial Madonna, a being that prophecy claims will give birth to the universe’s savior. Being that important puts Mantis on Kang’s radar, as the villain doesn’t want anyone getting in the way of his plan for multiversal domination. He tries to kill her on a number of occasions, but she escapes with some help from the Avengers. Eventually, she gives birth to her child and allows the Cotati to look after him while she goes into space. The MCU’s Mantis doesn’t have a child, but she’s off on her own in the cosmos, which could leave her vulnerable to an attack from Doom.

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Doom is stepping into Kang’s role in the MCU, so it would be a good idea for him to take his challengers off the board. Mantis is half-Celestial because her father was Ego, and while he’s gone, she still has incredible abilities that allow her to tangle with the likes of Thanos. With Mantis at his side, Doom could manipulate the entire galaxy into doing his bidding. However, he’s not going to have an easy time getting to her because there’s a major group of heroes that would love nothing more than to protect their friend.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Aren’t Going to Let Anyone Hurt Mantis

The ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees the titular team split up. Drax and Nebula decide to stay on Knowhere and look after the children, while Rocket and Groot start a new Guardians team with Adam Warlock, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Phyla-Vell. Meanwhile, Peter Quill heads back to Earth to live with his grandfather, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a boy. The tag of Vol. 3 reveals that Star-Lord is the only Guardian guaranteed to be part of the MCU going forward, leaving the future of the rest of the characters up in the air. There’s an easy fix for that, though, because Peter and Mantis are half-siblings, and they grow close by the end of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

If Peter hears that his sister is in danger, he’s going to get his old pals back together for one last ride. Gamora might even be motivated enough to leave the Ravagers because she builds a bond with the Guardians during the events of Vol. 3. There’s no doubt that Doomsday has enough mouths to feed, as the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men will be part of the proceedings, but Marvel Studios can’t bring the MCU together without including the Guardians. Fortunately for the powers that be, there’s an easy way to have them join the fold by making Mantis a major part of Doom’s plan.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Do you think Doctor Doom could seek out Mantis in Avengers: Doomsday? Would you like to see the Guardians of the Galaxy return in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below!

The post A Missing MCU Hero Could Be the Key to Doctor Doom’s Plan in Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new Marvel Cinematic Universe theory perfectly explains why two of Ant-Man’s closest allies will be missing from 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday crossover event after recent developments. Paul Rudd was confirmed to be returning as Scott Lang’s Ant-Man alongside 26 other stars in Doomsday at the end of March 2025, but there are many MCU veterans who haven’t been announced for the Phase 6 movie. This includes two mainstays of the MCU’s Ant-Man franchise who have both recently announced their retirements from acting, leaving the futures of their Marvel heroes in jeopardy.

In the last year, both Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas have confirmed their retirements from acting, suggesting Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym will not have roles in Avengers: Doomsday. This may present an issue for Marvel Studios when trying to explain their absences after they survived the events of 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but a new theory posed on Reddit suggests the perfect explanation has already been revealed. The theory suggests that, in an effort to prove his strength quickly, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could swiftly kill Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne.

Evangeline Lilly’s announced her intention to “step back” from acting in an Instagram post in June 2024, suggesting she “might return to Hollywood one day.” More recently, in July 2025, Variety reported that Michael Douglas has “no real intentions” of going back to acting. Crucially, neither Lilly nor Douglas have confirmed a full retirement just yet, both leaving the door open for a return, which informs the theory that they may come back for a short scene in Avengers: Doomsday that tragically ends with Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym’s deaths at the hands of Doctor Doom.

Michael Douglas previously urged Marvel Studios to kill off Hank Pym in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and later stated that his condition for returning in Ant-Man 4 – which hasn’t been announced – would be if Pym could die (via The Hollywood Reporter). This may not occur in a possible Ant-Man 4, but instead in Avengers: Doomsday, marking the swift end of Hank Pym while cementing Doctor Doom as a significant threat. Doom also killing Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne, the Wasp, would give Scott Lang some serious motivation to take on Robert Downey Jr.’s new MCU villain.

Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU is highly-anticipated, and the introduction of Doctor Doom to the franchise will surely culminate in several iconic heroes losing their lives. In Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Heimdall, Gamora, Natasha Romanoff, and Tony Stark all paid the ultimate price. In Avengers: Doomsday, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne could be just two to receive this honor. This would pave the way for Scott Lang, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet van Dyne, and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang to get more development, and is the best way to address Douglas and Lilly’s retirements.

