We’re one film away from the next Avengers… but it sure doesn’t feel like it

Last week, the final Marvel movie of 2025 dropped in cinemas: The Fantastic Four: First Steps.  

This is the first film in Phase 6 of the Marvel universe, which will bring The Multiverse Saga to a close when it concludes in just over two years. 

As you may already know, the biggest projects in this section of the superhero franchise will be two Avengers blockbusters. The first of these, Avengers: Doomsday, is scheduled to be released on 18 December 2026 – nearly 18 months from now. One movie is due to be released before that, which I’ll go into in more depth later. 

In the past, Avengers films have been a culmination of years’ worth of storytelling. Take Infinity War and Endgame as examples – Thanos was first introduced six years before he was made the big bad of this ensemble two-parter, which broke box office records across the world and was generally hailed as a huge payoff by fans and critics alike. 

I can’t say that my confidence in Marvel this time around is equally unshakeable. In fact, I’m bracing myself for a bit of a sh*tshow. Here’s why.  

Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene below 

Doom is the big villain… but where’s the build-up? 

The name Doomsday is a reference to Doctor Doom, an iconic Marvel villain primarily known from The Fantastic Four comics series. Doom is not a prominent figure in the latest MCU flick, First Steps, though he does appear in a non-speaking role during a post-credits scene.  

So, unlike Thanos, we’ve not seen him perform yet – but there’s a good reason why.  

If you haven’t been following all the behind-the-scenes drama with the fifth Avengers film, allow me to fill you in. You see, Doomsday was not its original title. 

It was originally called ‘The Kang Dynasty’, as the villain of this saga was intended to be Kang – the antagonist of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and a recurring figure in the Disney+ Loki series. Marvel’s original plan was to create a huge number of Kangs making a mess of the multiverse for our heroes to clean up. 

That plan was eventually scrapped, but not until 2024, two years after it was announced. Fans suspect that this was mainly because the actor playing Kang, Jonathan Majors, was arrested and later charged with serious assault of his girlfriend. 

Marvel did have the option of recasting Kang, but they decided to go in a different direction. This is the official line MCU boss Kevin Feige gave on the matter: 

“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… we started talking about Doctor Doom even before we officially pivoted from Kang. In fact, I had started talking with Robert about this audacious idea before ‘Ant-Man 3’ even came out.”

Besides general storyline direction, there are other factors that Marvel may not have been able to disclose that could have been taken into consideration, including the dire performance of Ant-Man 3 at the box office, the axing of several Marvel projects, and a strategic PR move to take attention away from the Majors case that was dominating Marvel-related headlines.  

On paper, it makes sense that the studio shifted direction. But the result was that years of build-up were seemingly for nothing, and the new antagonist for the entire story arc was only teased on-screen for the first time a mere few days ago. Granted, there has been set-up for the multiverse concept itself (as with the Infinity Stones), but the lore is complex and messy.  

To make up for lost time, the studio instead relied on a huge casting announcement at Comic-Con last year to keep conversations alive. 

Is Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom a genius move or hopelessly desperate? 

Let me start by clarifying that I adored Downey’s arc as Tony Stark/Iron Man across his 11-year Marvel stint. His character underwent tremendous growth, experienced numerous heartbreaks and was key to some of the most iconic moments in the franchise.  

Outside of the MCU, Downey has more than proven his capabilities as an actor in Chaplin, Zodiac and Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar. He is also loud and proud about Marvel, taking new actors under his wing and championing the superhero universe. 

So, I don’t doubt Downey’s capacity for taking on a brand-new challenge in this world, especially as an overarching villain capable of awful deeds.  

The storytelling potential is pretty darn compelling. If Doom happens to have Tony’s face, he could use that to his advantage and manipulate his way into power via the Avengers. Thor and Bruce Banner’s reactions to Stark’s resurrection would certainly be intriguing (although only Chris Hemsworth is confirmed to appear in the film so far).

The story could be even juicier if the villain even went as far as to keep up the pretence to Tony’s loved ones – his wife Pepper, his daughter Morgan, his best friend Rhodey and (if, somehow, we can explain away the collective Peter Parker memory loss from No Way Home) his former protégé, Spider-Man. 

It would be deliciously cruel for audiences, and even more of a mic drop when Doom’s true plans are revealed to everyone else. The problem is, I’m not sure that there’s time to flesh out a story of this nature.  

