Avengers: Doomsday (formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty), is racing towards us at lightning speed. Originally, Avengers 5 was set to revolve around Kang the Conqueror, but Marvel dropped Jonathan Majors in 2023. Now, Doctor Doom is taking over the reins as the new big bad of the MCU, and we couldn't be more excited!
The upcoming Marvel movie will change the multiverse up for sure, as it's the first new Avengers movie planned, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to follow in its footsteps. That means that the Marvel team has a story carefully planned out for us all, a story that we've already seen tiny glimmers of thanks to The Fantastic Four: First Steps bringing us into Marvel Phase 6. It's an exciting time, made even more thrilling by the news that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU – but as Doctor Doom, not Iron Man. We've also recently got some set photo leaks, a cryptic post from Robert Downey Jr himself, and some insights from comic storylines to start guessing the flick's potential plot, and trust us, it's a wild time.
So, if you want to be fully caught up with all the latest news and details regarding the future of the Marvel timeline, then you've come to the right place. Below you'll find all the information about the Avengers: Doomsday release date, cast, plot, and more. So stick around for everything that you need to know about the long overdue Avengers 5! But a fair warning before you continue: you'll find some Fantastic Four spoilers here, so turn back now if you haven't seen the latest Marvel movie yet.
Avengers 5 release date
Currently, Avengers 5 (aka Doomsday) has a release date of December 18, 2026.
This is the second delay the film has faced, as it was recently scheduled to release on May 1, 2026. However, according to Deadline, the team has chosen to push back the flick due to the "gargantuan vision" of the production. There has been no explanation on how "big" we are actually talking about here (is it story-based, special effects-related, or something else). But now our expectations are sky high for this flick.
Filming has now started, as announced by the Russo Brothers with a first set picture. "Day one…" the co-directors wrote on Instagram on April 28, alongside a photo of a chair with "Victor Von Doom" printed on it. So hopefully we won't see any more delays. Initially, Kevin Feige confirmed that it would be released in 2025, with Secret Wars to follow in 2026 during Marvel's 2022 San Diego Comic-Con panel. Now, Secret Wars is due on December 17, 2027.
It's been a long wait between Avengers: Endgame and Avengers 5 for sure. But that is partly due to Marvel's focus on Disney Plus content over the last few years. Now that the Avengers are a focus once again, hopefully, we don't see any more changes to Marvel's Phase 6 line-up.
Avengers 5 cast
Thanks to a surprise casting reveal during SDCC 2024, we know that Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the MCU as Doctor Doom. This is obviously a big shock and has tons of timeline implications, as Downey Jr. famously played Iron Man until the character's death in Avengers Endgame (aka one of the best Marvel movies of all time).
But continuity questions aside, for now, we also know a decent chunk of stars who will be popping up with the ex-Tony Stark. It was also revealed during the event that the casts of Fantastic Four (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and the Thunderbolts* (Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and more) would be part of Avengers 5.
More of the heroic cast of Avengers Doomsday was revealed during a surprise livestream from Marvel Studios on March 26, 2025. You can read the current confirmed cast list below:
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm
- Anthony Mackie as Captain America
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
- Letitia Wright as Black Panther
- Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
- Wyatt Russell as US Agent
- Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Thing
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Kelsey Grammer as Beast
- Lewis Pullman as Sentry
- Danny Ramirez as Falcon
- Joseph Quinn as Human Torch
- David Harbour as Red Guardian
- Winston Duke as M’Baku
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
- Ian McKellen as Magneto
- Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
- Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
- James Marsden as Cyclops
- Channing Tatum as Gambit
- Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic
We expect more names to be added to this massive list as well. Thanks to the comics, we know that more people are involved in the Doomsday plot, such as She-Hulk. So stay tuned for more updates.
Benedict Cumberbatch may also be a surprise addition to look out for. The star has said he wouldn't be in the movie, then later said he would be. Expect the unexpected at all times.
