To star in comic book adaptations is to know you’re about to face some big challenges. It’s not always guaranteed that a production will take off, whether it’s because of staying true to the original material or even the depth of the plot on screen. Josh Brolin has become one of the most memorable actors in comic book movies, bringing characters to life across different franchises. Whether it’s playing the ruthless Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the scarred bounty hunter Jonah Hex, he’s always been praised for his versatility when it comes to playing heroes, anti-heroes, and villains in these kinds of adaptations.

But not all of his films have had the same level of quality or success, ranging from massive hits to completely forgettable flops. Each one had its highs and lows, but which one was really the best and worst of his career?

7. Jonah Hex

Anyone who thought Brolin had only been in the MCU is mistaken. An adaptation of the DC comics, Jonah Hex (2010) had Brolin in the titular role. The plot follows the ex-soldier of the same name who becomes a bounty hunter, haunted by his violent past and gifted with supernatural abilities after a near-death experience. The US government soon hires him to stop Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), a terrorist planning to use a weapon of mass destruction. Although it’s a very good premise for the big screen, when it comes to the script, everything was a mess.

Despite a renowned cast that includes Megan Fox and Michael Fassbender, the film suffered from criticism for its plot and even the shallow development of the characters – behind-the-scenes issues and numerous rewrites contributed to this. With an estimated budget of $47 million, Jonah Hex grossed only about $10.5 million worldwide, making it a box office flop. Many have said that Brolin does his best, but it’s not enough to give the film something to stand for.

Jonah Hex is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

6. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

[RELATED: Josh Brolin Shares Condition for Bringing Back Thanos in Avengers: Secret Wars]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) was released as a sequel to the original 2005 film. Here, Josh Brolin played Dwight McCarthy, a private detective who finds himself once again involved with Ava Lord (Eva Green), a woman who manipulates him and drags him into a world of betrayal and violence. However, its success wasn’t great compared to its predecessor, largely because it contained unpublished plots written especially for the sequel and thus didn’t follow the comics’ original material one hundred percent.

Despite bringing together a very stellar cast and maintaining the iconic visual aesthetic, critics pointed out that, although the film was faithful to the tone and visuals, it still lacked more innovation in the narrative. The long gap of nine years between the two films may have contributed to the loss of the initial impact on audiences as well. Besides, Brolin’s role is still quite small, so it’s certainly not one of his most outstanding productions.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is available to stream on Starz.

5. Deadpool 2

Another sequel that Josh Brolin acted in was Deadpool 2 (2018), one of the films that most entertained audiences. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) faces new challenges after suffering a personal tragedy right at the start of the plot. The story revolves around his attempt to protect the young mutant Russell (Julian Dennison) from the time traveler Cable (Brolin), who seeks to eliminate the boy due to catastrophic future events. This is a high point production for the actor, as, in general, Merc with a Mouth adaptations have always done well.

The film was very well received by critics and audiences, maintaining the usual acid humor and breaking of the fourth wall that characterized the original, as well as adding more emotional layers. The chemistry between Reynolds and Brolin is one of the highlights, with Cable serving as a serious counterpoint to the main character’s irreverence. However, the movie’s proposal ends up being less ambitious in terms of narrative compared to the great epics of the MCU.

Deadpool 2 is available to stream on Disney+.

4. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Of all the incredible four Avengers films, one that gets the least love is Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), even though it is one of the greatest films in the MCU. Here, Brolin only appears in the post-credits scenes as Thanos, but it’s the moment that sets the stage for the chaos and danger that would come later. Bringing together Earth’s greatest heroes, the Avengers must face the threat of Ultron, an AI created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner with the intention of maintaining world peace. However, he ends up interpreting his mission in a distorted way, deciding that humanity is the greatest threat to peace and devising a plan for its destruction.

The production is the first time we’re introduced to characters like Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his sister, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who would become a fundamental part of the franchise. It grossed more than $1.4 billion at the box office worldwide but also received some mixed reviews, with criticisms such as an overloaded narrative and flaws in the rhythm and cohesion of the story. It’s still a good start to introduce the whole plot of the Mad Titan and the Infinity Stones, though.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is available to stream on Disney+.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn’s trilogy for Marvel is one of the best projects, and certainly the first Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) movie stands out as the best of them. The plot introduces us to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a space adventurer who, after stealing a mysterious orb, finds himself the target of Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), a fanatical villain with plans to destroy the universe. To escape, the hero forms an unlikely alliance with four misfits: Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel). Brolin’s role as Thanos is small but significant.

This is another film that explores irreverent humor, charismatic characters, and a nostalgic soundtrack. The production is, to this day, one of the most successful in the MCU and considerably broadened the scope of the studio’s entire universe of superheroes. It’s also very easy to fall in love with characters who, compared to others, were less well known – they became favorites of many through the film. It’s an excellent movie in Brolin’s career, and his presence, although short, fulfills the role of establishing connections that would become very important later on.

Guardians of the Galaxy is available to stream on Disney+.

2. Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame (2019) is the culmination of more than a decade of interconnected narratives in the MCU. The film is the last with the original line-up of Avengers, revolving around a time-travel mission in which the heroes left behind by the Blip return to key moments in their own timelines to collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos does. With a totally impactful and unforgettable plot, Brolin’s participation is essential, especially at the end with the iconic battle between him and a host of heroes.

The movie broke records with over $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office, making history. Applauded for its ability to balance intense action with emotionally profound moments, it’s a satisfying conclusion to a variety of characters developed over the years. However, if you really consider the productions of Brolin’s career, this isn’t exactly what made him shine. Endgame is certainly the climax of an epic saga, but in this particular ranking, putting it second seems like the right thing to do.

Avengers: Endgame is available to stream on Disney+.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

When it comes to Josh Brolin’s best comic book movie, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) certainly takes the prize. This is because the production combines being one of the most relevant and memorable in the MCU with the size of the actor’s role in the narrative. The film is the third in the Avengers franchise and brings together an array of heroes. The story basically begins with Thanos and ends with him. In search of the Infinity Stones, the plot is divided into multiple groups of characters trying to stop him from completing his goal of decimating half the world’s population.

The movie serves as a precursor to its acclaimed sequel and is definitely a milestone in the history of cinema for the shocking success of the villain at the last minute. Brolin’s performance is fundamental in driving the whole story, almost acting as the central engine for everything to be cohesive. Not far from Endgame‘s success, Infinity War also surpassed the $2 billion mark at the box office, proving to be the actor’s best project in terms of adaptation.

Avengers: Infinity War is available to stream on Disney+.

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Elizabeth Olsen has confirmed she will not be appearing in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film, putting to rest fan speculation about Scarlet Witch’s potential return in the highly anticipated Multiverse Saga conclusion. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Olsen revealed that she has already returned to the United States after completing work on Sam Esmail’s Panic Carefully in London and is moving on to a different project entirely. This news is a significant development for Marvel fans who have theorized about Wanda Maximoff’s fate since her apparent demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The timing of the production schedules and Olsen’s clear statement about her immediate career plans effectively confirms that Scarlet Witch will not be among the heroes facing Doctor Doom in the 2026 blockbuster, despite the character’s deep connection to the multiverse narrative that has defined this phase of the MCU.

“No, I’m back [in the States],” Olsen said unequivocally when asked directly if the Russo brothers were extending her stay in London for the Avengers production. “I just finished [Panic Carefully]. I’m moving on to filming a pilot for FX [called Seven Sisters],” she added, explaining her future commitments beyond the MCU. Olsen’s straightforward answer contradicts widespread fan theories that Scarlet Witch would play a pivotal role in the upcoming Avengers films, especially considering her character’s reality-altering powers and her significance in the multiverse storyline established through WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Theory Predicts Spider-Man’s Pivotal Role After No Way Home]

The absence of Scarlet Witch from Avengers: Doomsday is surprising, considering Wanda’s central role in expanding the MCU’s understanding of alternate realities. After Wanda apparently sacrificed herself to destroy all copies of the Darkhold at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the character’s status has remained deliberately ambiguous. However, Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer revealed that she was specifically instructed to use the word “gone” rather than “dead” when referring to Wanda, suggesting Marvel has maintained flexibility regarding the character’s eventual return. During a November 2024 interview, Feige stated, “We are excited to find out when and how Scarlet Witch can return,” suggesting the Scarlet Witch would eventually make a comeback without committing to any specific timeline or project.

How Marvel Could Reintroduce Scarlet Witch Without Avengers: Doomsday

With Scarlet Witch now confirmed to be absent from Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios has several potential pathways for reintroducing the character that would maintain narrative coherence while honoring her previous development. The most obvious possibility would be saving her return for Avengers: Secret Wars, where her reality-warping abilities would be particularly relevant to a story about colliding universes. The Russo brothers have described their approach to the upcoming Avengers films as establishing “a new beginning” for the franchise, and Wanda’s return could serve as a bridge between phases of the MCU.

Another avenue for Wanda’s return exists through the upcoming Vision series, which continues the story of the synthezoid character last seen flying away in WandaVision. While few details about this project have been confirmed, the deeply intertwined stories of Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda make this series a natural entry point for reintroducing Scarlet Witch, potentially in a cameo that wouldn’t require the extended commitment of an Avengers film. This approach would allow Marvel to address Wanda’s fate while maintaining focus on Vision’s independent journey.

The groundwork laid in Agatha All Along provides yet another pathway for Wanda’s eventual return. The series established that Billy Maximoff has been reincarnated as William Kaplan, with the implication that Tommy exists somewhere in the world as well. The twins’ presence in the MCU creates a natural narrative pull for their mother to return, especially given that Wanda’s search for her children was the primary motivation for her actions in Multiverse of Madness. A storyline focused on the reunion of this magical family could serve as an emotionally resonant way to bring Scarlet Witch back into the fold.

Whatever route Marvel chooses, Olsen’s comments make it clear that fans will need to be patient for Scarlet Witch’s return. In the same interview, the actress also reflected on her approach to balancing Marvel roles with other projects. “I didn’t realize this until about six years ago, but because Marvel and its influence takes up so much physical time and space in the world, it’s really important for me to make choices outside of Marvel that reflect my own taste,” Olsen explained. “Your taste does create the artist that you are, and that wasn’t something I was thinking about when I first started working.”

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 7, 2027.

Would you like the Scarlet Witch to return to the MCU? Which project do you think is most likely to feature Elizabeth Olsen? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, hasn’t been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law aired its finale in October 2022, but fans think they know when the character will make her return. Actress Tatiana Maslany was one of the scheduled guests to attend Comic Con Liverpool 2025, which runs from May 3rd-4th. Sadly for people hoping to see the She-Hulk star at the convention, she had to cancel that appearance due to what Comic Con Liverpool’s official social media refers to as “filming commitments.” In the post, it was confirmed that fans who already paid for photo ops and/or autographs will be refunded.

Because of this, Marvel fans are starting to think She-Hulk will be part of Avengers: Doomsday. Comic Con Liverpool coincides with principal photography on the massive MCU blockbuster, so many are theorizing that if Maslany has to skip the event due to “filming commitments,” odds are it’s to shoot her role in Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo plan to begin production in the near future, and filming will run through the summer before the cast and crew take a break prior to reconvening for Secret Wars. Even though shooting starts soon, a full official Doomsday cast has not been announced at this time. Fans have pieced the ensemble together through various confirmations from stars like Anthony Mackie and Benedict Cumberbatch. The cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps will also be reprising their roles.

[RELATED – Daredevil: Born Again Ignores She-Hulk With Matt’s New Love Interest]

Earlier this month, Avengers concept art leaked online, and one of the images clearly depicts Bruce Banner and Jen Walters in what appears to be a period setting. This led fans to believe that She-Hulk would factor into the Doomsday narrative somehow. However, the Russo brothers later clarified the artwork is not from their pair of upcoming Avengers films and nothing has been spoiled.

Maslany does have a few non-Marvel projects in pre-production listed on her IMDb page, so it’s possible one of those has taken a step forward and will begin shooting soon. That said, her cancelation happening so closely to the start of Avengers: Doomsday production feels too big to be just a coincidence. The Russos have said that “anybody” who’s a part of the MCU is fair game to return for these Avengers movies, so it wouldn’t be surprising if She-Hulk had a part to play. Bruce is one of the few Original Six Avengers left still active in the MCU, and it would be strange if he was on the sidelines during a significant event like Doctor Doom’s arrival. And if Bruce comes back, it’d only be logical for his super-powered cousin to join the fray as well. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet, so Marvel could opt to use Doomsday as a means of continuing Jen’s story.

If that happens, it will be interesting to see how She-Hulk fits into the overall narrative of an Avengers movie. Fourth-wall breaking was an integral part of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and that aspect would likely have to be tuned down for something like Doomsday. Jen talking to the camera fits within the framework of a comedy, but might be jarring in a story with dire stakes — even considering Marvel’s penchant for injecting levity into films and TV shows. Unfortunately, fans might have to wait a bit before finding out if their theories about Maslany’s return are true. The Russos are going the extra mile to ensure there are no set leaks during Doomsday production, so it sounds like casting information won’t be revealed until the studio is ready to share it.

The post Why Marvel Fans Think She-Hulk Returns in Avengers: Doomsday (Could They Be Right?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo are coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but they almost passed on the opportunity. In an interview with Omelete, the two discussed how their return to the franchise came to be. They shared that it was Kevin Feige’s idea to bring back Robert Downey Jr. as villain Doctor Doom, which initially wasn’t enough of a reason for the Russos to sign on. Despite Downey’s attempts to convince them, the brothers opted to turn it down since they couldn’t crack the story. It wasn’t until screenwriter Stephen McFeely came to them with an idea that they saw the potential.

“Then Robert tried to talk us into doing [the Avengers movies] and we said ‘no,'” Joe Russo said. “Weirdly, because we said we wouldn’t come back. We just didn’t have a story. We didn’t have a way in. We were resistant for a while.”

Russo later explained how McFeely helped the directors change their minds. “One day, Stephen McFeely, one of our chief collaborators, said, ‘I have an idea.’ We went, ‘That’s the story!’ That story has to be told; it’s a really powerful story!”

[RELATED – Avengers Directors Tease RDJ’s Take on Doctor Doom (& Claim No One Else Could Do It)]

The Russos have mentioned that a main reason why they returned to make Doomsday and Secret Wars is to help the MCU get back to telling a central, focused narrative. They intend to challenge audiences with the films’ story, bringing together a multitude of Marvel characters for the fight against Doctor Doom. Interestingly, while the upcoming Avengers movies serve as the culmination of the Multiverse Saga, the Russos consider them a “new beginning” for the franchise.

Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled to open in theaters in May 2026. Production will start in the near future. The cast has not been officially announced, but we know it includes the likes of Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, the stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and more. Secret Wars, which films next summer, follows with a 2027 premiere.

The Russos have been behind some of the best-received MCU films, and with that track record, it makes sense story would be the driving force behind their decision to come back. While the prospect of reuniting with Downey on an Avengers movie was probably tantalizing, it’s encouraging to know the Russos resisted the temptation until the right plot was in place. Doomsday will be juggling several elements as it introduces audiences to Doctor Doom and picks up on various narrative threads from other MCU projects. Having a tight, focused narrative established is paramount. More than most filmmakers, the Russos know what makes these Marvel films work, and it would have been a shame if they came back just for a quick paycheck. The MCU desperately needs Doomsday to be a success, and it sounds like the Russos have the right approach.

Obviously, specific details about the story are being kept under wraps for the time being. However, the Russos have hinted that Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame factors into Doctor Doom’s arc, which sheds some light on how Marvel will address Downey’s surprise return to the franchise. It will be very fascinating to see how Doomsday unfolds when it debuts next summer. There’s clearly a lot of potential for an intriguing, epic story uniting all corners of the multiverse, and if anyone can pull that off, it’s the Russos.

The post Why The Russo Bros. Almost Turned Down Avengers: Doomsday (and What Changed Their Minds) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new rumor has recently surfaced that Avengers: Doomsday could feature appearances from various animated Marvel characters, including major figures from What If…? like The Watcher. According to the rumor, rather than translating these icons into flesh-and-blood actors like was previously done in Peggy Carter’s Multiverse of Madness appearance, these characters will manifest as cartoon characters interacting with live-action figures and realms like in the classic movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. What might sound like a bizarre new feat in visual MCU storytelling could actually be business as usual for the franchise. But which Marvel characters would actually work in that context?

After all, the Avengers ranks already include fully animated characters like Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Meanwhile, fully animated figures like Thanos, Korg, and Kro (among many others) have played pivotal roles in various MCU stories. This would just be a lateral move from that MCU standard. Still, this Avengers: Doomsday rumor signals characters from fully animated Marvel properties could be coming to a massive live-action Marvel Studios blockbuster. There are five animated characters from the Marvel animated multiverse that could show up in Doomsday. Don’t just exploit animated MCU characters from Disney+, let’s go wild with the idea of any animated Marvel character showing up in an Avengers blockbuster!

Kahhori from What If…?

This rumor about animated characters in Avengers: Doomsday already indicates What If…?’s Kahhori (Devery Jacobs) will be back for this big MCU team-up adventure. However, it really can’t be overstated enough that, if any MCU animated character should join the live-action side of the franchise (yes, even more so than any X-Men ’97 character), it should be Kahhori. Easily the standout figure in What If…?, Kahhori’s episode could’ve easily informed a captivating feature-length live-action movie. This rich character would be a fascinating addition to the grander live-action MCU mythos. Plus her power set (which includes, among other attributes, leaving blue streaks behind as she springs into action) delightfully leans into the stylized possibilities of animation. In other words, make Kahhori a priority character in Avengers: Doomsday pronto.

Baymax from Big Hero 6

Save for one background easter egg reference in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature Big Hero 6 has firmly stayed in its own universe despite also being based on Marvel Comics characters. Perhaps throwing in six more people into Avengers: Doomsday would overwhelm the story. However, why not get just Baymax back for a multiversal cameo appearance, especially since he was already brought back for a series of 2022 Disney+ shorts? This charming automaton is such a delightful creation that his presence, no matter how brief it is, could be enjoyable. Plus, Baymax showing up in Doomsday could finally unite the disparate corners of the big-screen Disney/Marvel empire.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Directors Agree The MCU Needs a More Focused Central Story]

Spider-Ham from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse already saw the villainous The Spot briefly interacting with a live-action Venom character. It’s time to take this to the next level and, providing Sony/Columbia Pictures agreed to a licensing deal, bring a Spider-Verse character into the live-action MCU for a cameo appearance. What better pick for this than Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), the scene-stealing porker from Into the Spider-Verse? This kind of cameo wouldn’t disrupt the larger Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy plotlines from Across the Spider-Verse. Spider-Ham could just be his delightful self-contained goofy self in Doomsday and reaffirm the endless possibilities of the multiverse.

Firestar from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

Much like Harley Quinn first appeared in DC media through the TV program Batman: The Animated Series, the Marvel superhero Firestar first appeared in the 1981 kid’s cartoon Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends rather than in the comics. This mutant would soon migrate to the world of comics, but her origins lie in the small screen. If Avengers: Doomsday is bringing Marvel characters from fully-animated properties into live-action movies, why not showcase the rare superhero to debut in the animation medium? Plus, the MCU is beginning to more heavily exploit mutants, a strain of humanity Firestar is firmly a part of. Don’t just let Doomsday showcase modern animated Marvel characters housed on Disney+. Let Firestar have her day in the sun, preferably realized in a scraggly animation style paying homage to her low-budget NBC origins.

The Wasp/Janet Van Dyne from The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

Making sure the Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes incarnation of Janet Van Dyne/The Wasp (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) shows up in Avengers: Doomsday could be an exciting appearance that accomplishes multiple tasks at once. For starters, the excellent Earth’s Mightiest Heroes show is a criminally underrated property deserving of high-profile recognition like reverberating into a live-action Avengers blockbuster movie. However, there’s also the acting retirement of Evangeline Lilly, the performer behind the MCU’s live-action Wasp (albeit the Hope van Dyne incarnation). With Lilly no longer performing, the MCU needs a Wasp to bounce off of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. Why not use the influx of animated Marvel characters in Doomsday to integrate The Wasp from Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into the broader MCU? Now this could be some productive fan-service!

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is now streaming on Disney+, Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026.

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After bringing the three-phase Infinity Saga to an end with 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, directors Anthony and Joe Russo are describing 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars as a “beginning.” The Robert Downey Jr.-fronted Avengers sequels will conclude the Multiverse Saga spanning such films as 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, drawing from both the 1984 Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars and the 2015 multiversal crossover comic storyline Secret Wars.

“We got to get immersed in a 20-movie arc and see an ending to that arc,” Joe Russo told Omelette about Infinity War and Endgame closing out a decade of MCU movies. “What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning — it’s a new beginning.”

“We told an ending story, and now we’re going to tell a beginning story, and who knows where we’ll go from there. Maybe it’ll be another five years,” he added of the Russo’s break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Following their four-film, five-year run — 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, 2018’s Infinity War and 2019’s Endgame — the duo turned their attention toward their production company AGBO (which includes Captain America and Avengers co-writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as their co-presidents of story).

The Russo brothers directed the Tom Holland-led drama Cherry, the Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans action-thriller The Gray Man, and the just-released sci-fi robot movie The Electric State, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.

“Those four [Marvel] movies that we did were, frankly, in like a seven-year timeframe,” Joe Russo continued. “It’s one of the craziest runs you could possibly go on. That was really intense, it was exhausting. We shot Infinity War and Endgame back-to-back with four weeks off between the two. [Anthony] got pneumonia between the two. They were physically demanding movies. As soon as you wrap the movie, you’re in post while you’re prepping the next one, then you’re on a press tour for six weeks flying around the world, talking to press every day for six weeks, [then] back to set, onto the next one. And we did this over and over again for seven years.”

“We just needed a break,” he added. “Sometimes you have to just step away in order to see the path forward from there.” That time and perspective showed them the way forward: with former Iron Man actor Downey also returning to the MCU, this time as the villainous Victor von Doom.

