Chris Evans in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Chris Evans has been confirmed as returning to the MCU.
He shows up in the first teaser for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’
The footage was shown before ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash.’
While the man himself has been cagey in the past as to whether his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done, there were reports back in December of last year that pointed to more MCU time for Chris Evans as Steve “Captain America” Rogers.
Chris Evans in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
If you haven’t taken yourself out to one of the initial showings of James Cameron’s latest ‘Avatar’ movie, and you really want to know what’s included in the ‘Doomsday’ footage, read on…
The teaser shows Steve riding home on a motorbike, wearing a helmet reminiscent of his time as Captain America. He’s then seen handling his old uniform and cradling what is presumably his and Peggy Carter’s (Hayley Atwell) newborn child.
This first tease ends with “Steve Rogers will return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ ” A countdown timer begins at the end that’s set to expire a year from now when ‘Doomsday’ hits theaters.
The cast for the next big Avengers team-up promises a mix of faces both old and new.
Robert Downey Jr. is back, though this time playing Big Bad Doctor Doom (Marvel has yet to reveal whether he’ll be a new character or a variant of Downey’s Tony Stark).
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige at Disney’s 2024 CinemaCon Presentation. Photo: Disney.
Preview:
Kevin Feige has given a wide-ranging interview about the state of Marvel.
He touched on the delays with ‘Blade’.
He also admitted that recent disappointments necessitated a change in thinking.
With the studio’s latest giant release –– and one of its biggest gambles in years on the way via ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, Marvel boss Kevin Feige took the opportunity to address some of the topics that have been floating around, including recent underperforming movies and TV series under the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his own future (spoiler alert: he aims to stick around!) and more.
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Among the other subjects? The long-gestating and troubled development of a new ‘Blade’ movie, and his team’s new seven-year plan for new movies and shows and whether we’ll see actors from end credits cameos in the future.
(Left) Mahershala Ali attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images. (Right) Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade.’
Blade, the Daywalking half-human-half-vampire character most famously played by Wesley Snipes, was announced for a reboot back at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con. Since then, it has been a drawn-out log of multiple script drafts, directors coming and going, different time periods considered and, all through it, Oscar winner Mahershala Ali staying attached to the lead role.
Here’s what Feige had to say about it:
“You can start and have a good script and make it a great script through production, but we didn’t feel confident we could do that on ‘Blade’. We didn’t want to do that to Mahershala and didn’t want to do that to us. we landed on modern day and that’s what we’re focusing on. We didn’t want to put a leather outfit on Mahershala and have him start killing vampires.”
Feige also joked that Ryan Coogler –– who is developing a third ‘Black Panther’ outing for the company –– added to the delay by utilizing some of the costumes the company had created for a Prohibition-era take on the story in his own recent hit, ‘Sinners’.
The executive also touched on complaints that the sheer output and deepened connectivity between the Disney+ MCU series and the big screen outings were feeling like homework and turning off viewers who hadn’t seen them, which in turn hurt the box office revenues of ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Thunderbolts*’:
“Some of them were still feeling the residual effects of that notion of, ‘I guess I had to have seen these other shows to understand who this is,’ I think if you actually saw the movie, that wouldn’t be the case, and we make the movie so that’s not the case. But I think we still have to make sure the audience understands that.”
According to Feige, the company has a seven-year plan to take it up to 2032, admitting that while he most much of it will stay on track, projects are on magnets on a board in a conference room so they can move around as necessary.
His answer wasn’t entirely convincing, but he took a stab at explaining the change:
“We had started even before what had happened to the actor happened, we had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough, wasn’t Thanos, and that there was only one character that could be that, because he was that in the comics for decades and decades. Because of the Fox acquisition, we finally had it, and it was Dr. Doom. So we had started talking about Dr. Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang. And in fact, I had started talking with Robert [Downey Jr.] about this audacious idea before ‘Ant-Man 3’ even came out. It was a long plan that we had, to take one of our greatest characters and utilize one of our greatest actors.”
