Avengers: Doomsday trailer reveals Doctor Doom, X-Men and Fantastic Four

Avengers: Doomsday trailer reveals Doctor Doom, X-Men and Fantastic Four Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, featuring returning heroes, Doctor Doom's long-awaited debut, X-Men appearances and other Easter eggs. Avengers fans, it's finally time to assemble. Seven years after Avengers: Endgame concluded the stories of heroes including Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, and Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, Marvel Studios has finally unveiled the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to hit cinemas on Dec 18, 2026. Directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, the filmmaking duo that also helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the trailer reunites familiar faces from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) while teasing the long-awaited arrival of Downey as Doctor Doom. As expected, the footage is packed with Easter eggs, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments and plenty of material for fans to dissect. WHO'S IN AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY? The trailer is packed with quick shots of familiar faces and long-awaited returns. Among them is Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu, who is seen wielding his glowing Ten Rings and martial arts skills against X-Men's Gambit, played by Channing Tatum, with his signature kinetically charged playing cards. We also see Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, as the Black Panther alongside M'Baku, played by Winston Duke, most notably in a scene where they shake hands with the Fantastic Four. The quartet, consisting of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), made their MCU debut in 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Fan-favourite Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, also makes an appearance, looking pensive as a shot of his Time Variance Authority (TVA) card is shown. Meanwhile, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is seen interacting with his longtime friend and rival, Magneto (Ian McKellen). Returning Avengers from the pre-Endgame era include Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Falcon/Captain America (Anthony Mackie), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who appears to be leading the group and narrates the trailer, and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Fans also quickly noticed two major absences: Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk. Whether there's a reason behind their absence may become clearer after watching Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens in Singapore on Jul 30. THE ARRIVAL OF DOCTOR DOOM Perhaps the trailer's biggest talking point is Downey's appearance as Doctor Doom, even if masked. After portraying Tony Stark/Iron Man for more than a decade, Downey's return to the MCU as one of Marvel's supervillains became one of the franchise's most surprising casting announcements. The trailer offers fans their clearest look yet at Doctor Doom, immediately fuelling online theories about how the character may be connected and contrasted with Iron Man. Chris Evans also makes a much-anticipated return as Steve Rogers, appearing with his signature quip when meeting Thor: "Hey pal". His greeting and ability to hold Thor's weapon Mjolnir added yet another major surprise for longtime Marvel fans. WHAT TO WATCH BEFORE AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY If you've fallen behind on the MCU since Endgame, fans across Reddit and other online communities generally agree that a handful of titles are especially important before Avengers: Doomsday. These include Loki and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness for their multiverse and time-travel storylines; Deadpool & Wolverine for its X-Men connections; and The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts for the introduction of key new characters and teams expected to play major roles.