“The only thing that brought us back was the right story,” Joe said. Added Anthony, “We got to direct things that were different and similar from the work we were doing at Marvel. We got to direct Cherry, and The Gray Man, and now The Electric State, but also with our company AGBO, we were producing as well.”

As producers shepherding such projects as the Chadwick Boseman action-thriller 21 Bridges, the Chris Hemsworth-starring action flick Extraction, and the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Russos thought Endgame was their sendoff from the MCU. But like Nick Fury said of forming the Avengers: There was an idea…

“Even though we said [we were done] five years ago, really, we didn’t know what our road forward was in the MCU. After we’d finished Endgame, we weren’t sure about what it was,” Anthony Russo said. “What happened was a creative idea just came to us, and that ended up feeling like the right idea. So it motivated us to do it again. I’ll say we feel like we have something fresh, we feel like we have a story that’s important to be told.”

“We have an amazing group of collaborators again — some old and some new — and we’re very excited,” he continued, adding that these are “difficult” movies with “a lot of expectations.”

“Endgame was 2019, before the pandemic, before that changed theater-going. And so we know there’s a lot riding on [Doomsday and Secret Wars] — for us, for fans, for everybody, moviegoers,” he said.

The Russos return to Marvel Studios as it navigates the final stages of phase 5 (which will end with Thunderbolts* in May) and the first steps of phase 6 (which will begin with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July).

Although the Russos have dubbed Doomsday and Secret Wars as “a new beginning,” Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige had another name for the post-Avengers saga: Marvel’s Mutant Era.

Avengers: Doomsday is set for May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

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The Russo brothers just made an interesting comment on Doctor Doom’s impending MCU debut, and his connection to Iron Man. The duo are on a press tour right now promoting their new movie The Electric State as well as the start of production on Avengers: Doomsday, where Robert Downey Jr. will return to the franchise to play Victor von Doom. In an interview with The Times published this weekend, they declined to answer a question about Doom’s story, but in the process, they may have revealed how much is really going on here. They seemed to imply that there is a strong connection between the Iron Man we lost in Endgame and the Doctor Doom we’re meeting in Avengers: Doomsday.

Asked how Downey Jr. could return as Doom after dying as Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, Anthony Russo reportedly grinned. “We can’t explain that as it’s part of the story,” he said. “But there’s nobody else in the world who could play this character the way he’s about to.”

This definitely makes it sound like the MCU won’t ignore the resemblance between Tony Stark and Victor von Doom, which makes sense. A casting choice this huge — and this expensive — couldn’t simply be an Easter egg, especially in an arc called the Multiverse Saga. However, the mechanics connecting the Tony of Earth-616 to this version of Victor from an alternate reality are a mystery, and there are a lot of options.

[RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?)]

The obvious risk of connecting these two characters is that it might tarnish or cheapen the story of Iron Man laid out in the Infinity Saga. He was a pillar of that arc, and his sacrifice in the end really signified that the story was over, and the MCU was moving on to something new. By adding on some kind of multiverse parallel, rebirth, or whatever else they’re going for could detract from the finality of sacrifice, depending on how it’s done.

On the other hand, if anyone can handle the challenge, it’s the Russo brothers. The directors saw the MCU through its grand climax last time, and fans certainly seem excited to have them back. As tantalizing as this hint is, there’s still not enough information about the MCU’s Doom to make any confident guesses about what’s coming. That may change this summer with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but even then, we don’t know whether we’ll meet Doom in that movie or not.

The Electric State is streaming now on Netflix. The next MCU release is Thunderbolts, hitting theaters on May 6th. Avengers: Doomsday goes into production next month and is scheduled to debut on May 1, 2026.

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The directors of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars have revealed one of their primary motivations for returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Anthony and Joe Russo acknowledged that the MCU has grown unwieldy in recent years and explicitly stated that bringing a “more central narrative” back to the franchise was a key factor in their decision to helm the upcoming Multiverse Saga conclusion. This candid admission comes as production for Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin this summer in the United Kingdom, with the film serving as one of the final chapters in the current phase of Marvel storytelling before culminating in Secret Wars in 2027. The Russo brothers, who previously directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, are returning to the MCU after a five-year absence during which the franchise expanded significantly across both theatrical releases and Disney+ streaming series.

“Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue,” Anthony Russo explained. “But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back.” This statement echoes concerns raised by both critics and fans regarding the increasingly fragmented storytelling across the MCU’s numerous projects since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Theory Predicts Spider-Man’s Pivotal Role After No Way Home]

“Well, we love the genre,” Anthony also said about the duo’s involvement in comic book media. “Some people wrote it off as a less comprehensive form of storytelling that’s more for children. But we think of it as relevant for adults, if it is treated with maturity and complexity. That’s really all it is — a commitment to storytelling.”

How the Russo Brothers Plan to Refocus the MCU’s Sprawling Narrative

The Russo brothers’ commitment to reestablishing a focused central narrative represents a potential course correction for Marvel Studios, which has faced increasing criticism for its expansive and sometimes disconnected storytelling since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. Following Avengers: Endgame, the MCU dramatically expanded its scope, introducing dozens of new characters across both theatrical releases and Disney+ series while simultaneously exploring multiverse concepts through projects like Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This expansion, while ambitious, has resulted in a narrative landscape that many viewers have found challenging to follow.

The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday will be filmed in the United Kingdom under the working title “For All Time Productions UK,” a reference to the popular line from the Loki series. This connection to Loki suggests the Russos may be looking to incorporate the groundwork laid by the Disney+ series into their more focused narrative approach, potentially bringing together disparate story threads from across the multiverse. The production is expected to be substantial, with Joe Russo previously suggesting an approximate runtime of two and a half hours for Doomsday and three hours for Secret Wars — comparable to their previous Marvel films Infinity War (149 minutes) and Endgame (181 minutes).

With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom, alongside a cast that’s expected to include Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, and the new Fantastic Four introduced in this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the directors will need to balance numerous character arcs while establishing Doctor Doom as the central threat of the Multiverse Saga. This task is particularly challenging given that Doom is being introduced relatively late in the saga, unlike Thanos (Josh Brolin), who was teased throughout multiple films before taking center stage in Infinity War.

The shift from Kang the Conqueror to Doctor Doom as the saga’s primary antagonist, followed Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. While Kang had been established through appearances in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Doctor Doom remains largely unknown to MCU audiences, requiring the directors to efficiently introduce and develop the character while simultaneously bringing together the numerous narrative threads that have unfolded across Phase Four and beyond.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 7, 2027.

Do you think the Russo Brothers will manage to tie every loose MCU thread? Are you excited about the upcoming Avengers movies? Let us know in the comments!

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Joe and Anthony Russo are well-known to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as they have helmed some of the best films in the franchise: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. MCU devotees have been pretty vocal about what they believe to be a decline in the quality of the franchise’s output since the Russo brothers left, which made the announcement of their return a welcome relief to some. The brothers will helm the highly-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which are set to conclude the Multiverse Saga. Even more interesting is that Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. is also returning to the franchise – though he’ll be playing Marvel villain Doctor Doom this time around.

While some have questioned whether Downey Jr. is the best one for the job, the Russo brothers are confident that he’s more than up for the task. In an interview with The Times, the Russos remained tight-lipped about how they’re bringing the actor back, especially since Iron Man died during Endgame’s climax. “We can’t explain that as it’s part of the story,” Anthony said. “But there’s nobody else in the world who could play this character the way he’s about to.”

Fans have been speculating quite a bit about how the MCU will justify casting Downey Jr. as the infamous villain. The obvious solution is that the multiverse will be a key part of the character’s presence, with Marvel perhaps making this Doom a variant of Tony Stark (or vice versa). The comment by Anthony Russo above will clearly be used as fuel for that fire, but the film itself is still at least a year away.

[RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?)]

Speculation persists that we may not have to wait too long to see the actor as his new Marvel character. Rumors have swirled online already that Downey Jr. will appear as Doom in the upcoming film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as he has long been the archnemesis of Marvel’s First Family since his debut in 1962’s Fantastic Four #5. With the wait for that movie now just a few months away, we’ll know if that pans out sooner rather than later.

Marvel Studios has released several films since the Russo brothers’ departure that have flopped with audiences and critics alike, fueling the growing sentiment that superhero fatigue is creeping into the mainstream. However, the siblings aren’t buying it, pointing to the overall financial success of the MCU. Anthony talked to The Times about “this argument that Marvel movies were killing cinema. Well, Marvel movies seemed to be keeping cinemas open for quite a long time.”

Restoring the MCU to its former glory will be a big task for the Russo brothers. But the promise of bringing back one of the franchise’s most beloved actors to play one of comics’ most iconic villains may just do the trick.

What do you think about Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom? Let us know in the comments below!

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Paul Rudd is open to reprising his role as Ant-Man in Avengers: Doomsday, but claims that he hasn’t heard anything official yet. However, in that same interview with Collider, Rudd gave a sly response indicating that he might be keeping some MCU secrets right now. The actor is currently promoting his new movie Death of a Unicorn, but it’s hard to imagine the Multiverse Saga reaching its climax without Scott Lang pulling it all together. Rudd would also be a familiar face for Robert Downey Jr. and directors the Russo brothers, all of whom are returning to the MCU for Doomsday.

“As far as the Russos, they have my number,” Rudd said when asked if he had a part in the movie. “They know where I’m at, and that’s all I can say. I don’t really know how to play these things.” Rudd has not been added to the official cast of Doomsday yet, but in fairness, very few stars have been. We know for sure that the Fantastic Four will appear in the film along with Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch. There are reports that Wyatt Russell will reprise his role as John Walker while Hayley Atwell will reprise her role as Peggy Carter.

Still, Avengers: Doomsday begins filming next month in London, and it will be hard to keep the casting a secret if many MCU stars are suddenly spotted traveling to the city. When asked if he had any plans to visit London in April, Rudd reportedly gave a coy smile. “Isn’t everyone traveling to London soon now in this business?” he said.

[RELATED: 5 Marvel Villains That Could Save the MCU’s Next Phase]

Doomsday will feature the MCU’s newly-cast Fantastic Four, though we won’t see them on the big screen until The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres in July. That lineup is Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. Downey Jr.’s casting is no secret — it was the grand announcement of San Diego Comic-Con, after all — and Cumberbatch confirmed back in January that he will be reprising his role as Dr. Strange in Doomsday as well.

Beyond that, all the casting rumors about this movie are confused, contradictory, and speculative. Still, we should expect this year’s trio of MCU films to give us more clues. Captain America: Brave New World included plenty of rumblings about assembling a new team of Avengers, and Thunderbolts is looking like an all-star team-up for the heroes of this era. All we need now is a hint about the multiverse travel that will bring our characters into contact with the Fantastic Four.

Captain America: Brave New World is still playing in many theaters around the U.S. Thunderbolts debuts on Friday, May 2, followed The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th. Avengers: Doomsday goes into production next month and is slated for release on May 1st, 2026.

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The casting of Jonathan Majors as Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was going to set up the MCU with its next grand villain, but all that changed after Majors was convicted of assaulting and harassing ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. Marvel fired Majors and has since moved forward with a different plan, and in a recent interview with THR about Majors’ new film Magazine Dreams, Majors opened up about the moment he found out that Marvel had cut ties with him.

That moment took place shortly after the trial where Majors learned the jury had convicted him of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment. In the interview Majors reveals that in the car after the trial, a member of his legal team turned to him and gave him the news of Marvel’s decision.

Majors remembers the moment, saying, “He goes, ‘I’m just gonna tell you now. That way you’re not surprised, and you can start processing it. They fired you. Marvel fired you.'”

When asked about the time during and immediately after the trial, which saw Majors dropped by his manager and publicity firm as well as Marvel, Majors said, “There were days when it was like, ‘Is this real?’ It’s a heartbreak like I’ve never experienced and it just compounded and compounded.”

[RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?)]

Now Majors will have his new project Magazine Dreams hitting theaters on March 21st, though it’s not really new per se, as it was debuted at Sundance more than two years ago. Majors is also reading scripts and taking meetings, including one for a superhero-related project. “No relation to the big guys, DC or Marvel, but a pretty wicked story,” Major said. “I’m glad to be reading.”

Regarding Marvel, they have since changed plans considerably. Not only did Marvel bring the Russo Bros. back to helm the next Avengers films, but they also revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that Robert Downey Jr. would also be returning, but not in the role of Iron Man. Instead, he is returning as Doctor Doom, who will be the next big villain for the Marvel Universe.

What do you think of what Majors had to say? Let us know in the comments.

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The working title for Avengers: Doomsday has a sneaky connection to the Loki Disney+ series. A lot is riding on Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers making their triumphant returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Downey Jr. is portraying the iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom, and the Russo Brothers are directing Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Avengers: Doomsday was previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but after Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors got in legal trouble, Marvel pivoted to Doctor Doom as its central villain of the Multiverse Saga. Even with Kang in the rearview mirror, Avengers: Doomsday still references the time-travel villain with its secret working title.

Forbes ran an article breaking down the massive spending Marvel Studios is having to do on Avengers: Doomsday. While covering Marvel Studios’ ups and downs over the last several years post-Avengers: Endgame, the outlet reveals that instead of filming in the United States, Avengers: Doomsday is filming in the U.K. to receive cash reimbursement. To qualify for this reimbursement, companies typically set up a separate Film Production Company (FPC) so they can show how much money is going into the project. The production name Marvel has chosen for Avengers: Doomsday is For All Time Productions UK, a reference to the popular line in Loki.

[RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?)

“For All Time” was often used by members of the Time Variance Authority, the clandestine group tasked with protecting all of the various timelines and alternate universes that exist in the MCU. Jonathan Majors made his MCU debut in the season finale of Loki‘s first season, and later returned in the second season of the Disney+ series. For All Time Productions is a nod to time-travel elements fans can expect in Avengers: Doomsday.

The highly-anticipated Marvel movie recently had some of its concept art leaked online, showing designs for Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, the Young Avengers, Fantastic Four, and more. Joe and Anthony Russo commented on the leaks, claiming the art isn’t from either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.

“No, because that artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars,” Joe Russo said, with Anthony Russo adding, “Nothing spoiling in there. That’s not our concept art.”

Some of the more compelling elements of the Avengers: Doomsday concept art include looks at Doctor Doom’s armor, a variant of T’Challa’s Black Panther in Wakanda, future Young Avengers Ms. Marvel, Wiccan, Speed, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), and Stature/Stinger alongside Wong and Star-Lord, and a new bromance between Star-Lord and White Vision.

Avengers: Doomsday is expected to begin filming this summer, with several big-name Marvel actors returning to reprise their roles. Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie has spoken about the film, and Benedict Cumberbatch is also returning as Doctor Strange.

What do you think about Avengers: Doomsday using the working title of For All Time? Let us know your thoughts on the choice in the comments below!

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t what it once was, and a lot of that has to do with villains – or lack thereof. The first three phases of the MCU had the benefit of all fitting under the umbrella of one over-arching villain threat: Thanos the Mad Titan and his unrelenting quest for the Infinity Stones. However, ever since “The Infinity Saga” ended with Avengers: Endgame, there’s been little in the way of a coherent overarching narrative, or a villain to serve as the big bad threat lurking in the wings. Marvel Studios pulled the hail mary of a lifetime pivoting from Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror to Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, the villain who will bring the current “Multiverse Saga” of the MCU to a close, with the releases of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. After Secret Wars, the franchise will get a soft reboot that will open the door to a whole new MCU status quo, one where mutants like the X-Men and superpowered families like the Fantastic Four stand alongside the Avengers in one shared reality.

When the MCU enters its new era with Phase Seven, there will be a whole new chance to introduce actual game-changing villains that can carry the franchise forward in significant ways, and have an arc that lasts longer than just one film or TV series.

Here are the Top 5 Marvel Villains That Could Save the MCU’s Next Phase.

Mr. Sinister

Nathaniel Essex was a brilliant 19th century English scientist and geneticist, who became obsessed with charting mankind’s path toward ultimate ascension. Essex’s brilliance in evolutionary theory attracted the ancient mutant warlord Apocalypse, who artificially mutated the human man into his first lieutenant (or “prelate”) tasked with charting and/or genetically manipulating the strongest mutant bloodlines to create Apocalypse’s ideal class of warrior-survivalists. Instead, Essex created four clones and sent them out into the world on four different paths towards godhood: the clone tasked with finding omnipotent power through mutant genetics became known as “Mister Sinister,” and has been a scourge on mutants, ever since.

The expanded mythos around Sinister, Essex, and the other clones (established in X-Men’s “Krakoa Era”) has only added more qualification for the character to be a villain who has been secretly observing and/or influencing events in the MCU, for centuries. Sinister could be a key character in explaining why the mutant gene was overlooked for so long, or why mutants will be such a pivotal species in the new MCU franchise. As X-Men comic fans know, Sinister has a penchant for manipulating events from the shadows until it’s time to make a big play (like rewriting all of reality in his dark image – or actually achieving some measure of godhood), which is perfect for a slow-burn big bad.

Annihilus

Annihilus is an insectoid alien and warmongering Nihilstic conqueror who hails from the mysterious pocket dimension realm of the Negative Zone. Fearing only death itself, Annihilus obtained the artifact known as the Cosmic Control Rod, which increased his own strength and durability, gave him control over all kinds of cosmic energies and radiation, and extended his life well beyond its natural span. Annihilus’ only mission is invading other universes (using his dreaded “Annihilation Wave” fleet) and seizing any power that will increase his own, or further preserve his life. Period.

The cosmic side of the MCU is in desperate need of overhaul. It has so many film and TV series that belong under its tent (the Thor movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy, Eternals, Captain Marvel, The Marvel, Secret Invasion, Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame) but no real cohesive ties between them, and no overall narrative guiding it. Annihilus can change all that. Marvel’s “Annihilation War” event remains one of the most beloved cosmic story arcs ever done. The villain presents a straightforward threat to the entire Marvel Universe – one that can take its sweet time heading toward Earth, and would require the F4, Avengers, and all those aforementioned cosmic figures to rally together. “Annihilation” could finally deliver the MCU cosmic event fans deserve.

Molecule Man

There is one character who has been closely tied to Marvel’s “Secret Wars” events: Owen Reece, The Molecule Man. Reece began as a technician at a nuclear power plant; an accident with an unknown form of radiation mutated his cells, giving Reece the godlike power to control all matter at a molecular level, or be in tune with any matter he focuses on. It was later revealed that Reece’s transformation was actually the work of the otherworldly beings known as The Beyonders, who established “The Molecule Man” as a singularity in every reality – a living matter-bomb capable of erasing an entire reality upon detonation.

In the version of Secret Wars from the 2010s, God-Emperor Doom uses Molecule Man’s power to stitch together his “Battleworld” reality, made from fragmented remnants of different Marvel universes. With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars essentially recreating that story, it seems like Molecule Man would be a key villain to feature in those two event films – and then, keep around afterward, lurking somewhere in the cosmos, as a living “reset button” that can pushed on the franchise at any time – or a means to giving fans more alt-universe or character variant stories on a smaller scale.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Directors Address That Concept Art Leak]

Apocalypse

By now, almost every Marvel fan knows about Apocalypse, aka “En Sabah Nur,” the Egyptian slave who became the first known mutant of the Second Generation era. After conquering Ancient Egypt, Apocalypse moved to the sentient island of Okkara and created a society of all-powerful mutants along with his wife Genesis. When half the island was lost in a war between mutants and a demonic realm (Amenth), Apocalypse stayed behind on Earth to seal the portal, losing his true family in the process. Apocalypse spent the subsequent centuries trying to push modern mutants to become fierce warriors and survivors like his first clan – often leading to futures where he leads the world (humans, mutants, and even machines) into an all-consuming conflict.

Apocalypse is the villain that should’ve been a big bad in the Fox X-Men movies from the very start. Not only is he complex, compelling, and full of deep lore – his backstory also crosses with Kang, the Fantastic Four, and countless other Marvel characters and events. Once the Mutiverse Saga is over, it stands to reason that the next big threat in the MCU will involve time (again). The fact that Apocalypse can exist in the past, present, and future makes him an ever-present threat to the timeline, immediately giving the MCU a whole new set of stakes: avoiding an apocalyptic future like the infamous “Age of Apocalypse.” We can all just forget about that X-Men: Apocalypse movie. That wasn’t it.

The Maker

Fantastic Four: First Steps is a movie that will introduce Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic to the MCU; however, Pascal’s casting has had hardcore Marvel fans thirsting to see him in another role: Reed Richards’ maniacal variant, The Maker. The Maker started as the Reed of Marvel’s original “Ultimate Universe” reality (Earth-1610) – the home of Miles Morales and others. That Reed started out with the Fantastic Four at a younger age, but eventually became obsessed with improving the world, eventually assaulting Sue Storm and turning on his other teammates Johnny and Ben. The Maker advanced his own evolution by 1,000 years and used his genius to survive the incursion of his reality during Secret Wars, making it to Doom’s Battleworld, and even surviving being essentially ‘unmade’ by Molecule Man, through the use of back-up bodies hidden across the multiverse. Most recently, The Maker escaped custody and created his own version of a new Ultimate Marvel Universe (Earth-6160), in which he stopped (or rather delayed) the origins of most Marvel heroes, and left the world controlled by a leadership council comprised of villains, corrupted heroes, and religious fanatics.

The Maker is without a doubt one of the greatest villain threats in modern Marvel Comics. With Jonathan Majors’ Kang and his Council of Kangs having been dumped by the MCU, an evil Reed Richards possibly being the sole surviving variant of the Marvel Multiverse would be an exciting prospect – especially if he follows the comics and creates a dark new “Ultimate MCU” lane of the franchise.

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026; Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on May 7, 2027.

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Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars Joe and Anthony Russo break their silence on the recently leaked Marvel concept art, ensuring fans that nothing from the upcoming movies has been spoiled. In a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaking siblings were asked about the concept art, which seemingly revealed numerous details about the Multiverse Saga’s epic conclusion. The Russos explained that they are not concerned about the artwork circulating online, saying it’s not from their upcoming films. While their responses were brief, they made it clear fans have not been spoiled.

“No, because that artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars,” Joe said. Anthony added, “Nothing spoiling in there. That’s not our concept art.”

