Marvel’s biggest crossover in years is still taking shape, just nine months before its release.
The studio has spent much of the past decade building toward large-scale ensemble storytelling. That formula reached its peak with Avengers: Endgame (2019), a film that closed out one era while setting expectations for what would come next.
Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded rapidly. New heroes, timelines, and storylines have been introduced across film and Disney+, creating a broader but more fragmented narrative landscape.
That shift has defined the Multiverse Saga.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026) is intended to bring those threads together. The film will unite legacy characters, newer Avengers, and multiversal variants in what is positioned as the saga’s central event.
Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., sits at the centre of that story. His presence, however, has been minimal so far, limited to a post-credits tease in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
The cast reflects the film’s scale. Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Simu Liu, and Florence Pugh are all confirmed to return, alongside Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Legacy X-Men actors, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn, are also set to appear, reinforcing the film’s multiversal scope.
Reshoots Prioritize Marvel Character Over Spectacle
Production on Avengers: Doomsday is ongoing, with additional filming expected to begin imminently.
As per Thunderbolts* (2025) and Stranger Things actor David Harbour, reshoots are on the way, with some work potentially already underway in London. The additional photography is not expected to reshape the film’s core structure.
Instead, the focus is narrower.
According to insider Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie), the reshoots are centred on character-driven material. Emotional beats, motivations, and relationships are being refined to better support the film’s large ensemble.
Reports suggest the Russo Brothers have already locked in the film’s major set pieces. Concerns that the movie lacked a complete ending appear to have been overstated.
Marvel’s approach to reshoots is well established. The studio has frequently used additional photography to sharpen storytelling, sometimes very late in the process.
The Avengers (2012) famously shot its shawarma post-credits scene just one day after its world premiere. More recently, Thunderbolts* filmed one of its post-credits scenes only weeks before release.
A Two-Part Story Takes Shape
The structure of Avengers: Doomsday is increasingly being viewed as part one of a larger narrative.
The film is expected to lead directly into Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), echoing the two-part approach of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame.
Early reports indicate that Secret Wars will shift focus toward characters with smaller roles in Doomsday, particularly Multiversal Variants positioned against God Emperor Doom.
Speculation around Doomsday continues to circulate.
One widely shared rumor claims the film will open with a multiversal battle involving Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The sequence has been described as one of Marvel’s most ambitious.
Other reports suggest Doom may initially align with the Fantastic Four to address Incursions before revealing his true intentions later in the film.
The potential return of X-Men characters, including Magneto and Charles Xavier, has also drawn attention, with the mutant universe expected to play a key role in future events.
Notably, some major names remain absent from confirmed casting. Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, and Captain Marvel, portrayed by Brie Larson, have yet to be officially tied to the project.
That absence has led to speculation that Marvel is holding back key characters for Avengers: Secret Wars, where the Multiverse Saga is expected to reach its peak.
Do you have high hopes for Avengers: Doomsday?