What’s next for Marvel?
As mentioned, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ lands in theaters on Friday.
Marvel has opted out of a Hall H panel at SDCC 2025
This decision doesn’t mean they don’t have confidence in upcoming projects
James Gunn’s DCU will likely be the big headliner
Marvel has announced that they will not be hosting a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. After last year’s incredible line-up, this does not surprise me. While I still think it is possible for them to have a surprise screening of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘, just like they did for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ last year, their skipping out on a full panel this year makes perfect sense.
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Superhero fatigue is real. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a great movie – audiences and critics agree – and yet it did not perform at the box office. It would not be smart for Marvel to spend a ton of money putting on a massive panel (because there is no point in doing one and not going all out) when they need to save all the pennies they can right now.
Marvel has three more projects left to release in 2025: ‘Ironheart‘, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, ‘Eyes of Wakanda‘, and ‘Wonder Man‘.
‘Ironheart’, which admittedly Marvel seems to be trying to make people forget about, will be all released by the time San Diego Comic-Con rolls around. The first three episodes come to Disney+ on June 24th, and the final three follow just a week later, on July 2nd. It has been a long time since viewers have seen Riri Williams, so this series needs to be good to make viewers care about her again.
In Marvel comics, she has a close relationship with Tony Stark. Of course, he is no longer alive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has some fans a little bit worried about how her story is going to play out. The trailer for the show looks great, but there will be no need to promote it at SDCC a couple of weeks after it is already streaming on Disney+.
The same can be said for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, although it comes to theaters the week of SDCC, on July 25th. In 2024, Marvel hosted a “surprise” screening of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on Thursday evening to celebrate its release that week. It is highly likely that they do the same with ‘First Steps’ this year. One would almost think that they had this planned all along, and that is why they like to take the release slot for the week of San Diego Comic-Con.
This saves them from having to pay for an entire panel, but they will still be able to promote their final big project of 2025. If they follow suit from last year, they just might have the cast in attendance as well.
The only 2025 projects that Marvel would be showcasing at a Hall H panel would be the upcoming animated show, ‘Eyes of Wakana’, and ‘Wonder Man’. While we have heard very little about both, there is no reason to save an entire Hall H panel for two projects, and streaming series at that.
‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is a four-episode series, which is premiering at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9th. Since it will already be old news by the time SDCC comes around, even though the series comes to Disney+ in August, there is no need to do an entire panel just for a short animated series that, unfortunately, Marvel fans do not seem to care about too much anyway. ‘Wonder Man’ would be the only real draw and even that one fans seem to not be too excited for.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was recently pushed from May 1, 2026, to December 18, 2026, which is a brilliant move for several reasons, including that the studio will not need to rush out a subpar movie and can take a little bit more time to ensure it has the same impact that ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ did.
During last year’s Marvel San Diego Comic-Con panel, they went all out for this film. Marvel invited out the Russo Brothers to tease the movie, but the biggest surprise was the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. It would be extremely difficult to top that, so why even try?
Filming is already underway in London for ‘Doomsday’ and is not expected to wrap until August. It would be disruptive for Marvel to shut down production (even for a day or two) in order to bring some of the cast to SDCC just for a photo opportunity and what would likely be a behind-the-scenes look at the movie. Add in the cost to fly talent back to the States for a quick appearance, the return on investment would simply not be worth it for Marvel.
Plus, now that it is releasing after San Diego Comic-Con 2026, they are likely going to wait until then to show off what they have come up with, while teasing ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ at the same time. It is the most logical decision for Marvel to make.
Will DC Take Over SDCC Hall H?
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
With Marvel out of the picture, San Diego Comic-Con is DC’s time to shine. While there is no official confirmation at the time of writing, there is a good chance that Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will take the stage at Hall H to share what they have in store for fans over the next couple of years.