Earlier this month, the leaked concept art made headlines, showing everything from Star-Lord and Vision hanging around the house to a possible Young Avengers team-up and a new Black Panther variant in Wakanda. The images were originally posted on Marvel artist Mushk Rizvi’s Artstation page and were quickly deleted, which is what convinced fans that these were pieces of Doomsday and/or Secret Wars concept art.

[RELATED – Avengers: Secret Wars Directors Reveals Which Comics Will Inspire the New Movie]

Production on Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin later this year, ahead of its 2026 release date. Marvel star Anthony Mackie, who is reprising Captain America in both Avengers films, has said the plan is for Secret Wars to film this summer. The Russos have said their goal is to “challenge” audiences with the story, which promises to bring various corners of the MCU Multiverse together.

It is plausible that the Russos are attempting to downplay the severity of the leaks in an attempt to throw fans off the scent. After all, some of the concept art seems like it would definitely be for Doomsday (see: the image of Doctor Doom sitting on a throne), and the directors could be trying to do everything they can to preserve the film’s surprises. Still, the Russos’ comments do raise questions about the artwork’s origins. It is possible the images are from other projects; the Black Panther artwork could easily be a concept for Black Panther 3, and the Star-Lord and Vision image might be for the upcoming Vision TV series. Something else to keep in mind is that Doomsday is not the only version of Avengers 5 that exists. For a period of time, the film was going to be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and perhaps some of those images are from then, before Marvel shifted its focus to Doomsday.

Fans likely won’t know for sure how accurate the Doomsday concept art is until the film’s marketing campaign starts to rev up and we see official footage and images. The Russos are going to do everything in their power to minimize the risk of leaks during production, meaning unsanctioned set photos and videos could be limited. It’ll be interesting to see how Doomsday pans out. Those closely following the film’s development will be on the lookout for any differences between the finished film and this leaked concept art.

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The Russo brothers have confirmed they will draw inspiration from multiple comic book runs for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Secret Wars. In a recent interview with TechRadar, the directing duo revealed they plan to incorporate elements from both the original 1984 “Secret Wars” limited series and Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 reimagining of the story. This announcement provides the first concrete details about the creative direction for the highly anticipated film scheduled for May 2027, which will serve as the culmination of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. The decision to draw from both comic iterations suggests Marvel Studios is planning an ambitious crossover event that could potentially incorporate characters and storylines spanning decades of Marvel Comics history.

“Well, we always create our own version of the story,” Joe Russo explained when asked about Avengers: Secret Wars. “So, we use the comics as loose inspiration.” The director went on to reveal his personal connection to the source material, adding, “But, you know, I grew up on the original run. That’s something that got me into Marvel comic books. The Hickman run is also fantastic [and they’re] very different from each other in a lot of ways, so we’ll draw inspiration from both of them.”

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Theory Predicts Spider-Man’s Pivotal Role After No Way Home]

The two “Secret Wars” comic events represent dramatically different approaches to large-scale crossovers. The 1984 original, created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, featured a cosmic entity called the Beyonder who transported Marvel heroes and villains to a patchwork planet called Battleworld to fight for his amusement. In contrast, Hickman’s 2015 version centered on the collision of multiple universes in “incursion” events, leading to the destruction of the multiverse and the creation of a new Battleworld ruled by Doctor Doom as a god-like emperor. By drawing from both storylines, the Russos appear to be crafting a framework that could accommodate the sprawling narrative threads established throughout the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

Avengers: Secret Wars Is Marvel’s Most Ambitious Film Yet

The Russos’ confirmation about drawing from both Secret Wars shed new light on recently leaked concept art for Avengers: Doomsday. Created by Marvel Studios concept artist Mushk Rizni, the images have revealed potential plot elements and character appearances that align with the “Secret Wars” comic storylines. The leaked art depicts Doctor Doom seated on a throne, suggesting the character may indeed achieve the god-like status he enjoyed in Hickman’s 2015 run. 

Other images show various groupings of characters, including the Hulk, She-Hulk, Doctor Strange, and intriguingly, members of the Young Avengers — Wiccan, Speed, Cassie Lang, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel — alongside Star-Lord and Wong in what appears to be a bar setting. Particularly telling is the appearance of an older Black Panther, speculated to be T’Chaka rather than T’Challa, suggesting alternate timeline or multiversal variants will play a significant role. The concept art also shows White Vision, a character whose arc was left unresolved in WandaVision, indicating the Russos’ plan to incorporate storylines from Disney+ shows into the theatrical releases.

Production for Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin next month in London, with the directors planning a “standard-length shoot” of approximately six months. Unlike their approach to Infinity War and Endgame, which were filmed back-to-back, Secret Wars won’t begin production until summer 2026 — a full year after Doomsday wraps. This extended timeline reflects the massive scale of both projects and allows the directing team to focus on one film at a time.

The cast for the Avengers films continues to take shape, with several key players already confirmed. Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom, fundamentally changing the dynamic of his relationship with the heroes he once fought alongside. The new Fantastic Four cast will also appear following their debut in this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Anthony Mackie has confirmed his participation as Captain America in both films, while Benedict Cumberbatch will reprise his role as Doctor Strange. Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord is heavily featured in the leaked concept art, suggesting a significant role for the character.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 7, 2027.

Which aspects of the “Secret Wars” comic book crossovers would you like to be incorporated into the MCU? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Former Doctor Doom actor Julian McMahon, who portrayed the character in the two Fantastic Four films released in the mid-2000s, shares his thoughts on Robert Downey Jr. playing the villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While promoting his film The Surfer at the 2025 SXSW Festival, the actor spoke with Screen Rant and was asked about his time in the Marvel universe. Not only did McMahon have high praise for Downey, he also took the time to reflect on his Fantastic Four movies, which were made during a time when modern comic book adaptations were still trying to find their footing.

“It’s Robert, you know what I mean? What are you going to say? His body of work speaks for itself. He’s a super talented guy. I love watching his work,” McMahon said. “When we did the movies years ago, we were at the [precipice] of all that stuff happening. So, we were finding our way a lot, and we were trying to figure out what space the movie itself lived in. Was it a kid’s movie? Was it a family movie? Was it more comedy-driven, or was it more trauma-driven? We were trying to find all that stuff as we were shooting.“

McMahon continued, “I think now that there’s so many different realms of establishment of the way that you look at those pieces, you can pretty much do so many different things now. If you’ve got Robert Downey Jr, who’s one of the great creatives of the last however many years we’ve been watching him for, mixed with the elements of how we can make movies these days? I think it’s going to be pretty extraordinary.”

[RELATED – Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars Need to Redeem the MCU’s Biggest Multiverse Mistake]

After playing Iron Man throughout the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Downey’s surprise return to the franchise was announced during San Diego Comic-Con 2024. His Doom is set to be the main antagonist in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, replacing Kang the Conqueror as the Multiverse Saga’s big bad. Downey is heavily involved with the development of Doctor Doom, as he’s ironing out a backstory for the character prior to shooting.

The Fantastic Four films co-starring McMahon were not well-received; both installments were widely panned, which led to a reboot released in 2015. The property has been rebooted yet again, this time with a film set within the MCU. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to release this July. It’s been rumored that Downey’s Doctor Doom could appear in a post-credits scene.

An Oscar-winning actor, Downey certainly has the talent and range to portray an intimidating and powerful villain in the Marvel universe. It’ll be exciting to see how he tackles this role, but it will also be fascinating to see how Marvel addresses Downey’s return as a different character. There have been actors who played multiple MCU roles in the past, but arguably none of those instances were on the scale of Downey, who was the franchise’s poster boy for over a decade. Bringing back such a prominent figure to play the villain was a shock to many, as fans are curious about how Marvel pulls this off.

It is a bit of a gamble to have Downey play Doom, but it’s one that could pay off in spades if handled properly. While the Russo brothers have had their fair share of ups and downs post-Endgame, their Infinity Saga installments illustrated a keen ability to juggle numerous storylines and characters in a satisfying way. More than anyone, they understand the magnitude of Downey’s return, and their goal is to challenge audiences with Doomsday‘s plot. That approach, combined with Downey’s natural ability, should ensure Doom will be a memorable presence in the two Avengers films.

Are you excited about Downey’s Doctor Doom? Let us know in the comments!

The post Previous Fantastic Four Doctor Doom Actor Addresses Robert Downey Jr. Casting appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Russo brothers aren’t about to let curious fans or paparazzi uncover the secrets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next big crossover event before they’re ready to reveal them. As Marvel Studios barrels toward its climactic conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, Joe and Anthony Russo are gearing up to helm both Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars. With filming for Doomsday scheduled to begin next month in London, anticipation continues building around what these massive projects will entail. Following their enormous success with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the directing duo now faces the challenge of not only crafting another epic narrative but also keeping it under wraps until its May 2026 release. In a recent interview with Collider, they’ve revealed their strategic approach to preventing unauthorized images and information from leaking during production, demonstrating just how seriously they’re taking security for these highly anticipated blockbusters.

“We’re pretty good about shutting that down,” Joe Russo explained when asked about dealing with paparazzi attempting to capture set photos. His brother Anthony elaborated that they’ve “strategized to hopefully be effective with that,” suggesting they’ve learned from past experiences on their previous Marvel projects.

One key element of their leak-prevention strategy involves prioritizing indoor filming. The team plans to conduct significant portions of production on enclosed soundstages rather than vulnerable outdoor locations.

“We don’t want people getting photographs, so we are being pretty stringent,” Joe emphasized. For scenes that absolutely require outdoor settings, Anthony noted they’ve carefully selected locations with security concerns in mind, further minimizing opportunities for unwanted access.

[RELATED – Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?)]

This intensive level of secrecy extends beyond just physical production. When asked about when casting announcements and character details might be revealed, Joe playfully responded, “Never. Not until you go to the theater.”

The Russos are established filming in London for what they described as “a standard-length shoot” lasting approximately six months for each movie. Doomsday will be shot first, followed by Secret Wars the following summer, according to the timeline shared with Collider.

While plot specifics remain heavily guarded, limited information has emerged regarding Doomsday. The film will feature Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU, not as Tony Stark but as the villainous Doctor Doom. The new Fantastic Four cast—Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach—is expected to appear alongside Anthony Mackie’s Captain America. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has been rumored to participate, with persistent speculation about Chris Evans potentially returning in some capacity despite his denials.

The directors have indicated that Doomsday will likely mirror Infinity War with an approximate 150-minute run time, while Secret Wars may follow Endgame with a three-hour duration.

“If I were a betting man, I would say the first one is two and a half, and the second one’s three hours,” Joe Russo suggested, acknowledging the substantial narrative ground both films must cover.

These upcoming Avengers entries represent crucial moments for Marvel Studios as they attempt to recapture the unprecedented success of Endgame following a period of mixed reception to recent projects. The studio clearly believes the Russo brothers, alongside returning writer Stephen McFeely, possess the creative vision necessary to effectively conclude the sprawling Multiverse Saga while introducing the MCU’s new arch-villain in Downey’s Doctor Doom.

As production begins next month, fans eager for details may need to practice patience—the Russo brothers are determined to ensure the biggest surprises remain intact until audiences experience them on the big screen.

What do you think of the filmmaker’s remarks? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Directors Address Image Leaks (And They Have a Plan) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals has turned the Marvel Universe brand into a hit team-based shooting game, further expanding the scope of Marvel’s success in the gaming industry. The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise is the biggest part of the brand, and fans love to see concepts from their favorite games get adapted for the MCU, as much as they love seeing concepts from the comics come to life onscreen (or both, in the case of the Spider-Verse animated films). One of Marvel Rivals‘ biggest achievements has been successfully debuting new designs for characters that have been iconic for decades – to the point that a few of the suits are already becoming new fan-favorites.

Like any game, Rivals offers players numerous skins for each of the iconic characters they can play as. In this list, we’ve picked the best character designs – whether regular or variant – that would absolutely slap if they become actual MCU costumes, down the line.

Hawkeye (Default)

MCU fans have come to love Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye as an everyman staple of a superhero universe. That said, Hawkeye’s personal life and self-aware bravado have always been more memorable than what costume he’s wearing – with one exception. Avengers: Endgame depicted Hawkeye as a darker, more ninja-influenced vigilante known as “Ronin,” and his costume definitely stood out.

Marvel Rivals smartly embraces both the archer and ninja halves of Hawkeye’s hero persona, and merges them into one of the character’s best looks yet. The default skin for Hawkeye makes Clint Barton look more badass and battle capable than he ever has – and it’s actually a suit that could be easy for the old pros in Marvel Studios’ costuming department to create.

Captain America (Default)

Captain America has one of the most iconic costumes in comic book history – in large part because it doubles as an obvious symbol for the American Flag and the nation’s ideals. As such, Cap’s suit may have changed slightly over the years (usually depending on his relationship with the country and/or its government) but the fundamentals have always stayed the same. That held true when Chris Evans took on the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the MCU.

Marvel Rivals takes the revolutionary step of giving Steve Rogers an actual armored suit to go into battle with – and it’s a look that definitely works. The sturdier combat armor still retains the America-themed elements that are distinctly Cap, but feels more in line with the character’s penchant for charging straight into danger and battling opponents up close and personal. As the MCU continues to introduce new threats like rogue Hulks, even a Super Soldier like Steve would need an upgrade. With rumors that Evans is returning to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday, a variant Captain America wearing Marvel Rivals-style armor (designed by his buddy Tony Stark?) would be a welcome sight to see.

Moon Knight (Blood Moon Variant)

Moon Knight is pretty iconic for being Marvel’s Batman, with a horror-themed costume to go with that badge of (dis)honor. However, fans typically associate Moon Knight with his signature white-color costumes, but Marvel Rivals flips the script by bringing Moon Knight into its vampire-themed story arc of the season, and giving him a darker black-and-red costume known as the “Blood Moon” variant.

Marc Spector is a freaky character from the jump, with his unstable mix of multiple personalities and unpredictable actions as a hero. Giving him a darker, night-themed makeover only adds to Moon Knight’s menace – and Marvel Rivals does it right. The next time we see Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight in the MCU, it would be great to let the Jake Lockley persona run wild in this darker costume.

Star-Lord (Master of the Sun Variant)

Thanks to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy, Peter Quill/Star-Lord has become a household name. The character has also become synonymous with Chris Pratt’s wisecracking dude-bro performance, and while that take has been highly-entertaining for the run of the Guardians movies, there needs to be some long overdue maturation of the character (who we’ve already been promised will return in future MCU projects).

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 is the black sheep middle-child of the trilogy, and a lot of the storyline introduced in the film has since been ignored – one of the biggest being Star-Lord’s status as a celestial-human hybrid. Future MCU projects (especially cosmic events like Avengers: Secret Wars) need to remind fans that Star-Lord can actually live up to his name, and Marvel Rivals has the perfect look to do it. The “Master of the Sun” variant skin highlights Peter’s cosmic bloodline while retaining that same retro aesthetic (disco, baby!) fans loved in the MCU films. Bare-chested Chris Pratt in a leather outfit with bushy hair and beard? Yes please!

Psylocke (Default)

Let’s be honest: X-Men’s Psylocke has been one of the most problematic characters in the Marvel Universe, judging by today’s standards. The saga of English noble girl Betsy Braddock and Japanese assassin Kwannon being Freaky Friday-ed in a psychic swapping scheme has taken years to unravel through comic book retcons. Nowadays, both ladies are active in the X-Men Universe, and the next time we see Psylocke in live-action, Kwannon’s full identity and culture deserve to be at the forefront of her character.

Marvel Rivals gives Psylocke a costume that is befitting her ninja background and training as a former member of the Hand cult – far better representation than the overly-tittilating outfits that the “exotic” character was made to wear in the 1980s and 1990s. The 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse chose to still use that “classic” suggestive outfitting for Olivia Munn’s Betsy Braddock/Psylocke; the MCU would do well to take inspiration from what Marvel Rivals has done with the character, instead.

[RELATED: Best Look Yet at Daredevil’s New Born Again Suit]

Thor (Herald of Thunder Variant)

Thor: Love and Thunder made it clear that Marvel’s Thunder God needs a serious overhaul in the MCU – and that includes a new look. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor wore out his welcome as a comedic relief beefcake, and fans are definitely looking for something different from the actor next go-round. Love and Thunder ended with Thor taking on an important father-figure role, which means that “Daddy Thor” would be the next logical era of the character’s development.

Marvel Rivals‘ version of Thor totally gives “father.” The default skin is solid (with its bearded style and traditionally Norse amor), but for our money, the “Herald of Thunder” skin is the best fit for Hemsworth’s physique, and most in line with the MCU’s ‘Asgardians are advanced aliens’ aesthetic. It’s regally mature, cosmically ethereal, reflects Thor’s warrior nature, and best of all: it’s serious. No one needs to see that splashy-colored (and CGI “enhanced”) Love and Thunder armor, ever again.

Iron Fist (Default)

Like Psylocke, Iron Fist is another Marvel hero with a problematic history (seeing a pattern yet?). As modern creators (and cultural sensibilities) have stepped in, the Danny Rand version of the character (white man who masters the martial arts) has been replaced by Lin Lie, a young man from Shanghai, China, who is tapped to become the new Iron Fist.

Marvel Comics has given Lin’s Iron Fist a more traditional comic book superhero outfit, but Marvel Rivals has given fans a version of the suit that is already feeling more iconic, as much as it is functional. With Lin Lie being a newer character that mainstream audiences don’t yet know, the MCU should “borrow” this Rivals look to give the character his best possible live-action debut.

Magneto (Default)

What do you get for the man who only looks good in one thing? Magneto’s look cannot be perfected upon – you can only change the color coding. The X-Men movies from the 20th Century Fox era are now so iconic that rebooting them in the MCU is a monumental challenge. Ian McKellen’s and Michael Fassbender’s takes on Magneto are two of the most iconic elements of those old X-Men films – as are the comic-accurate costumes they each wore.

The Marvel Rivals Magneto costume design is already sparking major hype with fans. While the suit never strays too far from the core concept of Magneto, it’s been upgraded with a fully metallic armored design that makes Magnus look like he’s actually ready for that war for mutant supremacy he’s always preaching about. With the daddy-beard and red highlights in the silver-and-gray armor, Magneto looks like a true mutant king; the circular disc of alien-style metal at his back is a quiet-but-fearsome reminder of his power, control, ruthlessness, and that unbending iron will.

The Punisher (Thunderbolts)

Frank Castle / The Punisher is another character who is complicated to adapt for the screen because he is so basic in core design. Frank is a killer vigilante who employs the best tactical gear to complete his bloody missions – including defensive gear like kevlar vests. As long as it’s black (for tactical reasons) and has a white skull emblem painted on it, it qualifies as a Punisher costume.

Marvel fans are hyped that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is officially joining the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again, as he was another fan-favorite of the Marvel-Netflix era. However, with Bernthal’s Punisher joining a franchise where the streets of NYC are filled with superheroes and supervillains, Frank may need to rethink his entire tactical approach. Marvel Rivals gives Castle skins that are clearly meant to be a Punisher costume upgraded for superpowered opponents. The “Thunderbolts” variant skin adds a nice touch of bloody red to the usual black-and-white dynamic, not to mention being a nice head-nod to his frienemy Daredevil, and branding tie-in with the upcoming Thunderbolts* film.

The Winter Soldier (Revolution)

Bucky Barnes has had one of the most convoluted arcs in Marvel Comics history, having held several different superhero, anti-hero, or villain titles during his run. In the latest era of Marvel Comics, Bucky has taken up the name “Revolution” and has committed himself to forming a new team of Thunderbolts and taking down clandestine organizations (The “Outer Circle”) or figures (Red Skull) who are trying to control world events.

Sebastian Stan is now winning Golden Globes and getting Oscar nominations. If Marvel Studios wants to hold on to its Bucky Barnes, it’s time for an actual revolution with the character, instead of the strange creative limbo he’s been left in for a decade now. People love Stan with some longer hair, and Marvel Rivals’ Winter Soldier Revolution skin certainly makes the best of it, no? It’s also a great middle ground between Bucky’s more heroic and villainous looks, which is exactly the kind of anti-hero grayness MCU fans want from the character, following his role in the Thunderbolts* film.

Marvel movies and TV series can be streamed on Disney+. Thunderbolts will be released in theaters on May 2nd.

The post 10 Marvel Rivals Skins That Should Become MCU Costumes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel and DC Comics have announced that they are going to start having crossovers again, and everyone is excited. Crossovers between the two publishers have run the gamut from not so great to amazing, and Marvel vs. DC arguments remain a huge part of being a comic fan. Everyone who loves comics, and nowadays everyone who loves superhero movies, talks about the characters of Marvel and DC duking it out to see who would win. It’s an inevitable part of being a superhero fan; we all want to see characters who should never be able to fight finally get the chance to beat on each other before teaming up and going after a villain.

This new round of Marvel vs. DC has a lot of people talking about those old Marvel and DC fights. There are some characters who would just give fans amazing fights, battles that would melt the faces of everyone who reads them. These ten Marvel vs. DC fights are the ones that everyone wants to see, and hopefully we’ll get them sooner rather than later.

Batman Vs. Daredevil

Batman has faced many challenging villains, and is among the most skilled hand to hand combatants in comics. Daredevil isn’t on the same level of heroism as Batman, but he’s definitely on the same level as Batman in fighting skill, with some fans arguing that Daredevil is actually more skilled. That’s why seeing a fight between Batman and Daredevil would be so awesome. Would Daredevil’s radar sense give him his normal advantage, or would Batman be able to exploit it? Batman and Daredevil in a no holds barred battle along the rooftops of New York City of Gotham would be worth the ten dollars that any crossover issue will probably cost. It’s a fight where it’s hard to pick winner, unless you’re talking about the audience.