What do you think about Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne possibly being killed by Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post Dark MCU Theory Explains 2 Major Marvel Heroes Missing Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Thunderbolts successfully brought together some fan favorite characters and created an endearingly dysfunctional team, and that team will continue to play a role in Marvel’s upcoming plans. Those plans include the heavily anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, and thanks to the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts, we’ve actually gotten the smallest hint of Doomsday and the role the Thunderbolts play in it. ComicBook caught up with Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier to discuss the film’s home video release, and he teased a possible new leader for the team and revealed what it was like watching the Thunderbolts cast on the Doomsday set.

The Russo Bros. are at the helm of both Doomsday and Secret Wars, and Schreier remembers a perfect analogy made by Yelena Belova star Florence Pugh in describing what it was like for Schreier to watch the Thunderbolts cast film that key scene on the Doomsday set.

“Florence joked, because I was there when they did the post-credits scene, but I was just on set in the background. She said it was like being dropped off at school by your parent and turning over your shoulder to wave goodbye. ‘Do well! Study!’ No, look, the thing is, all of, almost all of these characters were created before I came along, and I think that’s just part of the way these worlds work, and the Russos have done such incredible work in this space,” Schreier said.

“I think it’s fun for me because those movies have a different tone, and there is a different context to them. The goal was to see if we could take these characters from where they were in our new versions of them, and if we could bring them to a point where, again, even if it seems odd at first, if you squint, you’re like, ‘Well, maybe this could work, or maybe it can’t.’ We’re not saying that this is going to go smoothly. The fun is watching what on earth is going to happen with that going forward,” Schreier said.

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“For me it was fun that day just being on that set where, as big as our movie was, it’s a big movie for me, but there is this even bigger context to this world and all the other characters that are in it,” Schreier said. “To see those characters now in that context, there was a lot of fun to that, and it felt different in a way that it should feel different. So I’m just excited to see what happens. Yeah.”

A Potential New Leader

Now that the Thunderbolts are officially the New Avengers and are interacting more with the rest of the MCU thanks to Doomsday, Schreier was asked who he thinks could be the leader of the New Avengers if he had to guess. While there is one person who might be the best fit, that’s far from the only option.

“I think what’s fun with them is that everyone could realistically imagine that they are the leader, and I think that watching that kind of dynamic play out…Obviously it would make a lot of sense for it to be Bucky, but it’s not a role that he’s necessarily been comfortable with,” Schreier said. “I think that any one of them could imagine that it ought to be them, and they all bring something to that, but I have no insight whatsoever into what happens, and I think getting to watch the way all of those characters will play against each other will be really fun.”

Thunderbolts* is available on Digital now and will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on July 29.

Who do you want to see lead the New Avengers into the next chapter of the MCU? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Marvel and movies with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Thunderbolts* Director Reveals Reaction to Watching Cast on Avengers: Doomsday Set, Teases New Team Leader appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn have a fantastic first tease for Marvel’s next Avengers movie. Along with Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Moss-Bachrach’s clobberin’ Ben Grimm and Quinn’s fiery Johnny Storm will make their MCU debuts in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (in theaters July 25). The world’s greatest heroes — of their world, Earth-828 — will then crossover with the mightiest heroes of Earth-616 in Avengers: Doomsday, as hinted in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene (which was filmed for the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed Doomsday).

When asked to describe Avengers: Doomsday in four words at the UK premiere for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Moss-Bachrach told BBC News, “Epic. Tragic. Intergalactic. Starry.” In a separate interview, Quinn described it as “epic, mental, Downey Jr.,” referring to former Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr.’s villain turn as the Fantastic Four’s nemesis, Doctor Doom.

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“Tragic” can certainly be used to describe the events of Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars, on which the film is based, and Marvel Studios’ other intergalactic crossover, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. Fronted by Josh Brolin’s Thanos, that film saw the Mad Titan snap half of the universe out of existence, including fan-favorites like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther.

While those heroes eventually returned in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, other deaths — including Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Heimdall (Idris Elba), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Vision (Paul Bettany) — were permanent, and therefore weren’t undone when Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark tragically sacrificed himself to restore the universe.

The star-studded Avengers: Doomsday cast includes Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau/Gambit), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor), Mabel Cadena (Namora), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier), David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/U.S. Agent), and Lewis Pullman (Bob Reynolds/Sentry). In addition to The Fantastic Four: First Steps castmates Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, returning X-Men movie cast members include Patrick Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps kicks off Phase 6 of the MCU when it opens in theaters on July 25. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on Dec. 17, 2027.

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Years before playing Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman, Nicholas Hoult portrayed Hank McCoy/Beast in four of Fox’s X-Men films (plus a cameo in Deadpool 2). With Marvel Studios bringing several of the stars from Fox’s franchise back for the upcoming Avengers films, many have wondered if Hoult will be among them. On the promotional tour for Superman, Hoult and his co-star David Corenswet took lie detector tests for Vanity Fair. At one point, Corenswet asked Hoult if playing Lex Luthor hurt his chances at a Marvel comeback. Hoult responded that it didn’t — if only because he never thought he was going to return.