It is well known that they have a detailed plan for the DC Universe, which kicks off on July 11th with ‘Superman‘. Sure, the movie will have been out for two weeks by SDCC, but this just means they can go into detail about all the characters that make appearances and their future projects. We already know that ‘Peacemaker‘ is heading to the convention. When confirming this on social media, James Gunn said that while he is focusing on the show, he will, of course, “talk about everything.”
It would make much more sense for DC to take advantage of Marvel skipping Hall H this year and host a large panel detailing the upcoming DCU slate. It would mean that they come out on top of the discussions that week, which would certainly not hurt, considering that ‘Superman’ will still be in theaters (and going up against the first week of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’).
Marvel might be skipping San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, but chances are, this means they are going to come with incredible announcements, first looks, and reveals in 2026. Their decision does not mean that they think any less of their upcoming projects; it actually makes a whole lot of sense. This also opens up a window for James Gunn and the DCU to step in and take over this year, which fans would love to see.
San Diego Comic-Con will take place at the San Diego Convention Center July 24th through 27th, 2025.
Disney and Marvel have shifted the release dates for the next two ‘Avengers’ movies.
‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ are moving from their May slots to December premieres.
Dates for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Dog Stars’ were also confirmed.
Turns out, making two giant ‘Avengers’ movies back to back is going to take a little longer than originally thought.
Disney and Marvel have announced that the next two team-up films from the comic book behemoth are now set to arrive a little later in theaters than originally planned –– ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is shifting from a planned May 5th, 2026 slot to December 18th, 2026.
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Likewise, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will now decamp from a May 5th, 2027 release date to –– you guessed it! –– December 18th that year.
Clearly, directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have decided the new movies will require some more work than they figured. Which honestly, is no bad thing –– better to wait and get it right in the hopes of an ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’-level success, than pump out something quickly.
The sprawling cast for at least the first movie (we’re expecting several to appear in both) was first announced in a viral video Marvel put online showing director’s chairs with the actor’s names on them.
Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Finally, because you can’t really have ‘Doomsday’ without Doom, Robert Downey Jr. is making his big MCU return, this time playing classic ‘Fantastic Four’ villain Doctor Doom.
We’re sure more cast will be announced before ‘Doomsday’ arrives, but Disney has more time to get the message out.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
What other movie release dates were announced?
Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
In a Thanos-like snap, three Marvel dates have disappeared from the calendar completely. The place holders for February 13th, 2026, November 6th, 2026, and November 5, 2027, have all been removed from Disney’s calendar, pointing towards the result of Marvel’s commitment to quality over quantity.
It wasn’t all Marvel changes –– Disney also confirmed the dates for some of the movies headed our way via its 20th Century Studios, including Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller ‘The Dog Stars,’ starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. That one will be released on March 27th, 2026.
Then there is sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ which will see the return of Meryl Streep‘s imperious magazine editor Miranda Priestly as she navigates the challenges of the declining print industry. The comedy drama sequel is due on May 1st, 2026.
Marvel says Sam Wilson will assemble his Avengers team off screen before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Who will Sam Wilson recruit for his new team?
SPOILER ALERT: Some spoilers for ‘Thunderbolts*’ and possibly ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ below.
Back in April, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced at CinemaCon that the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ “will focus on The Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts and original X-Men all fighting Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).”
That’s quite a promise! But now that ‘Thunderbolts*’ has been released in theaters, fans have learned that they are really the New Avengers, and the movie’s end-credit scene reveals that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has filed a copyright claim against the team for the rights to the name and is putting together his own group of Avengers.
Marvel has recently announced that Wilson will assemble his Avengers off screen, so the real question is who will be on his team in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Luckily, Marvel has also released many of the names of ‘Doomsday’s cast in a recent video stunt, which could, by process of elimination, give us a basic idea of who will be on Wilson’s team.
With other new and returning cast members yet to be announced, Moviefone is breaking down the cast list to guess who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team.
‘Thunderbolts*’ is now titled ‘The New Avengers’ and is currently playing in theaters. Photo: Marvel Studios.