Nightwing vs. Spider-Man

A lot of people would like to see Spider-Man battle Batman, but it would probably just lead to Batman just putting on some boring armor. A much more interesting fight for Spider-Man would be against a character who actually paved the way for Wall-Crawler — the first young superhero, the first Robin, and current leader of the DC superhero community, Nightwing. Nightwing has often fought enemies who are much more powerful physically than him, and figured out a way to win. Nightwing is smart enough to figure out the spider-sense, but would he be able to survive the battle long enough to make a plan that works? An acrobatic battle between Nightwing and Spider-Man would be an excellent one. Plus, let’s be real — Nightwing and Spider-Man quipping during a fight is gold.

RELATED: I Really Need This to Be the New Marvel/DC Crossover

Wolverine vs. Hawkman

Wolverine is yet another character who people would want Batman to fight — honestly, this whole list could be “Batman vs….” — there’s a long tenured DC hero who would give Wolverine a much better fight. Hawkman can get downright brutal, and his Nth metal granted superhuman strength and healing factor make him just as deadly as the Marvel hero. Wolverine and Hawkman fit together as combatants; they’re two experienced berserkers who can take a fight further than anyone else. Each of them would have to figure out the best way to deal with the others’ advantages, and that would make this an exciting and bloody fight.

The Flash vs. Northstar

Wally West is the greatest Flash of them all, and is one of the most powerful characters in any superhero universe. Wally’s mastered the Speed Force and is much, much faster than basically anyone in Marvel, so it’s hard to figure out who to put him up against. Most people pit the Flash against Quicksilver, but as good as Quicksilver is, he’s just not fast enough. However, there is a Marvel speedster who can match Wally in speed to an extent, and that’s the mutant known as Northstar. Northstar can move at the speed of light, which puts him close to Wally’s league. He also has light powers which would give him an extra weapon to use against the Flash. The Flash vs. Northstar would be an epic battle. Add in Northstar’s sass and Wally’s sense of humor, and this would make for a very entertaining battle.

Iron Man vs. Lex Luthor

Tony Stark is the Marvel Universe’s greatest inventor, his Iron Man armor one of the greatest suits of armor in comics. DC has several characters that could actually match Iron Man as inventors, but there’s one villain that would make for the most epic showdown — Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor is the smartest person on his Earth, and one of the wealthiest. A contest between Iron Man and Lex Luthor would be one of corporate intrigue, with Tony and Lex squaring off in offices and in the public space, with the two of them facing off on every level. It would eventually come to fisticuffs, and that’s where it gets even more interesting. Lex Luthor’s armor is powerful enough to fight Superman; that’s way stronger than anything Iron Man has ever built. How would Iron Man be able to deal with someone who is in every way his superior? Iron Man and Lex Luthor would make for an insanely entertaining battle.

Scarlet Witch vs. Zatanna

Scarlet Witch is Marvel’s most prominent magic woman, on top of being one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Her reality-altering powers allow for a wide range of abilities; add in her magical skill and Scarlet Witch can defeat nearly any hero one on one. However, DC has their own ultra-powerful magical lady and she could actually challenge Scarlet Witch — Zatanna. Zatanna’s backwards talking magic gives her a level of power that can rival Scarlet Witch’s. On top of that, Zatanna has trained in magic much, much longer, which would even up the odds. Could Zatanna overcome Scarlet Witch’s greater power or will Scarlet Witch be able to outsmart one of DC’s craftiest heroes? This would be an amazing match-up.

Hulk vs. Doomsday

The Hulk is the strongest Avenger and many people would like to see him battle Superman. However, there’s a way better match-up for Hulk against a Superman villain, the beast known as Doomsday. Hulk and Doomsday basically have the exact powers — boundless strength, invulnerability, and a hyper healing factor, and all of that is bounded by bottomless rage. Hulk vs. Doomsday is the kind of slugfest that comics were made for. Hulk and Doomsday ripping each apart for eighty pages would be an amazing crossover battle. These two are perfectly made as sparring mates. Dropping these two into a desert and letting them slug it out would make for a titanic tussle unlike anything anyone else has ever seen.

Hawkeye vs. Green Arrow

Hawkeye and Green Arrow have a lot in common. Both of them are archers on teams of gods, both of them are known for being mouthy and temperamental, and both of them are known for their relationships with beautiful women. Hawkeye and Green Arrow is a hard fight to figure out. While Hawkeye has been training since childhood, Green Arrow is also an amazing marksman. Both of them have the same kinds of trick arrows, so there’s no advantage there. It’s even hard to say who is the better fighter; Hawkeye has training from Captain America, but Green Arrow trained with the best fighters in the Justice League and the vigilante community. It’s even hard to say who’s stronger out of both of them. Hawkeye and Green Arrow would be an exciting match-up, because really knows how it would go.

Wonder Woman vs. Rogue

Marvel doesn’t really have a superheroine on the level of Wonder Woman. They’ve tried to make Captain Marvel take that place, but Captain Marvel isn’t even the most popular superheroine in the Marvel Universe. The X-Men have way more popular superheroines and one of them would make for an excellent foe for Wonder Woman — Rogue. Wonder Woman is much stronger and faster than Rogue. She’s a better fighter, with way more experience. Wonder Woman seems to have every advantage on Rogue, but that’s not the case. Rogue is a ridiculously skilled and experienced hero, and her power to drain the abilities of others works on gods, so she can drain off some of Wonder Woman’s power. That would make things more even, and lead this battle into the legendary heights where it belongs.

Superman vs. Thor

Readers have seen battles between Superman and Thor before, namely in the last major Marvel/DC crossover JLA/Avengers #1-4. Thor utilizes magic, which is one of the few forces that can hurt Superman. There’s a question of whether Thor is as strong as Superman — Superman is back to near pre-Crisis levels of strength, meaning he can throw planets again — but his powers have grown exponentially and he’s more skilled in combat. Superman, however, is an indefatigable fighter who has faced worse odds than Thor in his day. Thor is currently going through a major challenge and Superman is facing down his future death again; both of them are at their best. A fight between the two now would be the best fight in the history of superheroes. We all want Superman vs. Thor and hopefully will get it sooner rather than later.

The post 10 Marvel vs. DC Fights Everyone Wants to See appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday may be brewing a new bromance that fans wouldn’t have seen coming. There is a lot of anticipation for the next big Avengers movie, mostly led by Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the iconic villain Doctor Doom. We got an early look at what to expect out of Avengers: Doomsday when leaked concept art made its way online; most eyes were probably centered on Doctor Doom, a family of Hulks, and the Young Avengers, two heroes that fans wouldn’t normally think of as friends were seen palling around. That’s right, the Vision and Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, are about to become best friends!

The Avengers: Doomsday concept art features Vision and Star-Lord sitting together on a couch watching TV. It’s a rather heartwarming piece of artwork, with Star-Lord putting his arm around Vision, embracing him as his bro. It’s important to note that this is White Vision, who left Westview at the end of WandaVision to go on a journey of self-discovery. Where that adventure takes White Vision will be followed up in his untitled Disney+ series. However, that streaming series concludes, we at least know Vision’s future includes finding a friend in Star-Lord, and it’s the kind of friendship the Marvel Cinematic Universe has needed.

Vision & Star-Lord Are About to Become Best Friends

We last saw Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when he took a leave of absence from the team to reconnect with his human roots on Earth. The film’s post-credits scene saw Peter Quill reuniting with his estranged father, where they lived together and got reacquainted. The “Legendary Star-Lord” was teased to return, though when and where was left up in the air. Who knows, Star-Lord could make an appearance in Vision’s Disney+ series, where their friendship can truly blossom.

White Vision will need friends and allies, especially if James Spader is returning to reprise his voice role as Ultron. The Avengers are disbanded, so who better to befriend a heroic android than Peter Quill? Star-Lord is used to being around misfits and outcasts, and that’s certainly what White Vision feels like as an outsider remade following the original Vision’s death in Avengers: Infinity War. White Vision has all of the original Vision’s memories, but just having memories doesn’t fill the void of not having lived those moments.

What makes White Vision and Star-Lord’s friendship all the more interesting is that Star-Lord never met the original Vision. The Avenger wasn’t one of the heroes resurrected with the Infinity Stones, since Vision’s death came at the hands of Thanos before he snapped half the universe into dust. So when the Guardians of the Galaxy fought alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the Battle for Earth, Vision wasn’t a part of it. So how will Star-Lord cross paths with White Vision? It’ll most likely be in a way fans aren’t expecting, and that’s okay. We don’t need to know every spoiler detail to enjoy a story ahead of time.

The MCU Is Built on the Back of Bromances

Many of our favorite relationships in the MCU involve bromances. For example, the bond between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes was at the center of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. Those two films also helped strengthen the connection between Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, leading to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. We also have bromances between Tony Stark and Happy Hogan, and Tony Stark and James Rhodey. MCU fans love seeing two guys bust each other’s chops, while also always being there for one another.

There’s not a lot of room for romance when you’re saving the world, so all we’re left with are friendships to attach to. Plus an added bonus is if heroes from different franchises are friends, there’s a better likelihood that they show up in crossovers. Star-Lord knows this better than most, since he and the Guardians of the Galaxy had brief appearances in Thor: Love and Thunder. The connective tissue that’s found in the MCU is arguably one of its best qualities, and that’s represented in the White Vision/Star-Lord bromance.

We have to see if Vision and Star-Lord’s bromance can stand the test of time. There’s a lot we don’t know about Avengers: Doomsday, but the film’s leaked concept art at least lets us know that the MCU isn’t forgetting about its romances.

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026.

The post Avengers: Doomsday Art Has Given MCU Fans A New Bromance They Never New They Needed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly contributing quite a bit to the MCU’s Phase Six, both on screen and off. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight published on Wednesday, the Russo brothers mentioned that Downey Jr. is getting deep into character as Victor von Doom — “writing backstory” for the villain himself. This could be a simple acting exercise for Downey Jr., but it could indicate some amount of creative input from the actor owing to his stature in the franchise. The MCU is not always strictly faithful to the comics, but foundational elements like characters’ origin stories are typically kept consistent, so hopefully Downey Jr. isn’t making any huge sweeping changes.

Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark and Iron Man is one of the key building blocks of the MCU, and it worked in part because audiences found it easy to relate Stark’s story to Downey Jr.’s past. When asked if Downey Jr. was imbuing his personality into Dr. Doom as well, Anthony Russo perked up. “Oh, it’s very intense. That’s a great question, because it’s a very intense process developing the character.”

“Oh my god, he’s so immersed in it, he’s so dialed in,” Anthony added, while his brother Joe chimed in, “That’s the kind of artist he is, that’s the kind of actor he is.”

“He’s writing backstory, costume ideas — I mean, we were just on the phone with him this morning before we got here, talking about it,” Anthony elaborated. “I think he just loves really rich, three-dimensional characters, and I think he sees a really opportunity here with that character.”

[RELATED: 5 Best Iron Man Action Scenes]

For those concerned about Downey Jr. “writing backstory” for Dr. Doom, keep in mind that this is likely just for his own reference, not for the finished movie. It’s very common for actors to begin developing their performance with some writing exercises to help them get into the right mindset and embody the person they’re playing. Oftentimes, the small details are more important in this process than the big events — things like a character’s favorite food, how they tie their shoes, their preference for a straw in certain drinks, and so on. These kinds of things can help an actor feel like the character they’re playing, which contributes to the performance in intangible ways, without messing with the story or lore.

Whether that’s what Downey Jr. is doing or not, it’s nice to hear that he’s consulting closely with the Russo brothers on these questions. That means anything he is bringing to the character is up for debate with his collaborators, rather than going into the movie unquestioned. The Russo brothers left the MCU at the same time as Downey Jr., and right now all three of them are expected to make their returns next May in Avengers: Doomsday.

That is, of course, assuming that Downey Jr. doesn’t have a surprise appearance in either of the movies between then and now. He doesn’t seem like a likely candidate for Thunderbolts, which hits theaters on May 2nd, but many fans have their fingers crossed to see him in The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026.

The post Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing His Own Doom Backstory for the MCU (But What About the Comics?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars directors Joe and Anthony Russo tease the run times they have in mind for both Marvel blockbusters. The two films mark the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, bringing together a large collection of characters to battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. With that in mind, audiences probably weren’t expecting these projects to be brief, and now they have an idea of how long the movies could be. In an interview with Collider, the Russo brothers touched on the projected running times — and it sounds similar to the last time the filmmakers ended an MCU saga.

“If I were a betting man, I would say the first one is two and a half, and the second one’s three hours,” Joe Russo said. For comparison, Avengers: Infinity War ran for 149 minutes, while Endgame was 181 minutes.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to premiere in theaters in May 2026, with Secret Wars following in 2027. Production on Doomsday will begin in the near future, and Captain America actor Anthony Mackie already knows Secret Wars shoots next summer. The films are set to boast massive ensemble casts; in addition to Mackie, Benedict Cumberbatch is returning as Doctor Strange, and the stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* will also appear.

[RELATED – Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars Need to Redeem the MCU’s Biggest Multiverse Mistake]

Previously, the Russos discussed their approach for the two films, saying it’s their goal to “challenge audiences” with the story. Leaked Doomsday concept art that made its way online potentially hinted at what the brothers might have in mind, showcasing everything from a Young Avengers team-up to a Black Panther variant in Wakanda.

Of course, it’s much too early in the films’ development to say with any certainty these will be the final run times for Doomsday and Secret Wars. A lot can change between now and the release dates, especially once the movies start to come together in the edit (which could lead to pickup shoots down the line). However, these ballpark estimates seem pretty realistic considering what audiences already know about the two Avengers films. These movies have a lot on their plate; Doomsday alone will have to introduce and flesh out Doctor Doom and explore the dynamic between the Fantastic Four and the new Avengers roster (among other elements). In some ways, it might have even more heavy lifting to do than Infinity War. Thanos and the Infinity Stones were slowly teased over time before being placed front and center, a luxury Marvel doesn’t have with Doom.

Given the scale of these films, Doomsday and Secret Wars almost require elongated run times in order to properly cover all the ground needed to tell the story. The trick, of course, will be using that time efficiently. Pacing is one of the most vital components of a film. As long as the narratives are told in a compelling and entertaining manner, audiences won’t mind if they’re in for a long ride. The Russos obviously have a lot of success balancing large Marvel casts, so they’ll be calling upon that experience to hopefully send the Multiverse Saga off on a high note. That might be tricky to pull off considering the ups and downs of the MCU post-Endgame, but if anyone can find a way, it’s probably the Russo brothers.

The post Avengers Directors Tease Doomsday and Secret Wars Run Times (But Will They Change?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going on since 2008. In that nearly twenty year span, the MCU has brought the glory of superheroes to the general public like never before; comic superhero stories have taken the genre through time and space, into the multiverse. In the comics, Marvel wasn’t the first comic company to introduce the multiverse, but they beat their distinguished competition (DC) to a cinematic multiverse. The MCU’s multiverse has been around for several years now, and at one time was going to be the center of what was called the Multiverse Saga. Of course, this has never happened, although newly leaked art from Avengers: Doomsday is showing that the multiverse is still important to future plans. However, it’s impossible to say that fans have loved the MCU’s multiverse and how it’s been used.

Now, that’s not to say that the MCU’s multiverse hasn’t been profitable: this isn’t the case at all. Look at the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, and it’s plain to see that the MCU is, at the very least, on a profitable track; that said, it’s also easy to see that the MCU hasn’t used its multiverse correctly. As usual, comics have shown the right way to use the concept of the multiverse, and the MCU should follow these examples in the future.

Multiverses Are Not Cameo Generators, They’re a Chance to Tell NEW Stories

Deadpool & Wolverine was a movie that anyone watching superhero movies in the 21st century could find something to like; it played with nostalgia wonderfully. It was great to see Chris Evans come back as Human Torch or Pyro from the Fox X-Men movies, and that’s before we get to Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine or Deadpool meeting Happy Hogan. The film took everything that Marvel has established as their tropes for the multiverse — bringing in characters from the various superhero film universes it has access to — to tell an entertaining story with heart, humor, and action. It was a true Marvel Cinematic Multiverse movie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home, Loki Seasons One and Two, What If… Seasons One through Three also use the multiverse, but they do so in different ways. Spider-Man: No Way Home is basically the proto-Deadpool & Wolverine: it lived and died by cameos from three cinematic generations of Spider-Man actors (Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire). Spider-Man: No Way Home was a hit, but it was also the first sign of what Marvel thought multiverse movies should be for superheroes. Loki, on the other hand, eschewed the mega-cameo route (probably because of the TV budget), instead taking fans to different variations of the MCU Earth and mostly using the multiverse as set-dressing. What If… is closer to the comics, but always ends up using the same characters, in big crossover events, thereby still using the multiverse as a cameo delivery system. High-profile cameos and alt-universe set-dressing are fine, but they aren’t what the comic book multiverse is really for.

RELATED: CB Panel: What Did You Think About the Avengers: Doomsday Concept Art Leaks?

The multiverse is a brilliant storytelling tool because it allows stories to be told with the familiar characters that go in extremely different ways. A good example of this is the alt-universe X-Men story arc “The Age of Apocalypse“. Marvel mostly used the multiverse as a lab: alternate realities that are created when something from the mainline universe is drastically changed. In this case, the death of Charles Xavier years before he founded the X-Men resulted in a world where Apocalypse conquered America and started a genetic war between humans and mutants. Readers got to see characters we knew in a completely different worldly context; their characters and goals were completely different. Dead characters were suddenly alive, popular ones were now dead, and nothing was the same. Such is the promise of a good multiverse story.

There’s another way of using the multiverse, and this one is more of a DC method than a Marvel one, admittedly. Multiverse theory posits that there are alternate Earths; however, unlike “The Age of Apocalypse”, where everything is radically different, DC explored alternate earths where there would instead be slight timeline differences, such as superheroes appearing to the world in an earlier era. Same basic world, only with subtle changes. Some alternate realities have even introduced and/or maintained their own groups of iconic heroes – like the Shazam family in DC and the Squadron Supreme in Marvel. It’s still different enough for fans to get new kinds of stories, but it isn’t so massively different. These changes lead to great crossovers and new versions of familiar characters and mantles.

Marvel Studios Can Go in New Directions Through Better Multiversal Stories

The MCU isn’t currently in the best place. While it still has some blockbuster successes, there are fewer than before, not to mention some legitimate failures. Fan hype for the MCU is at its lowest, and a big reason for that is just how formulaic things have gotten. The MCU needs a change and it seems to think that using the multiverse can do that. It’s not a terrible idea: the multiverse allows people to see their favorite characters in new ways (through variants), putting them in new situations, sometimes with new histories we know nothing about until the story unfolds. That sort of thing could freshen up the MCU – if the franchise uses its multiverse the right way, that is.

[RELATED: How Avengers: Secret Wars Can Top That Endgame Finale]

Marvel Studios has already fallen into tropes with its use of the multiverse, which is the exact opposite of what a “Multiverse Saga” should be. The entire point of a multiverse is to do away with the tropes that everyone expects and get something new, unexpected, or counterintuitive to the status quo. The MCU somehow found a way to restrain its own creativity, instead of using multiverse stories to go in bold new directions. It’s already felt like they’ve run out of ideas – not because ideas are finite, but because there are only so many cameos from defunct Marvel movie franchises they can still use. This is a huge mistake and will do more damage to Marvel than good, until they learn to use their multiverse correctly.

Marvel Cinematic Universe “Multiverse Saga” content can be streamed on Disney+. Thunderbolts* will be released in theaters on May 2nd.

The post The MCU Hasn’t Used Its Multiverse Correctly (But Comics Have Show Us The Way) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Recently, long-time Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore revealed that the Armor Wars movie (set to star Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine) was officially on the back burner. It was an update undoubtedly disappointing to fans of this character, but also not super surprising for those following the history of Marvel Studios in recent years. This outfit has been consolidating the projects it’s put into development, which has also included axing Nova and Strange Academy TV shows. In response to recent MCU criticism and decreasing box office numbers, Marvel Studios is aiming to put quality over quantity. That means productions like Armor Wars are now being paused, though it’s far from the only MCU feature that’s gone from a splashy high-profile announcement to being shelved.

Several MCU titles once set to debut in the mid-2020s and beyond have been ground to a halt in recent years as part of Marvel Studios reorganizing its creative priorities. Perhaps these films will one day see the light of day, but for now, these Marvel Studios features are on that fateful back burner Moore was talking about.

Armor Wars

Let’s start with the most obvious example of this trend. Armor Wars, announced with a slew of other MCU movies and TV shows at a Disney quarterly earnings report in December 2020, was once planned as a Disney+ TV show. Two years later, it was instead overhauled into a movie. This already chaotic production was in service of a concept meant to let Rhodey step into the spotlight, much like how WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier let previously supporting MCU players like Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson (respectively) become protaganists. However, this movie appears to not be happening in the near future. Productions like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have taught Marvel Studios a valuable lesson about beating a dead horse with pre-existing MCU characters.

Shang-Chi Sequel

Thanks to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings making a pretty penny at the box office in 2021, a Shang-Chi sequel was announced at the end of that year that would’ve reunited the original film’s creative team. Given how much audiences adored the original Shang-Chi, this is one MCU follow-up moviegoers likely would’ve greeted with open arms. However, years have gone by and no further updates have appeared while Shang-Chi himself has been M.I.A. from the MCU for years. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton has also moved on to helming the next MCU Spider-Man movie, meaning a sequel won’t happen for ages now if it even ever gets off the ground.

Eternals Sequel

With its mid-credit scene setting up Harry Styles as Eros/Starfox, Eternals was clearly meant to set up a sequel and more in the MCU. Director Chloe Zhao openly said she’d be down to helm Eternals 2 and all the actors were signed on to play their respective characters in multiple movies. However, Eternals garnered a divisive response from audiences and critics alike when it debuted. To boot, its domestic box office haul was (at the time) the second-lowest grossing ever in the MCU. Though Nate Moore confirmed in October 2022 that the Eternals as a group would eventually reappear in the MCU, Kevin Feige himself confirmed that Eternals 2 wasn’t happening in July 2024.

