Avengers: Doomsday – release date and latest news on Robert Downey Jr epic

Several other long-serving members of the franchise will be alongside him, including an Avengers founding member in Chris Hemsworth's Thor, who set fans into a frenzy earlier this year with an ominous anniversary video.

The clip shared to his social media accounts reflected on Hemsworth's journey with the role, which began with his casting in 2009, but was interpreted by some fans to be a farewell – indicating a premature end for the God of Thunder.

Hemsworth has since clarified to The Hollywood Reporter that his team conceded to giving the "wrong impression", but that the video "definitely got misconstrued and perceived in a different way" to what was intended.

In other words, Thor is probably safe (for now).

Read on if you're eager to know more about the staggering roster assembled for Avengers: Doomsday, plus the blockbuster's release date and the fleeting story details released so far.

Avengers: Doomsday release date

Avengers: Doomsday has now had its release date pushed back from 1st May 2026 to 18th December 2026.

This means the movie will drop on the same day as the Dune: Part Two sequel, Dune: Messiah.

Meanwhile, filling the film's original slot in May will be Disney's long-awaited sequel to The Devil Wears Prada.

Who will star in Avengers: Doomsday? Confirmed members

Avengers: Doomsday stars Robert Downey Jr as Victor Von Doom, who will be a towering villain that unites the combined might of several superhero teams.

It's unclear as yet precisely what Doom has planned, or if he'll have any direct connection to Downey Jr's earlier role of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), but he must have a pretty spectacular plan to warrant so much opposition.

Most recently, Marvel fans have been mulling over the probability of Ryan Reynolds appearing as Deadpool in Avengers: Doomsday, with a source telling The Hollywood Reporter that the Merc with a Mouth would have a role.

However, Reynolds himself later cast doubt on the claim, telling Variety that he hasn't "stepped foot on set", although that may just be some creative wording from the actor – after all, he could well have filmed scenes remotely.

In either case, the confirmed cast of Doomsday is starry enough with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Thunderbolts teams, as well as wild card choices like Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), whose allegiances could shift.

Anthony Mackie is reprising the role of Sam Wilson aka Captain America, who was tasked with putting together a new Avengers team at the end of his recent solo outing Brave New World.

Likely candidates for that group include Letitia Wright's Shuri, the new Black Panther, plus Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and Danny Ramirez's Falcon.

As previously confirmed, the cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps will also reappear here, comprised of Pedro Pascal (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).

First Steps director Matt Shakman said – apparently mistakenly – in an interview that Mr Fantastic would go on to be "leader" of the Avengers, but Pascal himself has since corrected the record.

"It’s big news to me, that's for one," he joked, in an interview with Associated Press. "There is something that happens in the comics where he is sort of drawn in by the Avengers family and asked to be put into a leadership position.

"That is something that happens in the comics. It isn't necessarily something that my character's future entails."

The Thunderbolts* cast will also reappear in Doomsday, with Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Wyatt Russell (USAgent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), David Harbour (Red Guardian) and Lewis Pullman (Sentry) all credited in the announcement.

Meanwhile, in a surprise move, Marvel Studios has also announced the return of several cast members from 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise, which appears to have been revived in the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine's success.

Returning from that smash-hit is Channing Tatum as Gambit, alongside franchise veterans Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), James Marsden (Cyclops) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast).

Both Cumming and Marsden had warm words to say about returning from a long absence, with their incarnations of Nightcrawler and Cyclops not being seen since 2003's X-Men 2 and 2014's Days of Future Past respectively.

On filming Doomsday, Paradise's Marsden said (via Deadline): "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."

Meanwhile, Cumming described it as "really healing and really nice to go back to something that was a terrible experience when I did it the first time" (in another Deadline chat), although his time on set was short as his scenes were scheduled tightly so that he could be released to host the next season of The Traitors (US).

Here's the confirmed Avengers: Doomsday cast in full:

• Robert Downey Jr (Doctor Doom)
• Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic)
• Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman)
• Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing)
• Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America)
• Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
• Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther)
• Winston Duke (M'Baku)
• Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man)
• Simu Liu (Shang-Chi)
• Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres / Falcon)
• Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow)
• Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)
• Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent)
• Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost)
• David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian)
• Lewis Pullman (Bob/Sentry)
• Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X)
• Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto)
• James Marsden (Scott Summers/Cyclops)
• Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkhölme/Mystique)
• Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler)
• Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy/Beast)
• Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau/Gambit)
• Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor)
• Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

As you might have noticed, that list includes some rather glaring omissions who were thought to be all but guaranteed for the next Avengers film.

The absence of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch have been greeted with particular outcry from the fanbase.

However, there is hope yet that these characters could factor into the story, with Marvel teasing on its social media channels that there is "always room for more" cast members.

Meanwhile, while there's been no official word yet on whether Hugh Jackman's Wolverine will make a return to the MCU in the film, with various X-Men stars already announced, it would be a waste not to have Wolverine there.

When asked whether he could be returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday during an appearance on The View, Jackman said in a cryptic response: "I really can't say much, except when you say 'appear', [it's] more like dominate and destroy every other character – I'm kidding."

He continued: "I really have nothing to add, and if I did, I would find a really cool way to not say it, but I actually have nothing to add."

Additionally, this line-up is for Avengers: Doomsday only, which is one half of a two-part storyline set to conclude in 2027's Secret Wars – so it seems likely that the sequel could scoop up some late-comers.