The end of the ‘Thunderbolts*’ sees Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine saving public face by holding a press conference and announcing that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) are the New Avengers.
With Pugh, Stan, Russell, John-Kamen, Harbour, and Pullman all confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, it is now clear that they will be referred to as the New Avengers and not the Thunderbolts, nor will they be members of the team Sam Wilson is recruiting. In fact, it was also recently revealed that the ‘Thunderbolts*’ end-credit scene setting up the Fantastic Four’s MCU arrival was shot on the set of the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ by directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
Which ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ characters could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team?
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Now that we know the Thunderbolts are the New Avengers, and assuming none of them will crossover to Sam’s new team, it’s not hard to have an idea who might be recruited by the new Captain America for his Avengers team.
We can also eliminate the cast of ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and the returning ‘X-Men’ actors, as one would assume that they will be on their own teams and not Sam’s. It is possible that Channing Tatum‘s Gambit could crossover, since he was not an “original” X-men from the previous films, but I think he will most likely be on the Mutants’ side, especially because the character has no ties to the Avengers in the comics.
As a founding member of the original Avengers, it makes sense that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor would be a member of Sam’s new team. Sam partied with him at Avengers Tower in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and even fought side by side against Thanos with Thor in Wakanda during ‘Infinity War’. We also know that Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres/Falcon was asked to join the team by Sam during the events of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, so it’s safe to say that you can expect to see him fighting as a member of Sam’s new team in ‘Doomsday’.
Besides Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang/Ant-Man is probably the Avenger that Sam is closest to in the MCU having appeared in 2015’s ‘Ant-Man’ and helping to recruit him for Captain America’s team in ‘Captain America: Civil War’. So, it would also make sense for Scott to join Sam’s team. Sam also has close ties to Wakanda, with Shuri (Letitia Wright) helping to create his Captain America suit and wings. Now that she is the new Black Panther, I also assume she will be on the new team as well.
Actor Winston Duke has been confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as M’Baku, and while it is possible for him to be recruited for Sam’s team along with Shuri, Feige’s CinemaCon comment mentions “Wakandans fighting against Doctor Doom”, which makes me think he will be leading the Wakandans and not joining Sam’s team.
Having been introduced in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, and having a close connection to Shuri, I would also bet that Tenoch Huerta Mejia’s Namor will appear on Sam’s new team. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, who was introduced in his own 2021 movie will most likely join the team as well. The end-credit scene for that movie saw the character being recruited for the Avengers by Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), making his inclusion almost a forgone conclusion.
Of the announced cast, that just leaves Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, but given how his character’s arc ends in season 2 of Disney+’s ‘Loki’, I’m guessing he won’t be a member of Sam’s team and instead saved for a different role in the movie.
Who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team that has not been announced yet for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
(L to R) Charlize Theron and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
There have been rumors that Wong, who is now the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange’s absence, could appear in the movie. Rumors have also swirled around the eventual return of Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner/Hulk, and with their inclusion in the ‘Shang-Chi’ end credit scene, if they are added to the cast, all three characters could align themselves with Sam Wilson and his new team of Avengers.
There have also been rumors of Benedict Cumberbatch and Charlize Theron returning as Doctor Strange and Clea, respectively, both last seen in 2022’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. But, with Wong being the new Sorcerer Supreme, I doubt Strange and Clea will join Sam’s team, and more likely, just like Loki, would have a different role in the plot of the film.
Finally, there have also been rumors about Jeremy Renner’s return as Hawkeye, and Tom Holland’s return as Spider-Man. But we’ve also heard that Holland’s character may sit out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, next appearing in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ before returning for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
And with Renner’s recent admission that he declined returning for ‘Hawkeye’ season 2 due to having his salary cut in half by Marvel, his return to the franchise is completely up in the air. Even if he does return, Renner could be playing a multiverse version of his character and therefore not be joining Sam’s new team.
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
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What is the plot of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Fourteen months after the events of ‘Thunderbolts*’, the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and the “original” X-Men team up to face Doctor Doom.