[RELATED: These 6 Marvel Post-Credits Scenes Still Haven’t Given Us Any Answers]

Untitled Project Produced by Scarlett Johansson

In 2021, as part of the resolution of Johansson’s lawsuit over lost Black Widow profits with Disney, it was announced that Johansson’s future exploits with the Mouse House would include a new Marvel Studios movie produced by Johansson. No further details were announced about the gestating production, but Kevin Feige confirmed in summer 2023 that the project was still on the way. However, nearly two years later, no further news has emerged on this possible entity and Johnasson has grown busy with other endeavors, including directing movies. Don’t expect to see this one in multiplexes everywhere anytime soon.

Blade

The saga of the MCU’s Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali is nothing short of tragic. Announced back at the Marvel Studios San-Diego Comic Con Hall H panel in July 2019, this motion picture’s gone through two directors and countless release date delays as Marvel Studios grapples with figuring out what a new Blade reboot should look like. An inkling of hope emerged even after all those setbacks in the summer of 2024 when go-to MCU screenwriter Eric Pearson was hired to pen a new Blade draft. However, just a few months later, Blade was removed entirely from Disney’s release schedule. This maneuver suggested the production, while not necessarily dead, is now way less of a priority for Marvel Studios.

What stalled MCU production are you most disappointed by? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Which MCU Movies Have Been Put on the Backburner? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Concept art for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has leaked online alongside images from Avengers: Doomsday, giving fans unexpected insights into Marvel’s upcoming slate. While the Doomsday leaks have generated buzz with glimpses of Doctor Doom and potential character groupings, a seemingly minor detail in the Fantastic Four artwork reveals a major contradiction to what we’ve been told about the film’s setting. This Spider-Man Easter egg, hidden in plain sight, potentially transforms our understanding of how the Fantastic Four’s world connects to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans should approach these leaks with caution, as they may contain significant spoilers for both films and beyond.

WARNING: Potential spoilers below for The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The revealing concept art, by Marvel artist Mushk Rizni, depicts Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) using her invisible force field powers to create a protective bubble around her young son Franklin, who is about to fall off a couch. What catches the eye isn’t Sue’s display of power, but Franklin’s clothing: the child is wearing Spider-Man pajamas. This seemingly innocent detail directly contradicts what we’ve been told about the film’s timeline placement within Marvel’s multiverse.

[RELATED: Doomsday Concept Art May Have Revealed a Vision TV Show Cameo]

Director Matt Shakman has repeatedly stated that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in an alternate timeline with what he calls a “retro-future ’60s” setting. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman explained at Comic-Con 2024. “It’s part what you know from the 1960s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” This suggested the film was set in an actual 1960s era, albeit one with advanced technology, where the Fantastic Four emerged as Earth’s premier superhero team instead of the Avengers.

However, the presence of Spider-Man merchandise creates an immediate timeline problem. In Marvel’s established continuity, Peter Parker wasn’t born until the early 2000s and only became Spider-Man as a teenager in the modern era. For Spider-Man to exist in the Fantastic Four’s world — let alone be established enough to appear on children’s clothing — their timeline can’t possibly be set in the actual 1960s.

The Spider-Man Easter Egg Reveals the True Nature of First Steps‘ Setting

The Spider-Man pajamas suggest that The Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t set in the past at all, but rather in a contemporary alternate universe that simply developed with 1960s Space Age aesthetics and technology. This revelation transforms our understanding of what Shakman meant by “retro-future ’60s.” If the Spider-Man Easter egg was introduced at Marvel Studios’ request, then The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not a period piece set in an alternate 1960s, but a present-day world that evolved along different cultural and technological lines, maintaining retro design sensibilities into the modern era.

This interpretation makes more sense when considering what is shown in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. While the architecture, fashion, and technology have distinct 1960s inspirations, they’re clearly more advanced than actual 1960s technology, featuring design elements that feel timeless rather than historically accurate. The timeline clarification also explains other elements fans have spotted, such as the structural similarities between the Baxter Building and Avengers Tower. Rather than being separated by decades of architectural evolution, they’re parallel developments in different contemporary timelines, making their resemblance more logical.

[RELATED:  Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals Major Hint About the Fate of the Fantastic Four After First Steps]

Finally, the Easter egg allows other heroes to exist in the Fantastic Four’s universe. If Spider-Man is established enough to have pajamas based on his uniform, other familiar characters might appear as variants unique to this timeline. This creates exciting possibilities for cameos or supporting roles that could further illuminate the differences between this universe and the MCU’s Sacred Timeline.

While concept art doesn’t guarantee what will appear in the final film, this seemingly minor detail is still noteworthy. We’ll learn the truth once The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

Do you think the Spider-Man pajamas are just a playful detail added by the artist without Marvel Studios’ direct input? Or could it mean something more? Would you like to see Avengers variants in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Join the discussion in the comments!

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps Concept Art Contains Clever Spider-Man Easter Egg appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars have gone through some big changes in the last year. The accusations and trial surrounding actor Jonathan Major had Marvel Studio and Disney drop from the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, where he played Kang the Conqueror, who was (along with his many variants) the archvillain of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Marvel has spent the rest of 2024 trying to pivot from all the plans they had in place for Kang – including giving Majors his own film to headline (Avengers: The Kang Dynasty).

To offset the loss of Kang, Marvel announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that Robert Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom, and that Avengers: Doomsday would be paving over The Kang Dynasty. Now, it’s been announced that Chris Evans is will be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday as well, adding to the rumors that many of the original Avengers actors are being locked down to appear in the Multiverse Saga climax films.

In many ways, Avengers: Doomsday is starting to feel like every other major project in the Multiverse Saga: an “event film” built upon high-profile crossover and cameos from legacy characters and/or actors. However, Doomsday and Secret Wars both need to learn some valuable lessons from the stumbles of recent years if they actually want to bring the Multiverse Saga to a meaningful end and make the journey worth something.

Deadpool & Wolverine Did It Right

The problem with most of the MCU Multiverse Saga has been the fact that the major cameos and/or crossovers have mostly been superficial gimmicks, used to draw a wider audience of fans across different character franchises (like The Marvels) – or even different eras of character franchises (like Spider-Man: No Way Home). Fans have responded in kind, calling out Marvel Studios for peddling lower-grade content, and selling hollow, disconnected storylines as major “events.”

The exception has been Deadpool & Wolverine. Marvel Studios allowed Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy to do an entire meta-minded retrospective about the highs, lows, and failed hopes of the Fox-Marvel franchise of the 2000s, and the parallel path of Hugh Jackman’s career, and his role as Wolverine.

And it worked.

Beautifully. Deadpool & Wolverine earned $1.34 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, and is (as of writing this) launching one of the more serious awards season campaigns for a Marvel movie – including Golden Globes and Oscars pushes for Jackman and Reynolds.

Marvel needs to learn from what Deadpool & Wolverine did. Yes, the film was jam-packed with cameos and callbacks to past films, comics, and everything in between. And yet, Deadpool & Wolverine was always working on another level, where it was actually addressing the legacy of Marvel movies and those who made that history, and making the audience – even all those who were critical of those films in their time – appreciate what they meant to superhero movie culture, and the genuine efforts (if not perfect results) of the casts and crews of those films.

Doomsday & Secret Wars Need Camoes With Deeper Meaning

Avengers: Doomsday will likely be an event film that sells itself if it chronicles how RDJ’s Doom was created in an alternate universe and decides to make a play for Multiversal supremacy. However, Avengers: Secret Wars has to be more than just the biggest collection of current and former Marvel movie actors ever (though that is definitely on the wish-list): it has to top that feeling of deep, heartfelt payoff for fans’ years of investment in the MCU Multiverse Saga, and all the crazy times we went through during it.

In short: Avengers: Secret Wars needs to be as smart and resonant (and even funny) with its cameos as Deadpool & Wolverine managed to be. If Chris Evans comes back, no matter who he’s playing there’s got to be some kind of commentary on how iconic he was as Cap, and what it means that he left the franchise. Scarlet Johannson’s appearance would need to address Black Widow’s divisive death; Elizabeth Olsen’s chaotic road to a fully realized Scarlet Witch; all the confusion in the Spider-Man franchise; the true ending of the former X-Men movie universe before the MCU reboot; the original Avengers reluctantly suiting back up – and yes, even how ego isn’t just Doom’s hubris… but maybe (just maybe!) RDJ’s as well?

Whoever appears in Secret Wars (in whatever role they play) has to mean something deeper than a shock cameo – it has to be a reflection of how much that person has helped the larger Marvel Movie brand (MCU and beyond) entertain and inspire fans for generations – not to mention the comics and creators who created the source material.

There’s Only One Way to Top That Avengers: Endgame Payoff

Like Doctor Strange’s prediction in Avengers: Infinity War, there’s only one way for Avengers: Secret Wars to best Endgame: When Captain America finally said “Avengers Assemble” in Endgame‘s climatic moment, and the Marvel heroes ran into battle against Thanos, it was the epic payoff of a sprawling narrative, many years and films in the making. When Secret Wars inevitably has that money shot of an entire Marvel Cinematic Multiverse getting ready to throw down – each franchise universe possibly locked in a final fight for survival – fans need to be rooting for each one of those franchises as beloved pieces of a legacy – and feel every loss as Kevin Feige and the returning Endgame team of directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writer Stephen McFeely whittle down the cast of surviving characters and/or universes to reveal which pieces get amalgamated into a rebooted Marvel Cinematic Universe.

No matter who wins, loses, lives, or dies, Secret Wars needs to leave Marvel fans with both an all-encompassing and indelible sense of Marvel movie nostalgia – as well as hope for the new form of the MCU they’ll get going forward. Doing both will be an achievement that definitely tops what Avengers: Endgame did – and helps Marvel Studios finally clean off the gameboard and establish the MCU as the sole Marvel TV/Movie brand (by that time).

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026; Avengers: Secret Wars has a release date of May 7, 2027.

The post Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars Need to Redeem the MCU’s Biggest Multiverse Mistake appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Recently leaked concept art for the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday has sent fans into a frenzy of speculation, revealing potential details that Marvel Studios had hoped to keep under wraps until the film’s 2026 release. The images, created by Marvel Studios’ concept artist Mushk Rizni, showcase various character groupings and scenarios that could play out in the upcoming team-up event. Much attention has been directed toward the appearance of Doctor Doom and the Young Avengers, but one particular image suggests connections that extend beyond the scope of Doomsday itself. Among the most intriguing revelations is a piece that might be teasing an unexpected cameo for the upcoming Vision Disney+ series. Fan caution is recommended when exploring these leaks, as they contain potential spoilers not just for Avengers: Doomsday, but possibly for several upcoming Marvel projects.

WARNING: Potential spoilers below for Avengers: Doomsday and the Vision TV show

The concept art in question depicts White Vision and Star-Lord apparently hanging out together on a couch, presenting them with a level of familiarity that suggests they’ve developed a significant rapport. This casual dynamic between the characters is particularly noteworthy given their current status in the MCU. White Vision (Paul Bettany) was last seen in the finale of WandaVision, flying away from Westview after having the original Vision’s memories restored to him, though without the emotional connections to those experiences. His whereabouts and activities since that moment remain unknown to audiences.

[RELATED: Marvel’s Chris Pratt Reveals Requirement for Star-Lord Return]

Meanwhile, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) concluded his intergalactic journey in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by choosing to return to Earth to reconnect with his grandfather after the team disbanded. The film’s post-credits scene included the message “The Legendary Star-Lord will return,” confirming Marvel’s intention to bring the character back in some capacity. This visual pairing of characters with seemingly disconnected storylines raises major questions about how their paths might intersect prior to the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

Star-Lord’s Potential Role in Marvel Studios’ Vision Series

The upcoming Vision series, scheduled for a 2026 Disney+ release, has been confirmed to “pick up after the events of WandaVision“ according to producer Mary Livanos. With Terry Matalas serving as executive producer and head writer, the show promises to explore White Vision’s journey of self-discovery following his departure from Westview. While several cast members have been announced, including Bettany reprising his role as Vision and James Spader returning as Ultron, Marvel Studios has not officially acknowledged Star-Lord’s presence in the series.

However, the concept art suggesting a comfortable dynamic between Vision and Star-Lord in Avengers: Doomsday provides evidence that their relationship could be established prior to that film. Given that both characters were last seen in situations that would naturally lead to introspective journeys — Vision discovering who he is without Wanda, and Quill reconnecting with his terrestrial roots — their paths crossing in a meaningful way makes narrative sense.

The timing of Marvel’s release schedule supports this theory as well. The Vision series is set to premiere in 2026, the same year Avengers: Doomsday reaches theaters. This proximity in release dates suggests that the series could directly set up elements of the film, including relationships between key characters. If White Vision and Star-Lord share meaningful screen time in Doomsday, introducing their connection in the Vision series would provide necessary context for their dynamic, and the Vision series is the perfect place for them to meet.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Theory Predicts Spider-Man’s Pivotal Role After No Way Home]

The concept art’s revelation also aligns with Marvel’s established pattern of using Disney+ series to introduce or develop character dynamics that later pay off in theatrical releases. WandaVision set up elements of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier prepared audiences for Sam Wilson’s evolution into Captain America before Captain America: Brave New World. The Vision series featuring Star-Lord would continue this interconnected storytelling approach.

This remains speculation until officially confirmed by Marvel Studios. Still, the concept art is intriguing, to say the least. Would you like for Star-Lord to appear in the Vision series? How do you think these two characters could interact with each other? Let us know in the comments!

The post Doomsday Concept Art May Have Revealed a Vision TV Show Cameo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Since Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed as the Doctor Doom of the MCU, there’s been a lot of buzz about what his role as the new big bad will actually be. To make things even more interesting, some concept art for Avengers: Doomsday leaked this weekend that may tease his role in the new film. As a result, theories are flying, like whether he’s just a variant of Tony Stark for example, but the truth is, we won’t know for sure until the new Marvel films drop. However, if we look at some of the open doors the MCU has, there’s already a pretty solid hint at what Doom might do once he makes his debut (which could be at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps). If this theory holds, Doom’s place in the MCU could also involve Spider-Man himself, Peter Parker.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the MCU’s biggest hits, but its ending definitely set up an uncertain future for Peter now that everyone who knew him has forgotten about him. With the fourth superhero movie set for 2026, no details have been revealed about the story, but since the new Spider-Man movie is set to arrive sandwiched between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it seems likely that he could play a major role in both. But how exactly?

Spider-Man Could Play an Even Bigger Role in the MCU

Marvel Studios has always kept things under wraps ahead of their major releases. At the same time, just because something happens in the pages of their comics doesn’t mean it’ll be directly translated to the screen. But sometimes, the films follow a similar path, and with that in mind, fans have a pretty good idea that Doctor Doom is going to make everything a lot harder for the MCU’s heroes.

In the comics, Doom is all about power and control. One way he gets this is when he builds and takes control of Battleworld in the Secret Wars event. This land, made up of fragments from different realities, could very well appear in Avengers: Doomsday (if the leaked concept art is to be believed). Since the movie releases before the fourth Spider-Man film, some fans believe Peter Parker’s new storyline could even take place on Battleworld rather than the mainline 616 MCU, which would certainly be a unique new idea.

[RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars Get Surprising Update From Russo Bros.]

However, amidst all the uncertainty and speculation, one thing is already clear: Doctor Strange’s final spell in No Way Home could be key to Spider-Man’s appearance. Peter might not be remembered by anyone, but he remembers what happened in his time in the MCU, and that’s what could very well protect him and save many other Marvel heroes from Doom’s control. The big question is how everything will unfold once he realizes that his memories remain, because the possibilities are endless.

With Doom creating his new reality where he has absolute control, Peter would become a survivor of an erased timeline and one of the few that knows the truth. This could put him in the position of forcing others to remember, but it would also make him seem like a lunatic to some, or even a threat. It’s possible that anything that happens in Avengers: Doomsday will be a springboard for the new Spider-Man movie, which will ultimately be crucial for Secret Wars and the future of the MCU as a whole.

Spider-Man Could Be the MCU’s Anchor Being

Deadpool & Wolverine wasn’t just one of the MCU’s biggest hits but it helped introduce a detail that could be crucial in connecting Spider-Man to Doctor Doom. The concept of “anchor beings” was introduced and explored, revealing that specific heroes are integral to the balance of each universe throughout the multiverse.

In the film, Agent Paradox explained that Logan was an anchor being and therefore essential to keeping Deadpool’s universe alive. What became clear was that when this being is eliminated, everything in his universe inevitably begins to collapse. Wolverine’s death in Logan marked the end of that reality, and if we bring this event into context with the future events of Doomsday, it opens up room for a broader interpretation of how the new antagonist can exploit these figures for his own plans. Being an anchor being would make someone an anomaly in Doom’s manipulated world, and he will definitely want to eliminate anyone who stands in his way, or use their powers for his own benefit.

Tony Stark was once considered to be the main anchor being, but now his protégé Peter Parker seems like a perfect candidate. Apart from the superhero’s enduring popularity within the MCU, it would further immediately elevate his place in the narrative. Doom would no doubt want to get his hands on the hero that is making the citizens of Battle World remember the “old” MCU, in addition to wanting the power of an anchor being. Not to mention, a confrontation between the multiverse’s biggest villain wearing his mentor’s face could be devastating for the web-slinger, it would be too great a moment in the larger MCU story to pass up.

Peter is the one of the only pieces on Doom’s board who could destabilize his control, largely because of Strange’s spell and the protection that’s baked into it. With that, he could end up becoming the most important hero in the MCU as he’s the only one who will remember everything that was erased. His journey through the rest of The Multiverse Saga could be what kicks off the great war at the heart of the sixth Avengers movie.

Avengers: Doomsday hits the big screen on May 1, 2026, with Spider-Man 4 following on July 31, 2026.

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Welcome to a new discussion with the ComicBook Panel! Make sure to post your own comments about the Doomsday concept art leaks down below!

While Anora is the talk of the town in Hollywood after its five Oscar wins last night, the Academy Awards didn’t dim the spotlight on the Avengers: Doomsday concept art leaks this weekend. The several pieces created by Marvel Studios concept artist/illustrator Mushk Rinzi that were released on social media provided tons of details regarding the upcoming Avengers sequel’s plot, setting, and even a look at Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU return as Doctor Doom. We are taking these leaks with a grain of salt because these are only concept art and not fully realized film shots, but our team at ComicBook has been digging into these with a sense of cautious optimism. Before we dive a little deeper, please be aware that there might be potential spoilers to the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

Over the weekend, Marvel fans were treated to an inside scoop of the highly anticipated Avengers installment, which looks to be set on the planet Battleworld, which is constructed of destroyed realities. In a few of the pieces, we get a glimpse at the medieval setting along with the return of some of the familiar MCU faces such as She-Hulk, Black Panther, and Star-Lord. Our former Guardians of the Galaxy member looks to have a prominent role in the film, as many pictures feature Peter Quill alongside superheroes like Wong, the Young Avengers, and White Vision.

Speaking of the Young Avengers, it looks like we are getting closer to getting the Maximoff twins back together again with the introduction of Speed. While no actor has been confirmed, many are suggesting that the art looks similar to Game of Thrones actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster. The Black Panther’s return doesn’t look to have Letitia Wright’s Shuri taking the mantle, so many are theorizing it to be a CGI version of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa or a former Black Panther like T’Chanda or a younger version of T’Chaka.

Our first look at Doctor Doom is thrilling to see, especially with the menacing take it seems to be setting up. Striking a pose on his iconic throne, the grimacing antagonist could potentially be ruthless to some of our dear MCU friends, especially if the fate of the Fantastic Four lies in the hands of Victor Von Doom.

What’s your take on the recent Doomsday concept art leaks? How do you feel about the direction that the MCU is taking? Who are you hoping to see make an appearance in the next Avenger film? Let us know in the comments section down below!

Check out some of our coverage of the concept art leaks and beyond down below!

• That Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Has Me Very Worried About How Marvel Studios Will Handle Black Panther
• Avengers: Doomsday Concept Art Leaks Revealing Huge Plot Details & Returning Characters
• Everything the Doomsday Concept Art Leak Could Reveal About the Avengers Sequel
• Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals RDJ’s Doom Armor Has Some Iron Man Inspirations
• Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Provides Major Hint About Marvel Studio’s Young Avengers Plans
• Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals Doop, the MCU’s Craziest X-Men Connection Yet

The post CB Panel: What Did You Think About the Avengers: Doomsday Concept Art Leaks? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

From the moment we heard that Doctor Doom was set to be the main antagonist of the upcoming Avengers sequels, it was obvious that the Fantastic Four were destined to answer the call. With the summer blockbuster The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming to theaters this year, it’s no surprise that the movie will set up the events leading to Doomsday, with some suggesting RDJ’s Doctor Doom could make an appearance in a post-credit scene. Victor Von Doom is the Fantastic Four’s arch-enemy, so to venture that as a guess isn’t too much of a stretch. While First Steps might set up Doomsday, it’s not Doom who should be afraid, it is the Fantastic Four who will be. If the leaked Avengers: Doomsday concept art has given us anything, it’s that the fate of this team is looking pretty grim.

Before we take a deep dive into the leaked concept art, we want to give a fair warning about what you are about to see, as these could be potential spoilers in Avengers: Doomsday. As with any leak, these pictures should be taken with a grain of salt, as these could’ve been from earlier in the process or from scenes that have been cut out during pre-production. With this in mind, let’s take a look at what we could expect for the Fantastic Four after the events of First Steps.

RELATED: Is Robert Downey Jr. in The Fantastic Four Reboot?

We aren’t sure of what’s going to happen at the end of First Steps, but many have pointed at the possibility of the team leaving their universe to travel to another timeline, seeing how their confirmation to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and beyond does pose the question of their timeline, which is in the 1960s. Battleworld is the patchwork world made from the remnants of destroyed realities, which could be a sign as to how the Fantastic Four could make their debut in Doomsday following the Galactus attack.

In the Avengers: Doomsday concept art, there’s a trial scene being held in Doom’s throne room, with indications that the man on trial is Reed Richards; the lady alongside Doom is Sue Storm, and the child in front of her is none other than young Franklin Richards. This is a prediction since there’s been no confirmation that Franklin is a part of First Steps, but seeing how the concept art does have the man on trial looking towards the woman and child, who happen to be in view, it indicates that Mister Fantastic’s is (literally) in quite a bend, spelling out a potential cruel fate for the leading man.

