Marvel Studios has given fans their first look at Avengers Doomsday with a special teaser shown at the Destination D23 event. The preview offers a glimpse of superhero teams including the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Thunderbolts joining forces with original Avengers members. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo announced they are currently filming in London for what they describe as their biggest Marvel project yet .
The teaser was presented as a montage featuring characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It includes dialogue clips from previous films showing heroes like Thor, Captain America, and Black Panther. The video also introduces newer characters from the Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises .
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the Marvel universe as Doctor Doom, the main villain of the film. This marks his first major role since appearing as Iron Man. The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026 .
Teaser Content and Character Appearances
The Avengers Doomsday teaser begins with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor stating “We could pull together the greatest team ever” from Thor: Love and Thunder. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson follows with his line from Captain America: Brave New World: “If we can’t see the good in each other, we’ve already lost the fight” .
Shuri from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever appears saying “Now is our time to strike,” while Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man promises “Will I be there when the Avengers need me? Absolutely” . The teaser also includes members of the Thunderbolts team from their recent film, with Yelena Belova stating “We stick together from now on” .
The montage incorporates characters from beyond the main MCU continuity. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X appears with his warning from X2: X-Men United: “There are forces in this world, both mutant and human alike, who believe that a war is coming” .
Cyclops from the original X-Men film says “If anything happens, I’ll take care of them.” Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic from the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps adds “Today we are your defenders. We will protect you” . The teaser concludes with Shuri’s rallying cry of “Yibambe!” which means “hold fast” in the Wakandan language .
Production Details and Director Comments
Joe and Anthony Russo are directing Avengers Doomsday from London, where filming began in April 2025. The brothers appeared via video message at Destination D23 to discuss the project. They confirmed the scale of the production and the large number of characters involved .
“Hi D23 members, this is Joe and Anthony Russo, right now we are in London shooting Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. This movie is, to say the least, a big one for us. It is bigger than anything we have ever done. We are bringing together so many of your favorite heroes to face one of the greatest threats to the MCU” .
Paul Rudd also appeared in the behind-the-scenes video, sharing his excitement about the production. He highlighted the impressive sets and talented cast working on the film .
“We’re surrounded by jaw-dropping sets and some truly incredible talent, many of who you just saw teased in that great video. Bringing this story to the big screen means the world to us and we couldn’t do it without your support” .
The film was originally announced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty but underwent significant changes following creative shifts at Marvel Studios. The project was rebranded with its current title in July 2024, signaling a new direction with Doctor Doom as the primary antagonist .
Marvel’s Team-Up Approach and Future Plans
Avengers Doomsday represents the first major Avengers team-up since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The film brings together characters from different Marvel properties including the main MCU timeline, the recently introduced Thunderbolts, and characters from the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises .
The teaser specifically highlights the connection to the Thunderbolts team, which recently appeared in their own film. In Thunderbolts, the group of anti-heroes eventually becomes known as the New Avengers under the leadership of Bucky Barnes . This sets up their involvement in the larger conflict of Avengers Doomsday .
The inclusion of X-Men and Fantastic Four characters marks a significant expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previous Fox films featuring these characters existed in separate continuities until Marvel Studios gained the rights to incorporate them into the MCU .
Avengers Doomsday is intended to set the stage for the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Secret Wars, scheduled for release in December 2027. The film aims to recapture the interconnected storytelling that defined Marvel’s Infinity Saga .
The cast includes returning MCU actors alongside new additions from the Fox Marvel properties. Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Florence Pugh reprise their roles from previous films. They are joined by Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Rebecca Romijn from the X-Men series, and Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn from the Fantastic Four .
Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom represents a major shift from his previous role as Iron Man. Joe Russo described Doom as “three-dimensional and one of the most complex comic book characters,” noting that Downey was the ideal actor to take on the role .
The teaser shown at Destination D23 has not been released to the public yet. Marvel fans will likely get their first official look when the studio releases the first public trailer, which is expected in 2026 as the film’s release date approaches .
Also Read: Thunderbolts Movie Features Two Post-Credits Scenes Setting Up New Avengers and Fantastic Four
Credits: The Direct