Consider the bonkers cast list that was announced for Avengers: Doomsday – a group that many fans suspect could still be omitting a few names.  

Can Marvel give Doom a story as solid as Thanos’s, with this many actors stuffed into the plot? It makes me think that Downey’s name is just an attempt to ensure that more tickets are sold, as there are so many other moving parts this film will need to deal with.  

We apparently have two sets of Avengers: first, the group led by the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, and also the ‘New Avengers’, AKA the Thunderbolts*, as announced to the world by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. While the latter group is pretty much established, Wilson’s group remains slightly unclear – but based on that list, people suspect he’ll be joined by Thor, Shang-Chi, Shuri and Ant-Man. 

So, already a lot of cooks in the kitchen. But we’re just getting started.  

Then, we have the Fantastic Four. Now, if you cast your mind back to the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, you’ll remember a rocket ship coming into orbit, seemingly flown by the foursome. So, they’ve crossed over into our universe for some reason or another, which will need some explaining.  

Following the recent introduction of Doom, there’s suspicion that the villain may kidnap Franklin for his own gain. Perhaps he escapes to Earth-616, and the four follow him? 

Either way, that’s a big new plot point to handle. Then, there are the X-Men, who we’ve only seen briefly on screen during a post-credits scene of The Marvels, with Monica Rambeau. It seems unfathomable that Marvel is banking on reintroducing this group in an already stacked film. 

Plus, there’s the story of Doom, which is arguably what most people will want to see. That’s at least five separate plotlines, which is one more than Infinity War. Plus, that had been fleshed out so much more solidly than this, with (let’s face it) a much higher standard of films leading up to its release. 

Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has been a bit of a mess 

Across Phases 4 and 5, I would argue that there have only really been a few films and TV series that have been truly stellar. Some of the highs include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Agatha All Along and Spider-Man: No Way Home… three projects that will likely not tie into Doomsday.  

Conversely, we’ve had some real stinkers to put up with. Secret Invasion was a true low point for the franchise, and on the movies’ side, there’s Captain America: Brave New World and The Marvels, which both suffered from clunky plots – and they’re expected to play into the Avengers, judging by the cast above. 

Add to that those recent interviews with cast members of Doomsday, who claim that the writing process is still underway. Most of the Marvel projects that have suffered are those that went through last-minute rewrites.  

We still have some final projects set for release before Avengers 5. On the TV side, there’s season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and a new mini-series called Wonder Man, but neither seems a likely tie-in for Doomsday – and nor does the final film before this one.  

Spider-Man: Brand New Day should stick to the streets 

On 3 July 2026, just over five months before Avengers: Doomsday, the fourth Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland is set for release. And let me say right now, my confidence is much higher for this film. 

Why? It’s down to the casting of Jon Bernthal as Punisher, a character originally from the Netflix Marvel series, who most recently appeared in Daredevil: Born Again.  

He, Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin have graced Marvel with some of the strongest acting performances and compelling storylines full stop. While the latter two characters are not confirmed for Brand New Day, Spider-Man’s name has been mentioned by Fisk in Born Again, so we know that Peter is operating in a troubled New York City which has outlawed vigilantes.  

The teenager first lost Uncle Ben, then Tony, and most recently, Aunt May. Plus, neither his girlfriend (MJ), best friend (Ned), nor his other allies (Happy) remember who he is following the outcome of Doctor Strange’s spell in No Way Home.  

He’s completely isolated, and that could be disastrous for his sense of right and wrong – especially if he’s influenced by someone who ruthlessly murders his own enemies, such as Frank Castle.  

This all seems to set us up for a compelling, character-driven story that takes Peter away from Earth-shattering events and back to the streets of New York, where many fans believe Spider-Man belongs. That means it will likely leave both sets of Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men alone.  

The only way I can see Brand New Day setting up for Avengers 5 is by having Peter seemingly ‘reunite’ with someone he believes to be Tony (Doom in cosplay, naturally). But surely this would only be limited to a post-credits scene, if it happens at all. Tom Holland is one of the biggest names missing from the Doomsday cast list, it should be said.

Otherwise, Marvel is running out of time on the countdown to Doomsday. It means that this ensemble film will have to deliver the classic superhero thrills and set up at least five different plots, all while still making a lick of sense.  

It’s a tall order, and I can only hope and pray that writers Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely and the directing Russo Brothers are up to the task.  

You can also read: If the Avengers: Doomsday trailer doesn’t do these 3 things, I riot.