The locations of Johnny Storm and The Thing are still unknown since the concept art doesn’t give any indication as to where they might be, but if these rumors are true, they could be somewhere on Battleworld. They could potentially team up with other superheroes around the world, given that Hulk, Star-Lord, and Wong are there, but we can’t say for sure. The only way of knowing for sure where exactly the team will be when Doomsday starts will be at the end of First Steps, which debuts in theaters on July 25th.

What do you think about the Fantastic Four’s involvement in Doomsday? Do you our prediction is accurate? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals Major Hint About the Fate of the Fantastic Four After First Steps appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Recent concept art leaks for Avengers: Doomsday and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have sent fans into a frenzy speculating about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The images, which made the rounds online, have given fans a glimpse of what the highly anticipated MCU films have in store, and while none of the images are confirmed to depict what will actually show up in the final film, they do tease some of the big surprises and reveals that Doomsday and First Steps are bound to deliver. Concept art from the Fantastic Four reboot confirmed a longstanding fan theory, while the Avengers sequel gave us our first look at Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Doctor Doom, along with returning characters like Hulk, She-Hulk, Vision, and others.

However, one particular image from Avengers: Doomsday has sparked even greater intrigue, offering a major update on Marvel’s Young Avengers plans. Among the leaks, one striking piece of concept art features what appears to be the Young Avengers assembled together, including characters like Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye, Cassie Lang’s Stature, Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel, Billy Kaplan’s Wiccan, and Tommy Maximoff’s Speed (and, even more inexplicably, Doop from the X-Men). What’s even more interesting is that Peter Quill’s Star-Lord and Wong appear to be chaperoning the teen heroes in some kind of bar or restaurant.

But even if we do see the Young Avengers in Doomsday, what are Marvel Studios’ larger plans for the team?

Who are the Young Avengers?

The Young Avengers were created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, and made their first appearance in Young Avengers #1 in 2005. Originally, their lineup consisted of Patriot (Eli Bradley), Hulkling (Teddy Altman), Wiccan (Billy Kaplan), and Iron Lad (Nathaniel Richards), with Kate Bishop and Stature joining shortly after. They were introduced as a new generation of heroes inspired by their elder counterparts, but with their own unique struggles and identities that come from being teenagers. Over the years, the Young Avengers have appeared in multiple series of their own, as well as played major roles in crossover events.

Marvel Studios has been slowly but surely laying the groundwork for the Young Avengers throughout Phases 4 and 5. Cassie Lang’s superhero identity was further explored in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kate Bishop was introduced in Hawkeye, Kate Bishop was introduced in Hawkeye, and Kamala Khan took center stage in Ms. Marvel. And let’s not forget Billy Kaplan and Tommy Maximoff, the future Wiccan and Speed, who debuted as Wanda Maximoff’s children in WandaVision. Plus, there are still some other teenage heroes running around the MCU who could join the Young Avengers at some point, such as America Chavez from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Riri Williams / Ironheart from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While the Young Avengers have yet to officially unite, their presence across multiple projects suggests Marvel is methodically setting up their eventual team-up.

Remember when Kamala Khan met with Kate Bishop at the end of The Marvels to ask her if she’d be interested in joining a team? That wasn’t done for no reason (although Marvel Studios does have a tendency to let some of their post-credits scenes go nowhere on occasion).

Since Avengers: Doomsday is set to release next year, and with no Young Avengers project set to come out before then, that film could very well be when they officially assemble, possibly to rescue their older counterparts. With a multiversal crisis on the horizon, it may be all hands on deck, forcing the group of youthful heroes to step up in a way they never have before.

Their inclusion also raises questions about how they fit into the larger MCU narrative. Will they serve as key players in the battle against Doom and other multiversal threats? Or will they first be mentored by veteran Avengers, gradually taking up the mantle as Earth’s next generation of heroes? Regardless of how they are introduced, the artwork suggests that the Young Avengers will have a major role to play in the future of the franchise.

What is the Young Avengers’ Future in the MCU?

Another interesting aspect of the leaked artwork is the potential roles of Star-Lord and Wong in the Young Avengers’ journey. Last we saw Star-Lord, he was on Earth reuniting with his grandfather – so at what point does he connect with the Young Avengers? Meanwhile, Wong has already acted as a mentor figure of sorts to younger heroes like America Chavez – is that how he connects with other heroes-in-training?

Whether these characters serve as direct mentors or simply allies, their involvement suggests that the Young Avengers will have strong connections to the wider MCU, potentially setting the stage for their own standalone project down the line.

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026.

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“In my culture, death is not the end. It’s more of a stepping-off point,” T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) says in his debut appearance in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. “You reach out with both hands and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veldt where you can run forever.” In 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, King T’Challa joined his father, the late T’Chaka (John Kani), in the Ancestral Plane following his death from an unknown, incurable illness. (In reality, Boseman died at the age of 43 in 2020 after a private, years-long battle with colon cancer.)

Marvel Studios paid tribute to Boseman in Wakanda Forever, choosing to retire — rather than recast — the character that Boseman had portrayed in four films between 2016 and 2019, including 2018’s groundbreaking Black Panther and Avengers sequels Infinity War and Endgame. In December 2020, Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige announced that, to “honor the legacy that Chad helped us build,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe would not recast Boseman, and would instead “continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.”

The Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther sequel addressed Boseman’s absence by reworking what was planned as a “father-son story,” passing the mantle of the Black Panther to T’Challa’s sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), and introducing T’Challa’s young son: Toussaint/Prince T’Challa II (Divine Love Konadu-Sun).

It was a tasteful handling of Boseman’s tragic passing, ingraining a real-life loss into an epic elegy for a character — and an actor — gone too soon. That’s why some fans were dismayed when recently leaked concept art for Avengers: Doomsday appeared to show a character resembling Boseman’s T’Challa as the regal and reigning king of Wakanda.

The concept art sparked questions like: Is Marvel Studios recasting Boseman’s T’Challa? Is it a multiversal variant? A CGI recreation of Boseman’s likeness? Perhaps a younger T’Chaka, or an older T’Challa II? (Doomsday is set within the multiverse, and according to the concept art, appears to take place in the amalgam reality of Battleworld.)

However, the URL of the artist’s since-deleted ArtStation post identified the character as T’Chanda — not T’Challa. T’Chanda could be the mystery role that Denzel Washington revealed Coogler is writing for him in Black Panther 3 (which won’t be recasting T’Challa, according to Black Panther franchise producer Nate Moore).

“The truth is, there’s no truth to those [recast] rumors,” Moore recently told ComicBook when asked about a viral report claiming Marvel Studios is looking to cast a new Black Panther actor, potentially for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. “Never say never to anything, [but] we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film Sinners, which comes out this year. We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started [working on it].”

In the comics, T’Chanda, also known by his regnal name as Azzuri the Wise, is T’Chaka’s son and T’Challa’s grandfather: the World War II-era Black Panther. 1993’s Fantastic Four Unlimited #1 revealed that Colonel Fritz Klaue betrayed Wakanda’s then-chieftain and tried to colonize the undiscovered African nation, resulting in the death of T’Chanda’s wife, Queen Nanali. After Klaue attempted to seize Wakanda’s most valuable natural resource, vibranium, T’Chanda ingested the Heart-Shaped Herb and became the Black Panther. T’Chanda took Klaue’s hand in battle, the beginning of a family feud that would span generations as Klaue’s son, Ulysses Klaw, became T’Challa’s archnemesis: the supervillain Klaw.

As the Black Panther, T’Chanda battled the American Super-Soldier Captain America in 1944, a battle that was glimpsed in 2005’s Black Panther #1 and played out in 2010’s World War II-set limited series Black Panther/Captain America: Flags of Our Fathers.

The Nazi-killing Black Panther became the first of the Black Panthers to fight alongside Steve Rogers. T’Chanda’s son, Prince T’Chaka, might have died had Gabe Jones — the only Black soldier serving in Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos — not saved the boy from one of the Red Skull’s underlings during their invasion of Wakanda.

Most recently, T’Challa’s ancestors — father T’Chaka, grandfather T’Chanda, uncle S’Yan, and their distant ancestor Bashenga — appeared before him from the afterlife during the Ta-Nehisi Coates-penned Black Panther run. After all, death is not the end for the Black Panther.

The post No, Marvel Isn’t Recasting Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther in Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Is Avengers: Doomsday setting up a change for Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again? It was tough for everyone to hear the unfortunate news of T’Challa actor Chadwick Boseman’s death, especially for those who saw the character’s rise as a symbol of optimism and growth. When it came to honoring Boseman’s legacy, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever provided a much-needed shoulder to cry upon while also setting up Letitia Wright’s Shuri taking on the mantle of the Black Panther. Understanding this, concept art leaks for Doomsday might have spelled doom in more ways than one, especially with the inclusion of another Black Panther character.

The Black Panther sequel set up Shuri to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and take on the job that was blessed upon him by their ancestors. There wasn’t a question regarding whether or not her involvement in the Avengers sequels was sustainable, given that the superhero has had their time alongside the Avengers team. The recent leak, however, shows a man in the Black Panther suit, which is donned with a regal cape and decorum. This doesn’t look like Shuri but sadly looks similar to Boseman.

[RELATED: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Producer Addresses “Recast T’Challa” Movement]

We can’t say for sure whether this confirms that Boseman’s T’Challa will return in CGI, given that we were told that no recasting would be done for the character, but you can’t help but wonder if this was a possibility at the time of these concept art creations. Using CGI to bring actors back to life has been going on for a while, with Disney doing it back in 2016 with Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was met with criticism. Bringing back a deceased actor with CGI is tricky, especially if it’s done in a way that is only meant to incite a shocking response. Setting up Wakanda Forever as a way to honor T’Challa’s legacy only to have it minimized feels harsh.

If this character isn’t T’Challa, another worthy guess could be his father, T’Chaka, played by John Kani. If this were to be the case, then it would make sense that a much younger actor could take the role of the Black Panther. This would make for a less controversial standing since they have Atandwa Kani already in the role of young T’Chaka. There could also be a case to have Sterling K. Brown return as N’Jobu if this film takes place in another universe, considering he was supposed to take on the Black Panther mantle.

In any case, the legacy left by Boseman should not be tampered with. The work put into his character was inspirational, and to think that Marvel Studios might bring him back is upsetting. Also, we need to see Shuri back as the Black Panther; it feels wrong to set her up for the role and then leave her behind to bring a new person in. While we are unsure what to make of this photo and what it means for Doomsday, we can only hope that Marvel makes the right decision when taking the chance at recasting the Black Panther.

What do you think about using CGI for Boseman’s T’Challa? Do you think someone else could be stepping into the suit in Doomsday? Let us know in the comments section down below!

The post That Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Has Me Very Worried About How Marvel Studios Will Handle Black Panther appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Endgame was the perfect conclusion to the Infinity Saga, and was filled to the brim with crowd-pleasing moments, dazzling action scenes, and plenty of heart, so much so that fans have been wondering how Marvel Studios will be able to top it. Well, we may have just gotten a taste of what the studio is planning. Concept art for the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday just leaked, giving fans an early look at what’s in store for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The leaked images included glimpses of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Star-Lord hanging out with White Vision, a new Black Panther, and Hulk and She-Hulk in a medieval-like setting with other Hulks. While we don’t know for sure that the scenes and characters depicted in the concept will be featured in the final product, the fact that they were quickly scrubbed (but not before fans screenshotted them and spread them across the internet) means that they may actually be early glimpses of Marvel Studios’ plan for the upcoming film.

It’s a pretty surprising batch of images that really just leaves us with more questions than answers. However, the real revelation is the inclusion of the X-Men character, Doop. The floating green interdimensional being is seen in a bar or restaurant of some kind with what appears to be the Young Avengers (who could get their own film), whose roster includes Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Cassie Lang, Wiccan, and Speed, all of whom are being chaperoned by Wong and Star-Lord. While Marvel Studios has been gradually integrating mutants into the MCU, no one could have predicted that Doop, of all characters, would be considered to appear in a major Avengers film. Known for his absurd abilities and surreal presence, Doop’s potential involvement in Avengers: Doomsday definitely has fans scratching their heads asking the question: Why Doop?

Who is Doop?

Even among fans of Marvel Comics, Doop is hardly one of the more well-known characters. The character, created by writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred, debuted in X-Force #116 in 2001. This version of the team featured a group of mutant heroes whose exploits were filmed and broadcast to the world, making them more akin to pop or reality TV stars than traditional superheroes, and were later rebranded as X-Statix, with Doop functioning as their cameraman.

Not much is known about Doop, though his presence often lends a more humorous tone to whichever series he appears in. This hovering green creature speaks an indescribable language that somehow only a select few can understand; he has an impressive power set that includes flight, enhanced durability, energy projection, and more. Despite his wry personality and nonchalant demeanor, he’s proven to be quite a fighter and has held his own against plenty of powerful supervillains.

[RELATED: Doomsday Concept Art Just Teased the Return of a Controversial Character (But Will He Actually Appear?)]

Doop’s origins are also quite bizarre. It’s been speculated that he was created by the U.S. government in a top secret project during the Cold War. However, later comics would state that he came from another dimension called Marginalia. But considering how baffling the character’s existence is in and of itself, it’s far more fun to theorize his real ancestry.

Doop’s publication history is just as unconventional as the character himself. Originally appearing in X-Force / X-Statix, he had a recurring appearance in Wolverine and the X-Men as an administrator at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning who also went on numerous secret missions to keep the school’s students safe from outside threats. Since then, he’s appeared in numerous other X-titles and has shown up in multiple crossover events.

So Why Doop?

Despite what we know about Doop from the comics (which is, admittedly, not very much), why Marvel Studios would want to include him so early before the arrival of other, bigger X-Men characters isn’t clear. Considering the multiversal nature of the current state of the MCU, he may be from another parallel universe. In the source material, he has a pocket universe in his own body, so maybe that’s how Marvel Studios will bring in other X-Men characters? It’s also possible that, because this is just concept art, that Doop was thrown in as a joke rather than confirmation that he’ll actually appear in the film.

Whatever the reason for his inclusion in the leaked Avengers: Doomsday concept art, it does mean that Marvel Studios isn’t afraid to play with some unexpected characters in the planning of their films. At the very least, it seems like the MCU has plenty of surprises in store for fans with its upcoming projects.

What do you think about Doop’s inclusion in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals Doop, the MCU’s Craziest X-Men Connection Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Evil Tony Stark might be making his way to the MCU after all. Seeing the recent Doomsday concept art leaks on Saturday, fans have been dissecting the several photos of the eagerly-anticipated Avengers film. There is a lot to go through, from the return of key MCU characters like Star-Lord, Hulk, and Black Panther, to new introductions like Speed and the obscure X-Men character Doop. Seeing where the story is heading based on these art pieces from Marvel Studios’ concept artist/illustrator Mushk Rizni, Marvel fans are in for a ride of a lifetime. While it might be interesting seeing some of these superheroes coming back into the fold, there is one specific character that has been talked about even more: Doctor Doom and what connections he might have to Iron Man.

We are aware that Iron Man‘s Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU in the Russo Brother’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, given the shocking revelation of his role as Doctor Doom at Comic-Con, but thanks to the leaked art it doesn’t seem that he may be completely moving away from his Iron Man roots. Seeing the concept art of Doctor Doom on his infamous throne, one might spot the likeness of one of the most interesting comic book versions of Tony Stark within the medieval design of the character.

RELATED: Everything the Doomsday Concept Art Leak Could Reveal About the Avengers Sequel

The costume that Doctor Doom wears in the concept art is close to the Marvel Comic’s depiction of Superior Iron Man, which has a white metallic suit of armor. This version of Iron Man combines every dark quality of Tony Stark’s and puts it into one person. This character has made its way through several Marvel Comics issues, having gained opposition from superheroes such as Daredevil and even his wife Pepper Potts. One instance that could be a factor in RDJ’s return to the MCU is the use of artificial intelligence. Tony Stark’s memory could live on as AI, making the titular antagonist connected to the original Iron Man in some capacity.

Doctor Doom might take certain aspects of Tony Stark and combine them with the immoral perspective of the antagonist to create a Victor Von Doom we haven’t seen before. For fans, the idea of an evil take on Tony Stark/Iron Man would be an interesting if not welcome one. Fans have been wanting a darker version of the character for a while. Now, with the concept art for Doctor Doom’s costume being evocative of Superior Iron Man, it isn’t too much of a stretch to think we could finally be getting it.

What do you think about the Superior Iron Man inspiration? Do you believe Robert Downey Jr. will return as a version of Tony Stark in Doomsday? Let us know in the comments down below!

The post Avengers: Doomsday Artwork Reveals RDJ’s Doom Armor Has Some Iron Man Inspirations appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The MCU is bringing everyone together for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The recent discovery of Doomsday concept art, drawn by Marvel Studios’ Concept artist and illustrator Mushk Rizni, has taken the Internet by storm seeing how beyond the confirmed appearances of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four, there have only been whispers about what is to come and who will be in the movie. Star-Lord’s Chris Pratt has remained hopeful about his return, but it seems that he might have a bigger role in the next generation of the Avengers. Before we continue, it’s important to take the following information with a grain of salt. With that in mind, let’s dive into the Avengers: Doomsday concept art and what it might mean for the new Avengers movie.

For starters, Doctor Doom is the main antagonist in the upcoming Avengers films, as we were told during the San Diego Comic-Con panel last year. After seeing pieces of concept art, it is wise to assume that Doom plays a role of high status within this universe as he is sitting on his infamous throne. Seeing the setting and cast of these images which includes characters such as Hulk, She-Hulk, and Doctor Strange, a much older timeline seems to be in place meaning that we could be seeing these heroes in another multiverse or, perhaps, in a future that is changed due to the events of Fantastic Four: The First Steps. With this being said, the introduction of the Fantastic Four could seem more likely if these events take place in the past since the team is from the 1960s.

RELATED: Avengers: Doomsday Concept Art Leaks Revealing Huge Plot Details & Returning Characters

Seeing the return of She-Hulk could also lean into the fact that the MCU shows on Disney+ have a role in the movies which does bring into question inclusion of characters such as Daredevil, Wonder-Man, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel. In the same vein, one of the concept art pieces showcases the Young Avengers at a bar somewhere with Star-Lord and Wong. One outlier within this group, which consists of Wiccan, Cassie Lang, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel, is the introduction of Speed, one of the Maximoff twins. He was teased at the end of Agatha All Along, but no face has been put to the name just yet. While we aren’t going to theorize who that actor might be at the moment, it does indicate that Speed will have a role within the movies, perhaps a key role if this does take place in another timeline.

Star-Lord seems to play a prominent role in the Avengers sequel, given that he is in a majority of the concept art. White Vision is also shown in one of the photos, which means that Peter Quill will most likely be called to action rather than be the one to lead the team, given his laid-back attitude. Quill being alongside Wong does suggest that he will be a part of the curation of another Avengers team. One other surprising introduction is the return of Black Panther. While this one isn’t of the current Black Panther, we could venture a guess that this might be T’Chaka, seeing how the character is older and dons an older-looking suit.

With all of this being stated, we can’t be sure if these photos are for Doomsday only or if they are also for Secret Wars as well. Benedict Cumberbatch has denied his involvement with the upcoming Avengers movie but did retract his statement, leaving more of a tease than an answer. In any case, the Avengers are looking to bring about a new team of superheroes in an attempt to take down a fearful foe who, as avid Marvel comics readers will know, is no short of mysterious and dominating.

Beyond Robert Downey Jr. being confirmed to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, plenty of questions about Avengers: Doomsday remain. The new Avengers movie won’t be out in theaters until May 2026, so there will be plenty of time for speculations and reveals between now and then.

What do you think about these concept art leaks? Are there any characters we missed out on? Let us know in the comments down below!

The post Everything the Doomsday Concept Art Leak Could Reveal About the Avengers Sequel appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Leaked concept art from Avengers: Doomsday teases the return of one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most prominent characters. A gallery of images designed by artist Mushk Rizvi has made its way online, giving fans a taste of what they can possibly expect when the upcoming Marvel blockbuster arrives in theaters next summer. In addition to getting glimpses of Doctor Doom, the Young Avengers, and multiple Hulks, the concept art showcases a Black Panther variant suited up in Wakanda. This, of course, raises the question of whether or not T’Challa will appear in the final cut of Avengers: Doomsday.

Chadwick Boseman memorably portrayed T’Challa during the MCU’s Infinity Saga, making his debut in Captain America: Civil War before later appearing in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. After the actor’s tragic death in 2020, the decision was made to have T’Challa pass away in-universe, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever became about T’Challa’s sister Shuri assuming the mantle of Black Panther.

Over the years, there have been debates about whether or not T’Challa should be recast. Earlier this year, rumors started to pop up insinuating that would happen. Word was that Marvel was exploring the idea of introducing a T’Challa variant through the Multiverse — in either Doomsday or Secret Wars — so that the character can once again be part of the franchise’s overarching story. It is unknown if the in-development Black Panther 3 would star this T’Challa variant (assuming the rumor pans out).

[RELATED – Marvel’s Avengers Directors Tease Doomsday and Secret Wars Cast: “Anybody” in the MCU “Could Show Up”]

While on the press tour for Captain America: Brave New World, Marvel producer Nate Moore addressed the recasting rumors, saying there was “no truth” to them since Black Panther 3 is in the earliest stages of development. However, he didn’t completely shut the door on the possibility, as he stated, “Never say never to anything.”