Director Jake Schreier is in early talks for Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ movie.
Neither Marvel nor Disney will comment.
Michael Lesslie wrote the script.
No matter whether you’re sticking with calling it ‘Thunderbolts*’ or have followed Marvel’s switch to –– spoiler alert for the three people living in remote locations who haven’t learned the news –– ‘The New Avengers,’ the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is a hit.
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‘ThunderNewVengers’ (we just came up with it, have Marvel call us if they’re interested in adopting it for a modest fee) garnered the best reviews since movies such as ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and did a lot to win over fans who have been worried that the Marvel behemoth may have seriously lost its way.
It opened top of the domestic box office last week with $74 million, and made more than $160 million worldwide. Parent company Disney is hoping for a strong hold for its second weekend, and is now making moves to stay in business with one of the people responsible.
Director Jake Schreier, who oversaw the new movie, is, via Deadline’s sources, in talks to direct one of the more anticipated future films from Marvel’s stable.
Yes, Schreier, assuming he makes a deal, would be bringing the mutant team known as the X-Men formally to the MCU.
The trade site cautions that the process is still at a crucially early stage, but Schreier, who previously worked on the likes of Netflix series ‘Beef’ and movies including ‘Robot & Frank’ and ‘Paper Towns’, has reportedly been passing on other work so as to keep himself available for the prime mutant gig.
Marvel apparently formed a solid, positive working relationship with the filmmaker –– who weathered strike delays and other challenges –– and he’s now in line to potentially be a trusted pair of hands for the MCU.
Lesslie has been in demand by studios of late, also being among the writers on the third instalment of the ‘Now You See Me’ franchise.
We don’t expect Lesslie to be the final writer on this movie, either –– Marvel is infamous for bringing in other scribes and teams to punch up their projects. But he’s still listed for now.
And, of course, Kevin Feige, the boss of Marvel Studios, is aboard as producer. Having gotten his career start working on the 20th Century Fox ‘X-Men’ movies, we know he’ll be closely involved in shepherding the mutants to the MCU.
What will the story of the new ‘X-Men’ movie be?
Hugh Jackman in ‘X-Men’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Somewhat naturally, Marvel has been keeping things very quiet as to the plot for the movie. We don’t even know which characters will be spotlighted. Though the likes of the Fox movies usually focused on the likes of Professor Charles Xavier, Erik “Magneto” Lensherr, Beast, Rogue and Wolverine, there has been plenty of speculation as to who might lead off the new movie, including talk of female leads.
We don’t, however, expect them to stick around as the “official” Marvel on-screen X-Men, and Schreier (or whoever ends up in the director’s chair) will be looking for the cast to play updated versions. Oh, what a tangled web the multiverse has weaved.
Let’s not also forget the huge success of animated series ‘X-Men ’97,’ and, of course, last year’s giant hit ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ which poked some fun at the Fox run and also served as a warm wrap-up for it.
When will the new ‘X-Men’ movie hit screens?
As with the other elements, Feige and Marvel are taking their time with this one.
No official announcement has been made as to a date, but if Schreier signs, and some casting falls into place, we could learn more at this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Disney and Marvel’s release calendar is fairly full for the next couple of years, but we could see an X-Men outing potentially arriving in the wake of ‘Secret Wars.’
(L to R) Haley Berry and Hugh Jackman in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
While Marvel usually prefers to keep its secrets close (at least, closer than the current government seems to manage), there is also the conflicting compulsion to promote the next movie in its sprawling cinematic universe, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
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We’ve known for a while that the Avengers will be back to face the threat of Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), but the rest of the cast was largely in the realm of speculation, even for those who have been part of the MCU family for years.
The company used a livestream to confirm who will show up in the new movie, consisting of footage of the backs of director’s chairs featuring the cast names.
We’re happy to see Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Any surprises? We’re not sure we predicted Tenoch Huerta Mejia –– who played Namor in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ coming back, but his chair is among the others (not dripping with water –– missed joke opportunity there!).
