Many die-hard and even casual fans of the Marvel franchise have expressed their disappointment with the franchise’s recent films. Critics and enthusiasts have displayed mixed opinions overall, with the majority believing the latest MCU movies lack a cohesive storyline.
After Avengers: Endgame and the conclusion of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, audiences witnessed the once legendary franchise lose its footing. Since then, this media universe has delivered numerous disappointing sequels. Examples of these include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
However, can Avengers: Doomsday restore hope in this well-established media franchise? Will Marvel see a return to its glory days?
MCU background
Marvel executives, led by Kevin Feige, certainly deserve some leeway. They chose to completely scrap the original Kang storyline in the MCU following the Johnathan Majors controversy. Many were anxious about how Marvel could adapt to this sudden change. Not to mention the multiple Disney+ shows, such as Ms. Marvel and Secret Invasion, featuring uninteresting characters. Marvel loads these shows with uneven pacing and lazy writing, showing it isn’t fully committed to showcasing them. Despite this, desperate fans are still clinging onto what may be their last bit of hope. Many have already labeled Avengers: Doomsday as the biggest Marvel movie since Endgame. But if it fails to meet expectations, what does that mean for the Marvel movie franchise?
Doomsday doesn’t hit theaters until December 2026; however, Marvel keeps its community entertained with the release of multiple teasers. These teasers showcase who is returning to the big screen for this huge film. Marvel released the first teaser online on December 23rd, after debuting in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. In it, Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, appears for the first time since Endgame. Marvel has not disclosed what his role will be in this film, leaving viewers rightfully confused about how he fits into the storyline. The last time Rogers was shown, he appeared as an elderly man after time-traveling to return the Infinity Stones. He chose to stay in the past and live the life he always wanted with Peggy Carter. This latest Marvel Avengers movie installment may reignite fans’ curiosity, especially in the context of the Avengers. There may still be hope.
First Avengers: Doomsday Teaser (Steve Rogers/Captain America)
In the first teaser, we see Steve Rogers arrive at a house on his motorcycle. After entering, he opens a box containing the iconic Captain America costume he wore for many years. It then cuts to a scene of Rogers holding a baby, presumably his child with Peggy. He grins widely, cradling the child in his arms, showing a glimpse of hope. The teaser’s final seconds confirm that Rodgers will appear in Doomsday, and a countdown is displayed on screen. This countdown continues to tick by the seconds, as it leads up to the movie’s release, much to the excitement of fans everywhere.
I am certainly skeptical about Marvel’s decision to bring back Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. However, given that we have no additional information thus far regarding his role in the film, it’s hard to judge. My theory is that this is a variant of Rogers from another timeline. That aligns with the multiverse angle that defines the current MCU era. While I do have some hope and faith in Marvel, especially given the Russo brothers’ return, the main question I have about Evans’ return is, why? Will it really be worth it to add more to a character arc that was perfectly concluded in Endgame?
2nd Avengers: Doomsday Teaser (Thor)
A week later, Marvel unveiled another teaser, which focuses on Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, the God of Thunder. We see that he dons the textured crop look once again, reminiscent of his appearance in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. Perhaps this is Marvel’s way of suggesting his return to that powerful form, a detail that many fans are sure to appreciate. Thor asks Odin for strength in protecting his daughter, Love, as he balances being a dad and a hero.
The last two Thor entries took a much more comedic route in their storytelling, which slightly undermined the “godly” aspect of his character. However, perhaps a change in tonality, with Doomsday expecting to be a much darker film, along with the “new” look, will reverse this effect. In Hemsworth’s Thor monologue, he speaks of returning home to his daughter, “not as a warrior, but as warmth”. This echoes Thor’s character growth throughout the years, from a conceited and brash warrior to a grounded and compassionate god.
3rd Avengers: Doomsday Teaser (X-Men)
An additional third teaser for Doomsday debuted the next week. This one is a fan-favorite among many because it announces the inclusion of beloved X-Men characters from the Fox film series. This includes Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto. Fans are especially eager for these characters as they will make their debut in the MCU. An intriguing speech from Magneto centered around death and the question of “Who will you be when you close your eyes?” is the main focus of this teaser. Perhaps this suggests the demise of either of these beloved characters. After all, both have portrayed these iconic roles for quite a long time now, dating back to 2000.
James Marsden also returns as Cyclops in this teaser. This time around, though, he is seen in a comic-accurate look, similar to his animated X-Men ’97 appearance. We see him with a blue suit and a yellow belt, firing an optic blast from his visor, with what is seemingly a Sentinel behind him. Marvel likely chose the original Cyclops design for fan service rather than the desire for complete authenticity. Regardless, at least they’re trying, giving fans a spark of hope.
4th Avengers: Doomsday Teaser (Wakandans & Fantastic Four)
The fourth and latest teaser features two different Marvel worlds colliding on screen for the first time. This is because one of the members of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm/The Thing, portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, greets King M’Baku (Winston Duke), who leads the Wakandans. Namor is also seen in the trailer, played by Tenoch Huerta.
There have been rumors circulating about whether Marvel will incorporate a storyline seen in the comics. This involves Namor being infatuated with Sue Storm, one of the Four, who also happens to be Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic(‘s) wife. Combining these two groups of characters into the same trailer only fuels these claims even more, hinting at Sue and Namor potentially sharing a lot of scenes. This will undoubtedly cause a rift between the latter and Richards, which could make for an interesting subplot.
Along with the video, the Russo brothers captioned this post with a cryptic message for fans. They refer to the four Doomsday posts as “stories” and “clues,” rather than “teasers” or “trailers.” Fans have yet to uncover what this means, but a popular theory on Reddit suggests that the countdowns in each teaser are clues. It is theorized that the number that each countdown begins with corresponds to scenes from the last Avengers movie, Endgame. For instance, the Captain America video offers a timestamp of 11:24:15, which fans have connected to The Ancient One’s warning to Bruce regarding the Time Heist, removing Infinity Stones, and forming new realities, which occurs in Avengers: Endgame at 1 Hour, 24 Minutes, and 15 Seconds. This could additionally tease why Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and his multiversal plan formed.
The cryptic message and doomsday clock theory
The timecode after Thor’s Doomsday teaser is 11:17:15, equating to 1 Hour, 17 Minutes, 15 Seconds in Endgame, where Loki escapes with the Tesseract. This moment launched the Loki series and significantly altered the multiverse. Next, the Black Panther Doomsday clip has a hidden timestamp 11:04:15, or 1 Hour, 04 Minutes, 15 Seconds in Endgame. This is a moment where Rocket tells Ant-Man he’ll take him to space. Considering that Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, is also in the teaser, fans believe this is a reference to the Fantastic Four arriving in their shuttle. For now, however, Marvel leaves these ideas unconfirmed, as the rollout of teasers is seemingly over. However, they have begun livestreaming on YouTube, featuring the Doomsday Clock seen at the end of each respective teaser. Thousands have already tuned in, proving the hype for this movie is on another level!
Conclusion