It is important to keep in mind that this is just concept art and not a guarantee T’Challa will be featured in Doomsday. It’s possible the filmmakers were simply considering the idea at one point in development and commissioned the illustration to see what it’d look like before going in a different direction. That said, Marvel’s apparent interest in bringing T’Challa back is understandable; the character is one of the most important figures in the comics, so he should have a role to play in the films moving forward. The prospect of recasting T’Challa was (understandably) a delicate issue in the wake of Boseman’s passing, but introducing a new variant would allow an actor to come in and have the leeway to put his own stamp on the role while also honoring Boseman’s legacy.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin filming soon, and there are still many cast members who haven’t officially been confirmed. It’ll be interesting to see if Marvel announces a new Black Panther actor ahead of production starting; the studio has been renowned for its secrecy, so it could be saving the T’Challa variant for the Doomsday premiere as one of the film’s many surprises. However, given how popular Black Panther is, Marvel might be inclined to have the character be part of the marketing campaign. What do you think? Should there be a T’Challa variant in Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!

The post Doomsday Concept Art Just Teased the Return of a Controversial Character (But Will He Actually Appear?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday concept art has leaked online and it has revealed a lot of massive information about the movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is huge and each movie is held under a high degree of secrecy. There have been many jokes made by not only fans, but also actors in the Marvel universe about the “Marvel snipers” as many fear the trouble they will get in for leaking stuff. Still, leaks do happen. Trailers have managed to get out early, footage from Avengers: Infinity War leaked about five months before the movie itself released, and of course, some plot details manage to hit the internet. However, it’s usually hard to make out what’s real and what’s not.

Right now, the big secrets of the MCU revolve around Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. The Russo Brothers have teased what to expect from Avengers: Doomsday, noting that it will “challenge audiences” and are gearing up to begin filming here in just a few weeks over in London. The only thing we really know about the movie is that Marvel staples like Doctor Strange will return and that Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom. We don’t know exactly what to expect from the movie beyond that and the story for it hasn’t really been set up like the Infinity Saga, so we are all going into it pretty blind. However, a new leak paints a much better picture for the film.

Avengers: Doomsday Concept Art Leaks Revealing Doctor Doom Scenes, New Black Panther, and More.

A Marvel concept artist named Mushk Rizvi has leaked concept art from Avengers: Doomsday. While it was likely an accident, it gives fans a lot of insight into the film. The concept art was posted to the artist’s Artstation page and was quickly removed, but fans were able to grab it before it was erased. The images reveal multiple things: Star-Lord is hanging out with White Vision, a new Black Panther (possibly a T’Challa variant) will be featured, the Young Avengers are finally assembling with the help of Wong and Star-Lord, and Doctor Doom comes from what seems to be a different universe and time period. You can view the art courtesy of a Reddit post below.

It appears that Doctor Doom will hail from a medieval period of sorts and be the only one with a potentially futuristic look, suggesting he may not originally be from there or has already jumped between universes himself. After all, if someone from the future went back in time with technology, they’d probably be viewed as a god by older cultures. It appears there are variants of Doctor Strange, Yelena, and maybe even Sue Storm and Franklin Richards by his side as well. It seems that Hulk may be in this alternate universe as well and his son seeks his help after being hit with an arrow, likely warning him of a larger danger.

Needless to say, this is going to cause speculation for Avengers: Doomsday to run rampant. We don’t really know what the main conflict of the movie will be or what Doctor Doom’s plan is, but this certainly gives fans a lot more information without really spoiling anything too much. The concept art unfortunately does not confirm rumors that Chris Evans will return in Avengers: Doomsday as Nomad or a variant of Captain America. Of course, Marvel is likely only going to tighten down on security for the film after this, so don’t hold your breath for any more gargantuan leaks after this.

Either way, hopefully it won’t be too long before we learn more. While Avengers: Doomsday is still a year away, it wouldn’t be shocking if we get some big casting announcements at San Diego Comic-Con this summer. We don’t really know who the Avengers are right now, so it would make sense for Marvel to assemble the core heroes that will be at the center of this story.

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Marvel and DC comics take place on very different Earths, but one thing is the same — the United States of America. Each company has done interesting things with its version of the US; in the Marvel Universe, the government takes a much more hands-on approach with the superhero community, while in the DC Universe, the government is more hands-off most of the time. Both versions of the United States have had different presidents, sometimes the ones from real history, and sometimes not, and strangely enough, some of them have been supervillains. While there have been superhero presidents, it seems like supervillains are much more likely to become the President of the United States.

Most of the time, this usually happens in some kind of alternate universe, but it has also happened in the mainline universe of at least one of the two major superhero universes. Supervillain presidents are a very interesting idea; it honestly makes a lot of sense for villains to try and take the Oval Office, and the fact that some of them succeeded has led to some very interesting stories. These six supervillains have become presidents in their respective universes, with one of them even having done it three times!

Green Goblin

Marvel has some brilliant multiverse tales, and one of the best is Earth X. The Earth X Trilogy is a case of diminishing returns, but the first fourteen issue series is an amazing tour of Marvel’s past and future. It takes place in an alternate future where everyone on Earth has gained superpowers. People are mysteriously starting to live longer, and food is becoming scarce. In the United States, a most unlikely president is elected — Norman Osborn. Osborn actually doesn’t play a huge role in the main narrative of the story, and is killed by the mind-controlling Skull, who proclaims himself the king of America.

Osborn is definitely corrupt, but one gets the impression that he’s also trying to make things work for the United States. As far as supervillain presidents go, he’s pretty tame. This always felt more like a shocking choice than anything else, showing that the world had gotten so bad in Earth X that the people elected a corrupt businessman with a criminal past in order to save them. Imagine that.

Purple Man

Most Marvel fans know Purple Man from the Netflix show Jessica Jones. Zebediah Killgrave was a Croatian spy who gained the ability to control minds through pheromones. The Purple Man was never an A-list villain, but his place in the origin of Jessica Jones, both on TV and in her series Alias, showed readers just how despicable he could be. Mind control is a great power for someone who wants to be president, and in Marvel 1602, it was revealed that Purple Man was able to expand his powers to such an extent that he was able to become president.

Marvel 1602 took place in the year 1602, when the characters of the Marvel Universe started to appear in that year. Steve Rogers was there as Rojhaz, who was a white man that lived with Native Americans and was the guardian of Virginia Dare. Readers learned why a white man was living with the Natives in the book’s last issue and it definitely wasn’t what anyone expected. Rogers was from a future where the Purple Man was able to take the highest office in the land. Purple Man couldn’t kill Rogers, so he sent Captain America back in time. Captain America was the catalyst for the Marvel Universe beginning earlier in the new timeline, creating an entirely new universe. Readers didn’t get a lot of Purple Man as president — it’s honestly a handful of panels — but he was still president.

Number One

So, this one has always been more of an implication than anything else, but it still counts. In the ’70s, Captain America was battling the Secret Empire, a secret group of bad guys who were led by the Council of Nine. It was said that the Secret Empire’s Number One had a high political office in the United States, and eventually Cap was able to hunt him down. Number One ran into the Oval Office with Cap in pursuit. Number One revealed his identity to Captain America and then killed himself rather than face justice.

So, here’s the rub — it was heavily implied that Number One was Richard Nixon, which meant that Number One’s “high political office” was as President of the United States of America. The reveal of Number One’s identity broke Captain America’s faith in the United States, and caused him to give up the mantle of Captain America for a time and become Nomad. Again, this one was only implied – it has basically become canon for fans and people in the Marvel Universe that Richard Nixon was a supervillain who became president.

RELATED: 2025 Comic Preview – All the Biggest Storylines & New Series to Know About

Red Skull

Old Man Logan is a classic Marvel story, taking place in an alternate future where the villains won. Red Skull decided to pull an “Acts of Vengeance” again — “Acts of Vengeance” was a late ’80s story that saw villains go after heroes who weren’t their usual targets — and this time it worked. The United States was cut up into territories for villains like Doctor Doom, Kingpin, Magneto, and the Hulk (who had joined the villains), with the Red Skull taking control of the East Coast and decreeing himself President.

Red Skull killed Captain America, who was Bucky at the time, and started to wear his costume. Red Skull also collected various relics from the dead heroes, creating a macabre trophy room that he spent a lot of time in. Red Skull was constantly trying to break any rebellions before they happened, using his own version of S.H.I.E.L.D. to find heroes and their descendants in order to kill them. Red Skull’s reign ended when Logan went after him in revenge for Hawkeye’s death.

Doom 2099

Marvel’s 2099 books are an untapped vein of brilliant stories, with Doom 2099 fighting Spider-Man 2099 and X-Men 2099 for which is the best book in the line. Doom 2099 starred a character who woke up in the year 2099 and decreed that he was the Doctor Doom of the previous hundred years. Doom immediately went around to take back Latveria from the evil Tiger Wylde, eventually regaining his throne. Doom’s machinations in the world saw him gain more and more power, helping the superheroes of the future battle the corporations that had taken control of the world and its countries.

Eventually, Doom decided to try to take the office of President. The control of the corporations over the United States had eroded the prestige of the office, but it still kept much of its old power. Doom was able to successfully invade the United States, beating the forces of the US and the corporations. Doom took the White House, forced the current president to commit suicide, and then took the Presidency. Doom’s time as president saw him battle the corporations even more, and eventually started a world war in order to fix the rest of the countries of the world.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor and Superman’s multi-year war has always been complicated by Luthor’s wealth and prestige. Luthor was able to sidestep the consequences of crimes, using the power of LexCorp and all of the political capital that his billions of dollars could get him to always come out smelling like roses. Lex eventually decided that he wanted to be president and began an overhaul of his image. He started this by helping rebuild Gotham during the Batman classic “No Man’s Land”, when Gotham was cut off from the US after a viral outbreak and a massive earthquake. This bought him a lot of love from the population, and he was able to become President of the United States. He held the office for a while, but eventually his villainous machinations caused him to lose the presidency.

However, that’s not the only time Lex has been President of the United States. In two separate alternate universe stories, Lex Luthor has also been president. The Dark Knight Strikes Again, the rather maligned sequel to The Dark Knight Returns, had Luthor as president. Luthor used his power and his place in the villain community to begin an attack on the heroes of the future. He was defeated by Batman. In Superman: Red Son, Lex was able to become President as well, presenting himself as the capitalist foil to the communist Superman. Luthor was able to end Superman’s reign — partly through the years of plans he had made and partly through Superman deciding to disappear — and helped save the world from Brainiac.

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Chris Pratt responds to whether Star-Lord will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Avengers: Doomsday. The fifth Avengers movie brings Robert Downey Jr. back as the iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom and the Russo Brothers to direct. With those three names attached, it’s already shaping up to be a monumental film, and that’s not counting the additions of the Fantastic Four. However, Pratt’s Star-Lord is one of the many characters fans have wondered about seeing in Doomsday. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III concluded with a tease for Star-Lord’s return at some point, and now Pratt is letting fans know when that could be.

Jimmy Kimmel Live had Chris Pratt on as a guest to talk about The Electric State, his upcoming Netflix film from the Russo Brothers, and much more. The end of the conversation turned to the MCU, where Kimmel asked Pratt flat out if he was going to be in the next Avengers movie. “Is this something you can share with us?” Kimmel asked Pratt. “Will Star-Lord going be a part of this?”

“For people who know the Marvel world, we did Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III, it was the last time you saw Star-Lord in there,” Pratt said. “There was a promise that Star-Lord would return.” Kimmel quickly chimed in with “The Legendary Star-Lord,” a title Star-Lord gifts himself.

“So all I can say is we will make good on that promise,” the Star-Lord actor said before joking, “I feel like there’s a Marvel sniper somewhere…” So while it’s not a definitive answer as to whether we can expect to see Star-Lord in Avengers: Doomsday, it at least clarifies that Marvel hasn’t forgotten about the cosmic outlaw and leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

[RELATED: Charlie Cox Wants Daredevil to Join the Avengers Over Returning for The Defenders (If He Had to Choose)

The Russo Brothers also gave an update on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars while promoting The Electric State. “It’s all in London, we’re shooting them fairly back-to-back,” Joe Russo told Deadline. “It’s a lot of work again. We may or may not survive, we’ll see.”

“But we’re very excited about it. We found a way into the story that we think is gonna be challenging for audiences, it’s challenging for us to execute. And it’s really exciting for us, it gets us out of bed to do it,” he continued.

Avengers: Doomsday is reportedly filming in March, and Avengers: Secret Wars reportedly starts production next summer. Benedict Cumberbatch has already confirmed Doctor Strange for Avengers: Doomsday, after previously stating the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn’t be in it after the focus of the story was changed from Kang the Conqueror to Doctor Doom.

“I got that wrong. I am in the next one,” Cumberbatch told Business Insider. “Don’t ever believe anything I say.”

Reports also indicate Chris Evans will star in Avengers: Doomsday, as well as Hayley Atwell. Though it’s not clear if they will be playing their familiar characters Captain America and Peggy Carter, respectively, or other characters like Human Torch for Evans, and Captain Carter for Atwell.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to land in theaters on May 1, 2026. Where do you want to see Star-Lord pop up next? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Chris Pratt Addresses Marvel’s Promised Star-Lord Return (But Will He Be in Avengers 5?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Russo Brothers are assembling Earth’s mightiest cast for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Six years after directors Anthony and Joe Russo brought the 10-year Infinity Saga to a close with back-to-back Avengers sequels — 2018’s Infinity War and 2019’s Endgame — the directing duo are headed to London soon to film their next Marvel Studios epic, which so far includes Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, and the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

“It’s all in London, we’re shooting them fairly back-to-back,” Joe Russo told Deadline in an interview pegged to new Netflix movie The Electric State. “It’s a lot of work again. We may or may not survive, we’ll see.”

“But we’re very excited about it. We found a way into the story that we think is gonna be challenging for audiences, it’s challenging for us to execute. And it’s really exciting for us, it gets us out of bed to do it,” he continued.

RELATED: All 35 MCU Movies Ranked From Worst to Best (According to Fans)

Before the Russos signed on to direct what is essentially a two-parter, it was reported last summer that more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles in the ensemble that is being described as “one of Marvel’s largest productions to date.”

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, and Tom Hiddleston’s multiverse god Loki were among the characters named in the report, although it’s unclear how the roster might have changed after Marvel pivoted away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror and rebranded Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as Avengers: Doomsday.

“Who knows? I don’t know,” Joe Russo said when asked about a crossover with X-Men and Deadpool characters following last year’s dimension-spanning Deadpool & Wolverine, which introduced Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth and Hugh Jackman’s metal-clawed mutant to the MCU. “I don’t know who we’re gonna see. I still don’t know.”

“Anybody in the Marvel bag could show up in this movie,” he added.

In 2015’s Secret Wars storyline, two universes — the Marvel Universe (Earth-616) and the Ultimate Marvel Universe (Earth-1610) — were on a collision course following a series of universe-destroying incursions. Only one universe could survive following a multiversal purge, so the heroes of each world were forced to battle before God Emperor Doom used the stolen power of the cosmic Beyonders to construct the patchwork planet Battleworld.

That means that heroes from any universe — including Marvel movies of the 2000s, like the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises — could conceivably appear in the finale of what Marvel Studios has dubbed The Multiverse Saga. Disney has slated Avengers: Doomsday for May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars for May 7, 2027.

The post Marvel’s Avengers Directors Tease Doomsday and Secret Wars Cast: “Anybody” in the MCU “Could Show Up” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars directors Anthony and Joe Russo have provided a surprising update on the two films. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a bit all over the place since Avengers: Endgame was released in 2019. The film brought a close to that particular era of the franchise and gave endings to some of the most iconic cinematic characters out there. However, Marvel has struggled with its direction since then for a variety of reasons. On top of movies like Captain America: Brave New World just generally being a mixed bag, Marvel also had to pivot away from Kang actor Jonathan Majors which resulted in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty being canceled.

Instead, Marvel decided to change its big multiverse story to focus on Doctor Doom played by Robert Downey Jr. To win fans back further, Marvel also confirmed that The Russo Brothers would return to direct both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The move shocked audiences and has left some fans puzzled as to how they’ll pull this story off since they haven’t been building toward this. It seems like a story that will undoubtedly be seismic in scale, but unlike Endgame or Infinity War, we have no idea what this story will look like on any level.

Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars Will “Challenge Audiences”, Claim The Russo Brothers

Rumors have been circulating that Avengers: Doomsday will begin filming by April and supposedly, the Russo Brothers will do so without a finished script. Of course, the latter point is certainly worth taking with a grain of salt, but it wouldn’t be surprising given how much Marvel has had to change course in the last couple of years. With that said, The Russo Brothers have been promoting their latest movie The Electric State and were obviously asked about the upcoming Avengers films. The two confirmed to Deadline that Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will be shot “fairly back to back” in London and are very excited about it. When pressed about X-Men characters or Deadpool and Wolverine, the two dodged the question noting that anyone in the “Marvel bag” could show up.

“It’s all in London, we’re shooting them fairly back to back,” said Joe Russo. “It’s a lot of work again, we may or may not survive, we’ll see. We’re very excited about it, we found a way into the story that we think is going to be challenging for audiences, challenging for us to execute. It’s really exciting to us, it gets us out of bed to do it.”

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter also asked the brothers about the upcoming movies and they teased what fans can expect from Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

“I think these movies are going to be a surprise to people,” said Joe Russo. “We found a way into the story that’s very exciting to us, but we think is very radical. I think it’s going to challenge audiences.”

Ultimately, it sounds like The Russo Brothers are going to take some big swings with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s been rumored that Chris Evans will return in the upcoming Avengers films, though everyone involved with the movie is remaining hush-hush. Chris Evans himself also vehemently denies that he will be in Avengers: Doomsday, but it does seem like he’s probably taking cues from Andrew Garfield’s school of lying to the press. Whether we will know officially if he’s in the movie before it actually releases is another story, but we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of his role, assuming he is actually in these movies.

In terms of people who are going to be in these movies, Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed Doctor Strange will have a role in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. It seems likely that Tom Holland will also return as Spider-Man for the Avengers films along with other main MCU players who have yet to perish or retire. However, given the multiverse element of these movies, it’s safe to say that just about everyone is a possible candidate for the films.

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Fans are excited to see Daredevil return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, but most of them are probably also wondering what the future holds for the character. Within the overarching narrative of the Multiverse Saga, the Avengers are in the process of being rebuilt, and it’s unknown which characters will round out the team this time. Daredevil could find himself on the roster of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but he’s also been part of the Defenders team seen on Marvel’s Netflix series. If it was up to Charlie Cox, he’d rather Daredevil suit up alongside the Avengers than reunite with the Defenders.

In an interview with ComicBook to promote Daredevil: Born Again, Cox was asked which team he’d want Daredevil to be a part of moving forward. After joking that the choice puts him between “a rock and a hard place” (given Daredevil’s personal history with the Defenders), Cox explained why he’d pick the Avengers.

“Over the course of these years, I’ve become a big fan of this character,” he said. “One of the things I’m acutely aware of is there are some really cool team-ups, and Daredevil plays a really interesting, pivotal role in some of the Avengers comics. For the sake of the character, I think that would be a wonderful moment … an homage to so much history.”

[RELATED – Daredevil: Born Again Brings Back Hawkeye Star (But Will Clint or Kate Appear?)]

Daredevil: Born Again, a revival of the earlier Netflix series, debuts on March 4th. A second season of the show is already in development, indicating Marvel has big plans for the Daredevil character moving forward. Cox has expressed hope he will have an opportunity to reprise Daredevil in an upcoming MCU film, be it an Avengers movie or something like the in-development Spider-Man 4.

Marvel is working on a pair of Avengers films that will serve as the finale to the Multiverse Saga: Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. It’s been confirmed that Anthony Mackie’s Captain America will be serving as the leader of this new iteration of the team. As far as other possible members, Benedict Cumberbatch is returning as Doctor Strange, and the stars of Thunderbolts* are slated to appear in Doomsday. However, a full lineup hasn’t been set in stone.

Given the rich history of the comics Cox alludes to, it would be a wasted opportunity if Daredevil never crossed paths with the Avengers on-screen. Moviegoers would definitely enjoy seeing the character play off the likes of Captain America and Doctor Strange, helping the team figure out a way to deal with the emerging threat of Doctor Doom. Admittedly, this would be quite the departure from the street-level stories Cox’s Daredevil has been a part of so far, but part of the fun of the Avengers films is seeing characters from all corners of the shared universe interact. Cox has been a fan-favorite in the part for a long time now, meaning viewers would happily be onboard for the character to get a larger role in the franchise moving forward.

Of course, there’s always a chance Daredevil works with some of his old friends again. Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum told us “collisions are inevitable” regarding the possibility of other Defenders characters showing up in the MCU. If Daredevil: Born Again is a hit, Marvel could use that as a springboard for a massive Defenders revival, bringing back that team in some capacity. Regardless of what becomes of Daredevil, it’s exciting that the character seemingly has a future in the MCU. After Netflix cancelled its slate of Marvel shows, those characters were in limbo, and it was unknown if they’d be seen again. Whether Daredevil is part of the new Avengers or a Defenders reunion, fans haven’t seen the last of him.

The post Charlie Cox Wants Daredevil to Join the Avengers Over Returning for The Defenders (If He Had to Choose) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Aliens vs. Avengers continues to be a wild synthesis of both the Marvel and Alien movie mythologies – and issue #3 of the comic series just took it to another level. The Alien films have a long and celebrated history of introducing fans to some iconic sci-fi weaponry – namely James Cameron’s Aliens, which gave fans the M41A Pulse Rifle used by the Colonia Marines, as well as the P-5000 Powered Work Loader that Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley used to battle the Xenomorph Queen. That all said, in Aliens vs. Avengers #3 writer Jonathan Hickman and aritst Esad Ribic debut a new kind of weapon that would add new levels of terror in the live-action Alien movies – and we need to see it onscreen ASAP.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW!

In Aliens vs. Avengers #3, the suriving Avengers (Carol Danvers, Tony Stark, Miles Morales) have successfully escaped Earth with a final surviving colony of humans. Tony’s massive Avengers Tower spaceship suffered damage during the getaway, forcing the Avengers to make a pit-stop on Mars, the new mutant homeworld, to seek some repairs. However, it turns out that a lot has changed in the decades since anyone last visited Mars – and not in a good way for mutants.