Avengers 5 plot
Plot details for Avengers: Doomsday are currently in flux. As we mentioned above, Robert Downey Jr's casting as Doctor Doom means some multiverse antics need to be explained. So, we will likely see the TVA from Loki fame make an appearance at some point.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was the film that many fans thought would reveal a lot of details about the new big bad. As many comic book fans know, Doctor Doom made his first appearance in the Fantastic Four comics back in the '60s. Since then, he has been their greatest foe. However, Doctor Doom only makes the smallest appearances during The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credit scenes.
In the post-credits scene of the new movie, we see Reed and Sue's son, Franklin, talking to Doom. We know that Franklin has crazy powers that even Galactus was after, so seeing the villain getting chatty with the kid can't be a good sign. It'll also no doubt be part of a grand scheme that future movies before Avengers 5 will hint at. Robert Downey Jr. also posted a cryptic Instagram post that could point to Doom's future plans for Franklin.
The actor posted a video of himself listening to a song titled 'Change of Scenery' by his son, Indio Downey, before showing us a table with the comic Secret Wars #1 by Jim Shooter as well as Iron Man: Legacy of Doom by Bob Layton and David Michelinie.
West Coast Avengers #35, involves not Doctor Doom himself, but instead his adopted son and heir as ruler of Latveria, Kristoff Vernard. In the story Kristoff impersonates Doom in order to trick the West Coast Avengers into doing his bidding. So could Doom have his sights set on making Franklin his successor and son? Or, prehaps he wants to harness Franklin's powers in order to save the Multiverse, the same way he uses the powers of the Molecule Man in the 2015 Secret Wars comic?
While we aren't totally sold on the above plot theories, we do know that Avengers 5 will likely have to address the Kang plotline that Marvel has seemingly chosen to abandon for now. Throughout Marvel Phase 4 and Marvel Phase 5, Kang was set up as the next Thanos figure in the MCU. He made an appearance in Ant-Man: Quantumania and has been a steady presence in the Disney Plus series Loki. So yeah, Marvel Studios needs to clear up that massive character drop before they leave Kang in the Void for good.
Recently, we also got some set photos leaked that show some superhero teams joining up on what looks like a spaceship. In the post (shared on X via the user MCU News and Rumors), we can see Danny Ramirez's Falcon, Wyatt Russell's John Walker, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm standing together.
⌚️ Danny Ramirez, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Wyatt Russell behind the scenes of 'AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY'.📲 https://t.co/Enm4ekuO6V pic.twitter.com/gfGdzkQMk5July 8, 2025
It's interesting to see the Thunderbolts together with the new squad formed during Sam Wilson's Captain America's latest outing, since it was teased that the two would have some kind of conflict previously. Perhaps we'll see how the two groups can work through their tension in the new Avengers plot. It also hints again at that West Coast Avengers #35 plot theory, as it seems like two Avengers teams are going to be clashing.
We'll keep you updated as more plot details come our way. For now, you can also check out our guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies in order.
Avengers 5 director and writer
SDCC 2024 announced that the Russo brothers will be directing both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The two are Marvel legends, since they helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, so it's welcomed news to see their return.
"Joe and I truly believed Endgame was the end of the road for us," Anthony Russo said during the event. "In the time since, through a special story, we have come to potentially see a road to take with you all."
Initially, Shang-Chi mastermind Deston Daniel Crettin was down to direct the next Avengers movie. However, in November 2023, it was confirmed that he was stepping down to focus on other Marvel projects, including Wonder Man.
In November 2022, it was confirmed that Michael Waldron will be penning the script, taking over from Jeff Loveness. Waldron, known for his work on Loki and Doctor Strange 2, was already down to write Avengers: Secret Wars.
Is there a Avengers 5 trailer?
Currently, there are no trailers for Avengers: Doomsday. However, we did get a lengthy cast announcement video showing chairs with stars' names on them...so at least that is something. If you are keen to check out that reveal clip, we have it for you above.
In terms of actual teasers, the reality is that we'll be waiting for quite some time before any head our way. While some early filming started in April 2025, it's still a long way off from wrapping. That means that we won't see any teasers until 2026 at the very earliest. We'll keep you posted as we wait for more production news. But at least for no,w we have some chairs to keep us entertained...right?
And that's everything we know about Avengers 5. For much more action check out our guides to all the upcoming superhero movies and all the upcoming movies heading our way this year.