“No,” Hoult said in response to Corenswet’s query about Superman diminishing Hoult’s prospects of an Avengers: Secret Wars cameo. The polygraph reader confirmed Hoult was telling the truth. “I don’t think I had a high chance anyway,” the actor said through a laugh.

Hoult first portrayed Beast in 2011’s X-Men: First Class and reprised the role in three sequels. His last appearance as the character came in 2019’s Dark Phoenix. In the past, Hoult has expressed a desire to play Beast again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but nothing has happened on that front. As Fox-era actors return for Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios is prepping an X-Men reboot that will seemingly use an all-new cast. Elle Fanning was recently rumored to be in the running for Jean Gray.

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Beast is set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but it will be Kelsey Grammer bringing the mutant to life. Grammer played Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand before returning years later in the post-credits scene from The Marvels. Back in May, the actor revealed he hadn’t seen a full Doomsday script yet, citing Marvel’s penchant for secrecy.

Given how prevalent comic book adaptations are these days, there have been plenty of actors who have starred in both Marvel and DC productions. What isn’t as common is those actors appearing in both simultaneously. Hoult made his DC Universe debut in Superman, and while future appearances for his character haven’t been confirmed yet, it stands reason to believe he will appear in a few more projects. DC Studios has a 10-year plan in mind for the franchise, and Lex Luthor is one of DC’s most legendary villains. It would be a shame if his iteration was a one-off. So even if Hoult was more optimistic about his chances of returning for Secret Wars, Superman and the DCU might have prevented him from doing so. There just isn’t much precedent for actors starring in Marvel and DC movies at once.

It would have been fun to see Hoult back as Beast in the MCU, but he’s carved out a spot for himself in the DCU. His Lex proved to be a compelling adversary for Corenswet’s Superman, delivering a comics-accurate portrayal of the villain, and it’ll be great to see him show up in subsequent films. And Marvel fans will still have a version of Beast to enjoy when Doomsday hits theaters next year — one who’s a favorite despite his limited appearances. Seeing Grammer back in action as the mutant should be one of that film’s many highlights.

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One of the newest heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe just received an unimaginable power upgrade in the finale of Ironheart that would even put Iron Man to shame. The MCU has been without a significant armored hero akin to Tony Stark’s Iron Man since Robert Downey Jr.’s departure in Avengers: Endgame. While Downey Jr. will appear as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios has also finally developed his legacy hero, as Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams just made her triumphant return as Ironheart.

Ironheart isn’t your typical armored superhero. While Tony Stark retrofitted his suits of armor with incredible weapons and unexpected skills, Riri Williams’ newest Ironheart suit has just received an upgrade even Stark couldn’t comprehend. After she made her deal with the demonic villain Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Ironheart’s finale, “The Past Is the Past,” Riri reunited with her resurrected best friend, Natalie (Lyric Ross), in her stepfather’s garage. In the background of this scene, however, stands Riri’s Ironheart suit – which is now equipped with the mysterious Hood.

The Hood had formerly been worn by Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), who used it to commit low-level crimes and hostile takeovers to several of his father’s businesses in Chicago. Parker clearly wasn’t using the Hood to its full capabilities, but the garment was nevertheless corrupting him biologically and psychologically. During his battle with Ironheart at Desperito’s Pizzeria, Parker turned truly monstrous because of the Hood’s influence. Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah) revealed this was due to the Hood harboring energy from the Dark Dimension, where Doctor Strange’s Dormammu rules.

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Despite the dangers, the Hood gives its user incredible power. Both Parker Robbins and Xu Xialing in What If…? season 3 displayed the ability to turn invisible and an increase in fighting skills, while tapping into some heavy and unpredictable magic. Drawing power from the Dark Dimension gave Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his zealots the power to warp reality at will in 2016’s Doctor Strange, so perhaps this power could now be gifted to Ironheart, setting her up for an incredibly powerful future, should Dominique Thorne return in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

It’s unclear whether Riri Williams herself has worn the Hood, but her new deal with Mephisto – who owned the Hood prior to gifting it to Parker Robbins – has been shown to be corrupting her anyway. It’s possible that Riri will have worn the Ironheart suit with the Hood, which might have caused the strange veins to emerge on her arm. Xu Xialing was also corrupted by the Hood in What If…?, which spells bad news for Riri Williams’ next appearance after Ironheart, even though the dark accessory makes her one of the MCU’s most powerful new heroes.

Are you excited to see Riri Williams’ Ironheart return in the Hood? Let us know in the comments!

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