(L to R) Lashana Lynch and Kelsey Grammer in ‘The Marvels’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Lewis Pullman, who is introduced as a character called “Bob” (but who has since been revealed to be powerful character Sentry) in ‘Thunderbolts*’ is also listed. So we’re guessing his character –– who also appears to be an antagonist in the movie given the new trailer –– factors in somehow.
Last, but by no means least, the doors to the cavernous soundstage holding all the chairs opens up, and in strides Downey Jr., who sits in his own named chair and puts his finger to his lips. It’s over!
We’re sure there will be other announcements to come –– the company loves to hold back cameos and other roles, so we’ll have to wait and see if Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo spoil the appearances or if an official press release arrives in due time.
If you’re desperate to see the Livestream, please click on the video player at the top of the page.
The new movie is now kicking off shooting in London, with Marvel veteran directors Joe and Anthony Russo –– who count the giant two previous Avengers outings ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ on their shared resume –– back marshalling the chaos that is a team-up movie on this scale.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
And following ‘Doomsday,’ we’ll see ‘Secret Wars’…
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
So too, is there increased focus on the next two ‘Avengers’ movies, which have long been the big tentpole events in Disney and Marvel’s release calendars, also proving to be profitable money spinners.
Making the press rounds for their latest film, Netflix sci-fi title ‘The Electric State,’ the pair have naturally been fielding questions about their plans for the new ‘Avengers’ entries.
“We’re very close with Kevin and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’ ”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
What did the Russos say about preserving ‘Avengers’ on-set secrets?
While a lot of both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and its follow-up, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will naturally film inside soundstages (which are much easier in terms of protecting cameos or plot developments), there will be some location based work in the UK where the production is being based.
And according to the Russos, they’re ready to defeat snoopers.
“We’re pretty good about shutting that down. We’ve sort of strategized to hopefully be effective with that. We don’t want people getting photographs, so we are being pretty stringent. The location work we are doing, we have picked those locations with that in mind, as well.”
According to the pair, each of the two new movies will take around six months to shoot, which means their lives are about to be very ‘Avengers’-centric for the next couple of years at least.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
Alongside Downey and freshly-introduced ‘Fantastic Four’ cast, rumors have swirled about Chris Evans (whether as Steve Rogers or another character), though he has since denied them, and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.
Anthony Mackie is very likely to show up as Cap, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been talked about to return as Doctor Strange. We’ll have to wait and see whether the likes of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man or any of the other stalwarts will be back.
There’s good money on Chris Hemsworth as Thor (since he’s still active) and hopefully the likes of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will report for duty.
And following ‘Doomsday,’ of course, will be ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Benedict Cumberbatch has addressed the future of MCU character Doctor Strange.
He confirms a new film featuring Strange is in development.
And he’ll sit out one upcoming ‘Avengers’ movie but feature prominently in the other.
If you’ve been patiently waiting for news of the next steps for popular Marvel Cinematic Universe character Doctor Stephen Strange, then you’ll have to go on being patient for a while yet, at least in terms of official announcements.
Yet British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who has played the role since 2016’s ‘Doctor Strange’ properly introduced him into the MCU, is now speaking up about the future of the character.
Here’s what Cumberbatch said about the movie and Marvel:
“They are very open to discussing where we go next. Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving? He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.”
And that wasn’t all; Cumberbatch also addressed Strange’s potential role going forward within the wider MCU, revealing that the character currently won’t show up in the next ‘Avengers’ movie, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as his character reportedly “doesn’t align with that part of the story.”
That’s partly because of the changes wrought by Jonathan Majors’ firing as Kang in the wake of his assault charges. The shift from ‘The Kang Dynasty’ to Doomsday has seen a change to Dr. Doom becoming the chief antagonist, with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the Marvel fold to take that role.