Mutants ended up fundamentally regretting allowing Mister Sinister to be a member of their Mars colony. Sinister didn’t see the xenomorph species as a nightmarish threat: to the mad geneticist, the xenomorphs represented the ultimate genetic vessel: able to force any form of sentient life to mutate and evolve into its optimum form, while also retaining the traces of the orignal host organism’s DNA. Like so many other non-human (read: synthetic) characters in the Alien franchise, Sinister decided to use his comrades as cannon fodder for his xenomorph experiments – quite literally.

Mister Sinister Invents Alien‘s First Facehugger Gun

When Tony, Carol, and Miles get off the ship and seek out the X-Men, the find Sinister waiting for them instead. Sinister reveals that it’s a trap: he lured the Avengers away from the ship so that the human colonists onboard are left unprotected. Sinister takes that opportunity to have his clones ambush the ship, and turn the people onboard into unwitting xenomorph hosts, using his own self-made ‘facehugger gun.’

That’s right: Mister Sinister has officially weaponized the facehugger parasites by turning them into projectiles shot out of a cannon-style gun. Using the facehugger gun the Sinister clones are able to infect the entire ship of humans in mintues.

Using the xenomorphs as bio-weapons has been a major subplot of the Alien franchise since Ridley Scott’s original film in 1979. However, it’s been in latter installments like Alien: Resurrection, Alien: Covenant, and Alien: Romulus where that subplot has gotten a lot more development. However, a gun that actually shoots facehuggers is something that could only be dreamed up in a comic book – but now that it’s been manifested, it’s something that needs to be incorporated into the live-action franchises, ASAP.

…And there are several opportunities to do so. Alien‘s first TV series Alien: Earth is about to premiere this year. While plot details are being kept under wraps, it’s suspected that showrunner Noah Hawley could lean more into the Weyland-Yutani corporation and its involvement with pushing the xenomorph agenda (as it always has in the films). In that sense, the development of different bio-weapons based on xenomorphs could well be part of that show. On the other end of the franchise, Alien: Romulus dierctor Fede Álvarez has a sequel film that he’s teasing will take the franchise to bold new places, while he’s also earned a rep for being the ultimate Alien Easter egg collector. Getting the facehugger gun from the comics into his next film would be crazy fan-service.

[RELATED: Everything We Know About Alien: Earth]

Aliens vs. Avengers is available to read at Marvel. The films can be streamed on Hulu-Disney+.

The post Aliens vs. Avengers Just Unleashed the Craziest Weapon Ever (And We Need it in the Movies ASAP) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Charlie Cox opens up about Daredevil’s potential future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, expressing hope the character can appear in some high-profile movies. In an interview with GQ, the actor discussed his time in the franchise and addressed speculation Daredevil will be in one of the upcoming Avengers films. While Cox obviously couldn’t confirm anything, he did state that Daredevil crossing over with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is “more possible” now than it had been in years past and explained why he would be eager for the character to appear on the big screen. Not only is he excited about the possibilities within the Marvel universe, but he hopes that would be a boon for his acting career in general.

“I think it’s more possible than it’s ever been, yeah,” Cox said when asked about the Avengers rumors. “I would love to be in one of the Avengers films, or another Spider-Man, or something like that. For a couple of reasons. One, because over the years I have become a geeky fan of the character, and I weirdly, for the character’s sake, feel like it’d be really cool for him to get that kind of upgrade. I would also just love it in terms of what it would do for my chances of getting other movie roles.”

Cox’s Matt Murdock debuted in the 2015 Netflix series Daredevil, which was part of the streamer’s line of Defenders shows. After Daredevil was cancelled in 2018, the character wasn’t seen again until Cox made a cameo in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. The actor later reprised Daredevil on 2022’s She-Hulk and headlines this year’s Daredevil: Born Again, which premieres on Disney+ in March. That series has already been confirmed for a second season.

[RELATED – She-Hulk Star Addresses a Possible Daredevil Cameo (That Would Bring a Big Change)]

Marvel Studios is currently building towards the culmination of the ongoing Multiverse Saga, punctuated by Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The former reportedly begins production soon, assembling a stacked ensemble that includes Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, the stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the cast of Thunderbolts*. Sandwiched between the two Avengers films is a fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland, which will start shooting later this year.

Cox saying it’s “more possible” for Daredevil to join the Avengers now is exciting for fans. The Defenders shows occupied a strange place in the MCU; while they included references to the overarching franchise, the characters never made the leap to the big screen. Nowadays, there’s been more overlap, with Defenders characters popping up in various Marvel Studios productions. Vincent D’Onofrio reprised Kingpin on the Hawkeye TV show, for instance. After years of there seemingly being a line of demarcation between the MCU movies and the Netflix shows, Marvel is more interested in converging the two (especially after Daredevil: Born Again went through a creative overhaul). This opens the door for exciting possibilities down the line; seeing the various characters interact is a large part of the MCU’s appeal, and it would be a missed opportunity if Defenders characters weren’t part of larger crossover events.

The Avengers roster will have to be rebuilt going into Doomsday. Perhaps Daredevil will be among the recruits, catching the attention of Sam Wilson as he puts together a new team. But if there isn’t a spot for Matt Murdock in one of the Avengers movies, an appearance in Spider-Man 4 is certainly plausible, given Daredevil and Spider-Man’s shared history in the comics. Some fans are hoping Spider-Man 4 sees Peter Parker deal with a street-level threat, which would be the perfect way to integrate Daredevil into the proceedings. Considering how much of a fan-favorite Cox is, Marvel will likely find a place for him in future projects.

The post Charlie Cox Comments on Daredevil in the Avengers Movies (and Spider-Man 4) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World is now playing in theaters and, while it spends a lot of time looking to the past (especially when it comes to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and The Incredible Hulk), it also points an eye towards the MCU’s future. A lot happens to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, in Brave New World, but the question is just how large of a part will he play in the future? Will he serve a role comparable to that of Steve Rogers, or will he be more just a part of the team, be it something like the Avengers or something smaller like the Thunderbolts?

WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World

As it turns out, he’ll likely not only be a part of the next Avengers roster, but he’ll be also leading it. Like Rogers before him, it seems to have fallen on Wilson’s shoulders to collect a group of heroes to serve mankind. That said, the option comes across his desk in a slightly different way.

How Does Brave New World Set Wilson’s Cap Up as the Next Leader of the Avengers?

Whereas Rogers woke up from the ice and was basically immediately enlisted by Nick Fury to assemble a team to face a potential (then imminently dangerous) extraterrestrial threat, Wilson’s Captain America has the opportunity posed to him by Brave New World‘s villain: General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. As the movie takes care to mention, it’s a full 180 for Ross, who was as integral in dismantling the team in Captain America: Civil War as Baron Helmut Zemo was.

Ross is trying to negotiate a Celestial-related deal with multiple other countries, including Japan. After Wilson and his partner Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, succeed in obtaining the stolen adamantium that comprises the Celestial’s body, Ross begins to see how a team of heroes can sometimes be necessary to face the larger threats. But Wilson is cautious, especially when it comes to this president, because like in Civil War, the proposition involves the Avengers not doing what they think is best, but rather what the government they’d serve thinks is best.

Thanks to the Leader, Ross’ deal is nixed, with the other countries involved believing Ross himself was responsible for the adamantium being stolen in the first place. After an aerial battle near the Celestial, now suitably called Celestial Island, Captain America is able to prevent catastrophe, and it seems as though not all is lost when it comes to the deal. But it’s a battle that nearly costs Torres his life, for which Wilson feels extremely guilty. But, after a well-timed visit from Bucky Barnes, Wilson both opens his heart and gets his mind back on track.

[RELATED – Brave New World Star Tim Blake Nelson Once Played Another Marvel Villain You Forgot About]

There are two signs that Brave New World is directly setting Wilson up as the next individual to say the words “Avengers, assemble.” Stopping what could very well be the next World War is his most herculean solo (not fully alone, considering Torres is there too, but not as part of a super team) success to date. It’s a big win under his belt. But his reaction to nearly losing a teammate shows someone who is a natural born leader. As Bucky says when he’s counseling Wilson, Rogers knew what he was doing when he chose Falcon, not the Winter Soldier, to be the next Captain America.

Rogers saw in Wilson what Wilson is coming around to see in himself. The final scene of Brave New World has Wilson at Torres’ bedside, cracking jokes and agreeing with the now incarcerated Ross on one point: the Avengers are needed.

Another sign is that Wilson shows wisdom in how he takes down Ross/Red Hulk. For one, he leads the gamma radiated being away from the crowded White House lawn, so hopefully fewer people will be hurt. But the location Wilson takes him to, Washington’s cherry blossoms garden, is special to Ross because of his memories of his estranged daughter. It’s the perfect tactic, one that’s not only successful, but averts from the course of further violence. Rogers would be proud, and it cements the notion that Brave New World is telling the world the MCU has decided who the next leader of the Avengers is.

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Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release, Captain America: Brave New World, marks Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) first adventure as the star-spangled hero on the big screen. The movie builds upon storylines established in Disney+ series like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier while setting up major developments for the MCU’s future. From the emergence of new threats to groundbreaking technological discoveries, Sam Wilson finds himself at the center of events that will reshape the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film also brings back key characters from earlier MCU entries, with President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) and Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) playing pivotal roles that connect back to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk while setting up future conflicts that will affect multiple realities.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World

Following the discovery of Celestial Island after the events of Eternals, nations worldwide find themselves locked in a tense struggle over newly discovered resources, particularly the legendary metal adamantium. By exploring themes of power, control, and responsibility through the lens of both personal and global conflicts, Captain America: Brave New World establishes crucial plot threads that will influence upcoming Marvel projects. These developments range from reforming Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to introducing technology that could rival Wakanda’s achievements, all while foreshadowing cosmic-level threats that will affect the entire multiverse.

The Avengers Will Return

During a major press event to announce his adamantium treaty, President Ross reveals his gamma-enhanced Red Hulk form to the world after Sterns leaks audio of their past conspiracies. The ensuing battle with Captain America ends when Sam convinces Ross to power down for the sake of his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler) and the nation. In the aftermath, with Ross imprisoned in The Raft and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) critically wounded from earlier events, Sam Wilson makes a crucial announcement to his partner: it’s time to rebuild the Avengers.

Unlike his initial hesitation when President Ross first suggested reforming the team under government control, Sam’s decision to independently resurrect Earth’s Mightiest Heroes comes from witnessing firsthand how power can corrupt even those in the highest offices. His choice mirrors the original Avengers’ formation: a group of heroes coming together not because of government mandates or political pressure but out of necessity to protect a world facing increasingly dangerous threats.

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Review: The Winter Soldier’s Spiritual Successor ]

Sam will probably establish a new team before Avengers: Doomsday, justifying the movie’s title. However, the consequences of Sam building up a new team should also be seen in the upcoming Thunderbolts*. As we already know, Thunderbolts* features CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as she tries to forge her enhanced team, maybe in response to Sam’s decision. Since Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is apparently working with Valentina from his new Congressman position, we could see his team clash with Sam’s Avengers soon.

Adamantium Will Revolutionize the World’s Technology

The discovery of adamantium within Tiamut’s remains represents a seismic shift in the MCU’s power dynamics. President Ross positions this indestructible metal as a direct challenge to Wakanda’s technological supremacy, emphasizing its superior strength compared to vibranium during a crucial presentation to world leaders. Furthermore, the film presents adamantium not merely as a new resource but as a tool for diplomatic leverage, with Ross proposing an international cooperation initiative for its distribution.

This development has massive implications for the future of the MCU. Wakanda, already facing diplomatic challenges after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, must now navigate a world where its technological advantage is threatened. The situation becomes even more complex considering Wakanda’s secret alliance with Talokan, as both nations might need to unite against a world armed with adamantium and capable of competing with vibranium on equal terms. The emergence of adamantium also provides Western countries, particularly under Valentina’s aggressive policies, opportunities to develop advanced weapons they could use against the African nation.

The Sacred Timeline Will Suffer From Incursions

Through Samuel Sterns’ chilling warning in the film’s post-credits scene, Brave New World directly addresses the looming threat of incursions to the MCU’s multiverse. The Leader, whose transformation from The Incredible Hulk has finally paid off, reveals that his enhanced intellect allows him to calculate future probabilities. From his cell in the Raft, he warns Sam Wilson that the Avengers will soon face an unprecedented challenge: fighting against heroes from other realities.

Sterns’ warning about different worlds clashing directly connects to the concept of incursions introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: catastrophic events where two timeline branches collapse into each other. The timing of this warning, combined with Doctor Doom’s impending arrival to the MCU and rumors about original Avengers cast members returning, suggests these cosmic collisions will play a central role in upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. Furthermore, The Leader’s unique ability to anticipate these events positions him as a potential key player in these future conflicts, forcing heroes like Sam Wilson to possibly rely on dangerous allies to save the multiverse.

Captain America: Brave New World is currently available in theaters. Are you excited about these new developments in the MCU? How do you think these plot threads will develop in upcoming Marvel projects? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

The post Everything We Know About the MCU After Captain America: Brave New World appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. teases his upcoming return to the franchise in Avengers: Doomsday with the perfect social media post. To celebrate Valentine’s Day today, the actor took to his Instagram page to share a holiday-themed post with his followers. While a couple of the images in his slideshow are dedicated to his wife, Susan Downey, MCU fans will take great interest in the first picture: an illustration of Doctor Doom’s mask as a box of chocolates for a special someone from “Victor von Valentine.” You can see Downey’s post in the space below.

After famously portraying Tony Stark in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Downey is coming back to the franchise to play Doctor Doom in the latter stages of the Multiverse Saga. The character is replacing Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the overarching villain, as he will be the main antagonist in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. There’s also been speculation Downey’s Doom will make his debut in a post-credits scene during this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Downey’s post comes on the heels of word that Avengers: Doomsday will begin production next month. Anthony Mackie, who will reprise his Captain America in the blockbuster, recently said he’ll be busy shooting Doomsday “through the summer” before the cast and crew reconvene next year to film Secret Wars. Other cast members include Benedict Cumberbatch, the stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the Thunderbolts* ensemble. Doomsday hits theaters in 2026, with Secret Wars following in 2027.

[RELATED – How Leader’s Captain America: Brave New World Story Sets Up His Avengers: Doomsday Role]

The Multiverse Saga has been a bumpy ride for Marvel — this month’s Captain America: Brave New World earned mixed reviews — but the studio is hoping to end the overarching story on a high note with the pair of Avengers movies. That’s why it opted to bring Downey back to the fold, this time as one of Marvel’s most powerful villains. Throughout the Infinity Saga, Downey was the MCU’s poster boy and beloved by fans, becoming synonymous with Stark. It remains to be seen how exactly Marvel pulls this off, but Downey’s return is worth getting excited about. As an Oscar-winning actor, he’s proven he has the range to play a variety of roles, and it’ll be fun to see him chew scenery as the bad guy.

Given Marvel’s penchant for secrecy, there probably won’t be too many (if any) set leaks when Doomsday starts filming, meaning there’s still a long wait ahead for fans to see Downey’s Doom in action. Perhaps Marvel will showcase footage at an event like San Diego Comic-Con, but for now, the general public is going to have to make do with teases like Downey’s perfectly timed Valentine’s post. The actor knows how to get fans hyped up, and hopefully his take on Doom delivers something special.

The post Robert Downey Jr. Hypes Avengers: Doomsday Return With Perfect Social Post appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World is finally available in theaters, giving Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) his first theatrical adventure as Cap. Set three years after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Brave New World follows Sam as he works to honor the mantle of Steve Rogers (Chis Evans). Surprisingly, the latest Captain America movie is also a sequel to The Incredible Hulk, with General Ross (Harrison Ford) and Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) playing key roles in the plot. In the case of Sterns (aka “The Leader”), Brave New World pays off the villain’s transformation teased in Incredible Hulk and sets him up for a role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World explains how Sterns was infected by Bruce Banner’s gamma-infused blood in The Incredible Hulk. However, instead of becoming a hulking mass of muscles and anger, Sterns’ transformation increased his brain power, allowing him to calculate the probabilities of any events and anticipate actions on a global scale (and beyond). His supreme intellect also led him to develop the mind control technology he uses to stage a coup on President Ross’ life, kicking off the main story of Brave New World.

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Review: The Winter Soldier’s Spiritual Successor ]

As part of his convoluted plan to destroy Ross and his legacy, Sterns turns himself into the police, after publicly exposing his connection to the president. He’s sent to the Raft (the prison for enhanced people in the middle of the ocean), where Sam ended up at the end of Captain America: Civil War. Sam visits Sterns in the Raft in Brave New World’s only post-credits scene; the villain warns Sam that the Avengers might be able to defend the planet, but he wonders what will happen when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have to fight against other heroes from other worlds. Sterns underlines that he has calculated the odds, and that different realities of the multiverse will soon clash.

And just like that, the Leader gets promoted to a potentially critical player in Avengers: Doomsday.

The Leader Could Be a Key Figure in the Multiverse Saga

The Multiversal Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been all about the different worlds across the cosmos, where history took an alternate path from the Sacred Timeline. Loki explains the functioning of the MCU’s Multiverse, while TV shows such as What If…? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man explore the stories of these timeline branches. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has even introduced the concept of Incursions, an apocalyptic-level event in which two timeline branches collapse against each other. To survive, the heroes of one universe must destroy the other, wiping out trillions of innocent lives.

In Brave New World, the Leader’s ominous warning is a direct nod to incursions. Sterns knows that Sam will have to lead the Avengers against heroes from other timelines, being forced to decide if they want to protect the universe at the cost of another. While the plot of Avengers: Doomsday is being kept under wraps, we know that the next crossover movie is the first chapter of a two-part story that ends with Avengers: Secret Wars. In the comic books, the Secret Wars storyline is all about Incursions, as different realities fuse, and the Avengers must band together with their variants to fight other variants for universal survival.

While it’s still too soon to know how Incursions will be used in Avengers: Doomsday, there’s no question that they will. Marvel Studios is bringing back Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom, a villain who is directly responsible for the second Secret Wars event in the comic books. Plus, rumors have been swirling about the return of the OG Avengers, including Chris Evans. The fact that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in an alternate reality before they join the Sacred Timeline is another clue about the importance of Incursions in the Multiverse Saga.

The Leader’s knowledge about these cataclysmic events before they happen indicates that Sterns could be an essential ally to Sam and the New Avengers. The gamma-enhanced mastermind could help the heroes understand how to undo whatever Doctor Doom does to the Multiverse – he could also be the key to helping a select few heroes survive the incursions. That could create an interesting dynamic, as Sam would be forced to trust someone who doesn’t share the same values as the Avengers but is uniquely equipped to deal with the problem at hand.

Did you like how Captain America: Brave New World expands the Leader’s MCU story? How do you expect the Leader to return in Avengers Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars? Join the discussion in the comments!

The post How Leader’s Captain America: Brave New World Story Sets Up His Avengers: Doomsday Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World may be picking up the reigns of the Captain America movie franchise, but it’s also (as its title would imply) a game-changing chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film is Marvel fans’ first real check-in with the main storyline of the MCU since Avengers: Endgame, and another key bridge between the movies and the Disney+ TV series the MCU launched, with shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier setting the stage for this new Captain America movie.

Below you can find an SPOILER-filled breakdown of everything that happens by the end of Captain America: Brave New World, as well as insights about what happens in the film’s post-credits scene.

Captain America: Brave New World Ending Explained

The plot of Captain America: Brave New World sees Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) in a race against the clock to clear the name of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) after the former super-soldier tries to kill President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. That investigation led to the discovery that Ross secretly kept scientist Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) locked up for years, feeding his gamma-enhanced brain and putting to work as a one-man think-tank designed for one task: getting Ross to the Presidency.

However, Ross had a more pressing agenda than geopolitical manipulation: using Sterns’ brain to solve the mystery of his terminal heart illness. Sterns accomplishes that task but also pulls a double-cross: the same gamma-powered pills that “cured” Ross also slowly mutated him over time, seeding him with a Red Hulk persona and power. When Ross wins the presidency, but still doesn’t free Sterns, the mad scientist goes rogue. He manipulates world events to dismantle Ross’s Adamantium treaty with other world nations and destroy the man himself by transforming him into the same kind of gamma monster that Ross transformed Sterns into.

[RELATED: Every Captain America Movie Ranked Worst to Best]

The final battle of Brave New World sees Sterns leak audio of Ross conspiring with him during a major press event to announce the treaty. Ross loses it and goes full Red Hulk in front of the world, battling Captain America to an eventual standstill. Sam convinces Ross to power down (for the sake of his daughter Betty and the nation), and Ross complies. In the aftermath, Sam and a critically wounded Joaquin decide to rebuild the Avengers outside of government control; Ross ends up resigning from the presidency and serving a sentence in The Raft prison, where he’s finally reunited with Betty (Liv Tyler in her first MCU cameo since The Incredible Hulk). Adamantium is shared amongst the nations of the world, opening the door to an uncertain future – and a new arms race with Vibranium.

Captain America: Brave New World Post-Credits Scene Explained

There is no mid-credits scene, but the post-credits scene for Captain America: Brave New World does serve as a button scene for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

In the post-credits scene, Sam Wilson visits the secure facility where Samuel Sterns is being held. Sam gloats that he bat Sterns’ calculated odds of Captain America surviving a fight against Red Hulk, but Sterns doesn’t let him have the last laugh. In an ominous speech, Sterns reveals that he’s calculated such wide-scoping probabilities and scenarios to have stumbled upon the idea of the multiverse, and the ‘secret war’ that will soon turn multiple realities of the Marvel Multiverse against one another. Sterns wonders what Captain America – a hero dedicated to shielding the world – will do when protecting his world means killing off other ones.

This speech from The Leader sets up the events of Avengers: Doomsday, which will presumably explore Robert Downy Jr.’s Doctor Doom, his home reality, and (based on Marvel Comics lore) how he survives the multiversal incursions by becoming god-emperor of his own reality built from fragments of others (or the MCU’s “Void” realm, as some theorize). The post-credits scene also clearly sets up Avengers: Secret Wars, which is where the fight for survival between different Marvel Universes (and franchises) will take place.

Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters.

The post Captain America: Brave New World’s Ending & Credits Scenes Explained (What’s Next for the MCU?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.