If You Think Avengers: Doomsday Will Be Any Good, It’s Time for a Reality Check

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Just like the highly anticipated video games Hollow Knight: Silksong and Grand Theft Auto 6, Avengers: Doomsday is poised to be a massive movie event based on comic books. It could be as big as Avengers: Endgame or even this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. For many Marvel fans, Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom might be enough to get them excited about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it’s understandable why some people are cautious about Avengers: Doomsday.

It’s too early to tell if Avengers: Doomsday will be a good or bad movie, as its release isn’t until the 2026 holiday season. However, initial indications suggest the film might be relying too much on past successes instead of forging its own path.

The MCU is Cannibalizing Its Own Nostalgia

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) isn’t as popular as it used to be, which is concerning for a franchise that once dominated the superhero movie landscape. While there are many reasons why the MCU’s quality may have slipped, the decision to revisit old ideas in Avengers: Doomsday is disappointing. It feels like a forced attempt to reignite interest by recycling familiar concepts instead of offering something new to fans.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done this kind of nostalgia-driven storytelling before. For example, the plot of Spider-Man: No Way Home was built specifically to bring back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, along with their famous villains and actors. If you look closely, though, the story has quite a few plot holes that are only overlooked by viewers caught up in the nostalgia.

It seems like Avengers: Doomsday is Marvel’s attempt to guarantee a big audience – a clear effort to get people back to the movies. Unlike The Avengers and Avengers: Endgame, which built their stories carefully over several films, the plot of Avengers: Doomsday remains largely unknown. It’s relying heavily on the popularity of the actors already announced for the film.

Doomsday is the MCU Avengers’ Antithesis

Everything Marvel has released since Avengers: Endgame could be building towards Avengers: Doomsday, which is planned for seven years from now, but it’s impossible to know for sure. The storyline introduced in Loki about the multiverse initially seemed very important for future events. However, with Kang the Conqueror currently not being used in the MCU, that storyline hasn’t been developed much and its importance has lessened.

Recent movies and TV shows have featured characters who are expected to be in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. So far, Marvel hasn’t shared any official details about the movie’s plot, except for a funny sneak peek with Thor and Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine, and brief scenes after the credits in The Marvels, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t required to repeat its initial success, and it’s unrealistic to expect it to do so. However, given that its original formula worked so well, Avengers: Doomsday isn’t focusing on newer heroes like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, or She-Hulk. Instead, it’s doubling down on the established, popular actors and characters from the MCU in an attempt to recapture its former glory.

If you haven’t enjoyed or haven’t seen much of the Marvel TV shows on Disney+, you’re in luck. The upcoming re-release of Avengers: Endgame in September – potentially with a new post-credits scene connecting it to Avengers: Doomsday – implies that none of the shows are essential viewing beforehand. The possible exception is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as it features a scene where Susan Storm sees Doctor Doom alongside her and Reed Richards’ son, Franklin Richards.

Even if the story idea is good, it will be hard to see Doctor Doom as a unique character if he simply looks like Robert Downey Jr.’s version of Tony Stark. The movie needs a clever explanation for the resemblance, and a weak excuse like a ‘multiverse variant’ won’t be good enough.

The fact that Marvel brought back Robert Downey Jr. and convinced Chris Evans to reprise his role – even though he’d stepped away – shows they don’t have much faith in their new characters, even if those characters show up in Avengers: Doomsday. On the bright side, at least Chris Hemsworth’s Thor gets a chance to redeem himself after the poorly received Thor: Love and Thunder.

Avengers: Doomsday Can’t Be All ‘Hype Moments and Aura’

It’s no surprise that the first teaser for Avengers: Doomsday featured Chris Evans as Steve Rogers – he’s hugely popular in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, second only to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Fans have definitely missed both actors in recent years, and it’s clear how closely Chris Evans is associated with the MCU now. He even made a noticeable cameo in Free Guy and recently returned as the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Given how much fans loved the X-Men ’97 series—especially its version of Cyclops—it makes perfect sense that the Avengers: Doomsday trailer features James Marsden as Cyclops, finally wearing the classic yellow and blue suit. It’s clear the filmmakers behind Avengers: Doomsday understand what Marvel fans enjoy and are skillfully using successful elements from the past to create a memorable mix of storylines and characters.

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were brilliant as Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men films. However, after already revisiting those roles in the newer X-Men movies with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, and with Stewart recently appearing as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it feels unnecessary – and likely just a quick cameo – to bring them back again for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, both in their eighties, are revisiting their famous roles, and while they may genuinely enjoy playing these characters (as evidenced by McKellen reprising Gandalf in the new Lord of the Rings film), it feels like this is primarily to offer fans a dose of nostalgia. It’s likely these appearances are a way to bridge the gap before new actors take over the roles of Professor X, Magneto, and the X-Men.

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2026-01-10 22:02