Case in point: Benedict Cumberbatch has already told Business Insider that he'll be in the "next one" as Doctor Strange, after previously assuring fans that Marvel Studios was "cooking up a storm" with its latest cinematic event.

A more confusing case is that of Chris Evans, who was previously reported to be returning for Avengers: Doomsday by the reputable trade publication Deadline. Yet, as of June 2025, Evans is insisting that he was not "invited" back.

The actor told ScreenRant: "It’s sad to not be back with the band, but I'm sure they’re doing something incredible, and I'm sure it's going to be that much harder when it comes out, and you feel like you weren't invited to the party."

Could it be that Evans, who delighted fans with his Deadpool & Wolverine cameo, really was overlooked for a role in Doomsday? Or is the actor taking a page from the book of Andrew Garfield, who admirably denied his role in No Way Home until the last moment?

Only time will tell, but notably, Deadline has also reported that Hayley Atwell is reprising her role as Agent Peggy Carter in Doomsday – and it would be odd if she were to appear without Steve by her side, given the moving final scene of 2019's Endgame.

What is Avengers: Doomsday about?

Avengers: Doomsday does not yet have an official plot synopsis, but the movie is set to formally introduce Victor von Doom as a major threat to the Marvel multiverse.

The character made a brief appearance in the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, where he is seen (albeit, only from behind), approaching the universe's most powerful four-year-old: Franklin Richards.

What does he want with him exactly? That remains to be seen. It's possible that the intricacies are still being worked out!

Producer Kevin Feige confirmed (via The Hollywood Reporter) over the summer that the script was still being worked on after cameras started rolling, which he actually views as a strength of the production.

He said: "Those actors, both the ones that are playing these characters for the first or second time and the ones playing them for the 10th or 12th time, are the best in the world at it, and know these characters so well. So if they have an idea, you want to listen to it and you want to adjust to it and you want to improve it. I wouldn't want to change that."

Much like Infinity War and Endgame, which became two of the highest-grossing films of all time, Doomsday and its sequel Secret Wars will serve as two parts of a larger narrative – with one leading directly into the other.

Teasing the plot to The Hollywood Reporter, co-director Joe Russo said: "I think these movies are going to be a surprise to people – we found a way into the story that’s very exciting to us but we think very radical and I think it’s going to challenge audiences."

In the 2016 comic book series Secret Wars, upon which the film may be inspired, Doctor Doom salvages elements of a destroyed multiverse and reforms them as 'Battleworld' – a domain in which he is the unquestioned god and ruler.

Prior to this storyline, the Marvel comics had dealt with the concept of incursions, whereby one reality would collide with another, either destroying both or causing one side to take a deadly defensive action.

Perhaps these terrifying events might begin occurring in Avengers: Doomsday, leading Doctor Doom to create his surreal new reality as he did in the source material – leaving enormous questions lingering for Secret Wars to answer.

The post-credits scene in Thunderbolts* added weight to this theory, with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) addressing a "space crisis" which could well be other planets or realities on a collision course with Earth.

Yelena vents frustration that her own New Avengers teams are viewed negatively by the press and public, while Sam Wilson's separately assembled team is regarded as more legitimate – and refusing to share intel.

That's when an inter-dimensional ship carrying the Fantastic Four is spotted entering the atmosphere, with the team likely to be carrying a dire warning of apocalyptic threat (if the film's subtitle is any indication).

Interestingly, the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene was actually filmed on the set of Avengers: Doomsday, with director Jake Schreier describing it as "a small hint of that film" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Another threat to the Fantastic Four will come from a most unexpected place, with Nightcrawler actor Alan Cumming recently revealing that he's filming an action scene that involves "hitting Pedro Pascal against the head" (via Buzzfeed).

No doubt Mr Fantastic and Nightcrawler will eventually reconcile to face their real adversary.

Don't expect the crossover to come to a neat conclusion, though, with Captain America star Mackie apparently confirming that – as expected – Doomsday will end on a cliffhanger comparable to the catastrophic 'snap' in 2018's Infinity War.

"It's one of those stories that really pushes the boundaries," he teased in an interview with Collider. The cliffhanger at the end... the last moments of the film, it really builds and sets us up for a way for the continuation of the Marvel saga, which is really exciting."

Mackie added: "You see these characters, and you see how they're introduced and how they play in the universe moving forward, and no one is safe. Everyone is expendable."

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Anthony Russo added: "We think we finally lit on an idea that we felt really made it worth us coming back to tell another story... You should be excited for what we've got coming."

Why was Avengers: The Kang Dynasty cancelled?

Previously, the fifth movie in the Avengers franchise was to be named The Kang Dynasty and to continue plot threads previously established in Disney Plus series Loki and Marvel blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Jonathan Majors appeared in both projects as variants of Kang the Conquerer; a powerful time-travelling menace who was initially intended to be the MCU's next Thanos-level threat.

However, Majors was dropped by Marvel Studios after he was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend by a jury in New York. He was convicted on two counts but acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

Some had expected Marvel Studios to continue the storyline with a new actor as Kang, but the company has instead decided to go in an entirely different direction with its plans.

Is there an Avengers: Doomsday trailer?

Not yet! But we'll update this page the moment that any footage arrives.

Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas in May 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.