Doctor Doom’s Plan for the Avengers Revealed as Phase Six Ends Forever: Report
More updates have surfaced on the story of 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.
Fans may want to circle late 2026 on their calendars, because Marvel Studios is steering the Marvel Cinematic Universe toward one of its biggest pivots yet. With a new saga forming and the franchise reworking its central threat, Avengers: Doomsday is emerging as a cornerstone release that could redefine which heroes stand at the center of the story going forward.
Scheduled for theatrical release on December 18, 2026, Avengers: Doomsday brings Anthony and Joe Russo back to the director’s chair for the first time since Avengers: Endgame (2019). Earlier long-term plans built around Kang have been dropped, with Marvel instead restructuring the narrative around a different primary villain.
That villain is Doctor Doom, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., marking a striking return to Marvel for the former Iron Man star—this time on the opposite side of the conflict.
Marvel fueled early speculation in 2025 through a widely watched “chair reveal” livestream that confirmed a large ensemble for the Phase Six movie. Among those named were Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), and James Marsden (Cyclops).
The presentation also folded Fox-era X-Men performers into the mix, including Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), and Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), reinforcing Marvel’s strategy of merging previously separate continuities through the Multiverse.
Notably absent were several longtime MCU leads. Mark Ruffalo addressed his missing status during a late-night appearance, joking about why Hulk may be sitting this one out.
Ruffalo has confirmed he is not part of Doomsday amid talk he was fired, but he is expected back in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, dated for July 31, 2026. Trade chatter suggests Kevin Feige’s attention has leaned more heavily toward Avengers: Doomsday than Spider-Man 4 during development.
Other missing names from the initial reveal included Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers/Captain America, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine. Evans’ situation shifted after Marvel attached Doomsday teaser spots to Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), including one centered on Steve Rogers, alongside additional previews highlighting Thor, the X-Men, and Wakandans meeting Ben Grimm/Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
What Is the Story of Avengers: Doomsday?
Fresh plot talk has circulated through scooper channels, pointing to a dramatic opening sequence. According to claims from MyTimeToShineHello and reported by Comic Book Movie, the film could begin with a Multiverse collision between familiar heroes.
“Apparently, the movie will open with Maguire’s web-slinger battling the X-Men, ‘and particularly Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine,'” Comic Book Movie writes. “This somewhat corroborates claims we’ve heard about an Incursion destroying Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Universe, and it gives Maguire’s Peter Parker a lot to fight for in this movie and Avengers: Secret Wars as he looks to bring back his loved ones.”
Scale is another frequent talking point in these reports.
“Avengers: Doomsday is not only the most epic Avengers movie, but it might be the most epic movie OF ALL TIME,” they wrote (via Comic Book Movie). “The opening scene alone tops any previous Avengers movie, and the final battle is just INSANE.”
Marvel Studios and Disney have not confirmed these details, and they remain speculative. Still, the December corridor release slot has already sparked strong box office projections if interest remains high.
According to the same insider, Doom may initially position himself as an ally to the Fantastic Four as Incursions tear across realities, before revealing a more controlling personal objective.
“Victor asks the Fantastic Four for help with the Incursions. They travel together with Steve Rogers to the MCU in their ship to warn everyone, then join forces to head to the X-Men universe–the source of the next Incursion that will destroy their Earths,” MyTimeToShineHello writes, via Comic Book Movie. “They have a plan to fix everything.”
The outlet expanded, writing, “The scooper adds that the movie will see Steve Rogers and Thor teaming up to seek out Loki, presumably meaning they’ll need to find him and the TVA as part of their likely doomed (pun intended) plan to save the Multiverse.”
Doom’s Latveria Is Here
Marvel has also started spotlighting Doom’s homeland through lighter promotional material. An animated short tied to Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! features Doom hosting a satirical tour of Latveria, complete with Doomstadt attractions and a theme park dubbed “Doomland,” advertising “time-loop vacations” and Doombots as guides.
Whether this connects directly to Doomsday or simply builds background flavor, the focus on Latveria ahead of the December 18, 2026, launch shows how Marvel is layering its marketing.
Promotional artwork first shown at the Walt Disney Studios Marketing Expo in Shanghai adds more fuel to fan theories. The image features Doom’s armor and two cloak emblems resembling Captain Marvel’s star and Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Some interpret the paired symbols as hints of victories over alternate versions of those heroes.
Marvel’s larger reset is already underway. The Fantastic Four: First Steps performed strongly in 2025, surpassing Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025). Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers have identified Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) as the films intended to redirect the franchise and elevate the X-Men’s role.
With Downey Jr. returning in a radically different capacity and a cast drawn from multiple Marvel eras, Avengers: Doomsday is positioned as a turning-point chapter for the MCU.
What’s your reaction to this potential Avengers: Doomsday plot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