(L to R) Charlize Theron and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
At the end of 2022’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ we saw Strange developing a mystical third eye power (a result of contact with the dangerous magic tome the Darkhold) and being whisked away from New York by Clea (Charlize Theron), who informed him that his activity had led to an incursion between universes, one he’d have to help fix.
With zero plot details on a potential third Strange outing, we’d figure this may well play into a future outing, especially since it seems a waste to introduce Theron and not explore her character (though that’s not without precedent –– see the end of ‘Eternals,’ which introduced more than one character that has yet to make any further appearance).
And while Sam Raimi directed that movie, and has indicated his willingness to return, we don’t yet know who might make the next ‘Strange’ film.
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
What else does Benedict Cumberbatch have coming up?
Benedict Cumberbatch promoting Marvel Studios’ ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’
In addition to putting the cloak back on as Strange, Cumberbatch has a typically eclectic mix of projects in the works.
He’ll next be seen in movie ‘The Thing With Feathers,’ adapted from Max Porter’s 2015 novella ‘Grief Is the Thing With Feathers,’ which Cumberbatch has been trying to bring to screens for a few years now.
It follows a father struggling to hold his family together after his wife dies suddenly. He starts to imagine that he and his children are being terrorized by a monstrous crow.
Then there’s a reunion with director Wes Anderson (for whom the actor starred in a set of short films last year) in ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ a dark tale of espionage following a strained father-daughter relationship within a family business.
Here’s what Cumberbatch says about working with the filmmaker:
“I feel like, ‘Why hasn’t this been happening for years and years?’ I just wish I could build a time machine and go back and work on all those other films with him.”
Along with those, there are the myriad movies and TV shows he’s involved with as a producer and a role in Guy Ritchie’s next movie, ‘Wife and Dog,’ a based-on-truth story of a scientist discovering that a leading pesticide is a toxic threat to human life.
When will ‘Doctor Strange 3’ be in theaters?
There is no set release date for the third ‘Doctor Strange’ movie as of yet, which is not surprising since neither Marvel nor Disney has confirmed anything about it yet.
We do at least know that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will be on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Other Movies and TV Shows Featuring Doctor Strange:
But as usual, the company and its Disney bosses have plans for movies (and shows) way beyond those, and now we’re learning a little more background behind two of the biggest and most anticipated films –– ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
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Specifically, the return of filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo, who handled some of the most successful movies in the MCU’s first few phases, including box office behemoths ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame.’
They previously opted to focus on their own projects and building their production company in the wake of ‘Endgame’s giant success but have since been tempted back.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Anthony revealed that what lured them:
“We’re very close with Kevin and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’ ”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do ‘Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
The two new movies will feature Doctor Doom, played by fellow returning big Marvel name Robert Downey Jr.
What is Marvel’s ‘Secret Wars?
Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars’, and they’re bringing along scripter Stephen McFeely, who co-wrote most of their previous Marvel output.
Alongside Downey and freshly-introduced ‘Fantastic Four’ cast, we can expect Chris Evans (whether as Steve Rogers or another character) and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.
Anthony Mackie is very likely to show up as Cap, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been talked about to return as Doctor Strange. We’ll have to wait and see whether the likes of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man or any of the other stalwarts will be back.
There’s good money on Chris Hemsworth as Thor (since he’s still active) and hopefully the likes of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will report for duty.
In addition to the big ‘Avengers’ update, there was also word on someone else returning for a different project.
According to Deadline, Faran Tahir, who played the role of the villainous Raza, the apparent leader of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings who tried to kill Tony Stark in ‘Iron Man,’ has been added to the cast of the series built around Paul Bettany’s ‘Vision.’
He’ll be playing Raza, but we don’t know how or whether the Ten Rings will factor in, especially since the organization was further explored in ‘Shang-Chi.’
The ‘Vision’ series (whether it ends up titled ‘Vision Quest’ or not) will focus on the titular android as he tries to regain his memory and humanity. After Thanos killed him in 2018’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ Vision returned in 2021’s ‘WandaVision.’
