Avengers: Doomsday – Release date speculation and news on Robert Downey Jr epic
"New mask, same task," said the former Iron Man actor as he took on a new Marvel role.
After a rocky few years, Marvel Studios brought the biggest weapon in their arsenal to San Diego Comic-Con: Robert Downey Jr.
The actor, who played an instrumental role in launching the MCU back in 2008, was revealed to be returning to the franchise – but not as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man).
Instead, he has signed on to play legendary Fantastic Four nemesis Doctor Doom in two upcoming Avengers movies, to be helmed by Infinity War and Endgame filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo.
The news left fans shocked, divided and a little confused, with some fearing that Doom could lose some of his individuality if too closely associated with Tony Stark, while others have chosen to trust in Downey Jr following his Oscar win for Oppenheimer.
So, when can we expect this Marvel extravaganza? Read on for everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday.
More like this
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Avengers: Doomsday release date speculation
Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled for release in May 2026. A specific date has yet to be locked in, but it's likely that Marvel will target the first weekend of the month in a bid to kick off the summer movie season.
This was prime territory for the studio during the heyday of the MCU, but they weren't able to make the date this year due to delays caused by the Hollywood strikes of 2023.
Who will star in Avengers: Doomsday? Rumoured and confirmed members
The headline for Avengers: Doomsday, and its sequel Secret Wars, is that both will star Marvel icon Robert Downey Jr as the menacing Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom.
It's unclear as-of-yet whether this character will be unrelated to Downey Jr's past work in the franchise or if Doom will be reimagined as a variant of Tony Stark – a risky move that would be sure to anger some comic book fans.
Downey Jr's casting in the long-demanded role was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, where Doomsday co-director Joe Russo teased the Hall H audience by promising "the greatest actor in the world".
Check out the electric moment of the reveal in the video below.
At present, only a handful of other cast members have been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.
Marvel's brand new Fantastic Four team – comprised of Pedro Pascal (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) – are confirmed to appear in both Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Meanwhile, longtime Marvel actor Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed he will be back for the next Avengers movies as sorcerer Doctor Strange, telling Entertainment Weekly that the team are "cooking up a storm".
Confirmed cast
- Robert Downey Jr as Victor von Doom aka Doctor Doom
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange aka Doctor Strange
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm aka Human Torch
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing
In June 2024, a report by Deadline claimed that Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars could bring more than 60 established MCU characters back into the fray, so there's still plenty of room on the roster.
Below, we've compiled a few more plausible names, based on their prominence during phases four and five of the blockbuster franchise. Who is on your wish list?
Rumoured/likely cast
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka Captain America
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man
- Brie Larson as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel
- Tom Holland as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man
What is Avengers: Doomsday about?
Avengers: Doomsday does not yet have an official plot synopsis, but the movie is poised to introduce Victor von Doom as a major threat to the Marvel multiverse.
Much like Infinity War and Endgame did to great success, Doomsday and Secret Wars will serve as two parts of a larger narrative, with one leading directly into the other.
In the 2016 comic book series Secret Wars, upon which the film appears to be based, Doctor Doom salvages elements of a destroyed multiverse and reforms them as Battleworld – a domain in which he is the unquestioned ruler.
Prior to this storyline, the Marvel comics had dealt with the concept of incursions, whereby one reality would collide with another, either destroying both or causing one side to take defensive action.
Perhaps these terrifying events could begin occurring in Avengers: Doomsday, leading the titular baddie to create his surreal new reality just as he did in the source material.
Why was Avengers: The Kang Dynasty cancelled?
Previously, the fifth movie in the Avengers franchise was to be named The Kang Dynasty and continue plot threads previously established in Disney Plus series Loki and Marvel blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Jonathan Majors appeared in both projects as variants of Kang the Conquerer, a powerful time-travelling menace who was initially intended to be the MCU's next Thanos-level threat.
However, Majors was dropped by Marvel Studios after he was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend by a jury in New York. He was convicted on two counts but acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.
Some had expected Marvel Studios to continue the storyline with a new actor as Kang, but the company has instead decided to go in an entirely different direction with their plans.
Is there an Avengers: Doomsday trailer?
Not yet! But we'll update this page the moment that any footage arrives.
Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas in May 2026. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
