Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on December 18th of 2026 in the United States. It is intended to be the sequel to Avengers: Endgame and the thirty-ninth film in the MARVEL cinematic universe. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, the film will be starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom! There is a lot of hype and excitement buzzing around for this movie, and I think for many good reasons. The movie is promising a stunning dynamic, as well as the return of characters we thought were gone for good. So let’s get right into it.

Surprise Casting:

To everyone’s shock, Robert Downey Jr. was announced as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday in July of 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con. This was truly surprising as we all know Robert Downey Jr. is none other than Tony Stark or Iron Man, who made a heartbreaking sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, officially ending the Tony Stark/Iron Man character arc. 

I’ll be very honest, I didn’t like the announcement at first. I didn’t know anything else about Doomsday, and I thought it was unfair that Robert Downey Jr. had this role, as he had already played such an important character and truly shaped and finished said character. Other actors whose stories have come to an end have been left at exactly that. What makes Robert Downey Jr. so special? Keep in mind, Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorite actors. Another factor I considered, I had felt that many of MARVEL’s past movies have not been that great ever since the Avengers movies series had come to halt after 2019. I was slightly worried that this casting could continue that, not because of Downey’s acting capabilities, but because of how it might affect the face of the character.

Now, later in time, my disappointment soon became thrill and excitement. Why? Because I found out that this casting choice wasn’t random at all. RDJ, the face of Iron Man, was specifically casted for Doctor Doom for a major plot point in the upcoming film. Much more exciting, now, isn’t it? I’m looking forward to finding out how they spin this.

One Hell of A Team Up:

My excitement further grew when I found out that not only are the Avengers or Fantastic Four taking on Doctor Doom. The Avengers, Wakandans, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers, and the X-Men are all teaming up to fight against Doctor-Doom! This has fans expecting a fight that far surpasses that of the one in Endgame.

I was actually taken aback when I first heard this. These are five different and unique groups of superheroes, all who have a little somethin’ different to offer the action, all contributing at once to take down the same enemy. Granted, Endgame has a similar set-up, but it doesn’t really equate to what’s in store. Or so we hope.

Returning Character – One We Thought Long Gone:

Tom Hiddleston and his beloved character Loki are returning to the MCU in Doomsday! What? This sparked lots of hype, and concern, in many fans, as interviews with Hiddleston had previously confirmed that Loki’s arc was over, and that Hiddleston wouldn’t be returning. Well, he’s back! His role is being described as monumental, however while confirmation that Loki is in the Doomsday film, there is no confirmation whatsoever on what team he sides on, and what his role actually is. No confirmation if he will only be seen briefly, or if he will have a steady screentime. Some fans are worried that if the film does his character wrong, Loki’s entire character arc can be tarnished or ruined.

As a HUGE Loki fan myself, I can say that Loki’s character was never perfect. In fact, his character was actually very inconsistent. I plan to center my next article on why. However, even though Loki’s arc wasn’t perfect, he does have a large fanbase and for good reason. He’s charming, charismatic, relatable, and went through a lot of character development, which led many fans to fall in love with him, even when he had started off as a side character in his first movie appearance.

Runtime:

As of right now, the record for longest movie runtime in the MARVEL franchise is Avengers: Endgame at three hours and two minutes. Avengers: Doomsday will officially take this record once released, with a runtime of three hours and forty-five minutes.

I am looking forward to such a long movie for two reasons: action and lack of rush. I love action films, and the combat in the Iron Man movies as well as the Avengers movie are what fueled my love for MARVEL. And of course, the references, Stan-Lee cameos, and top-notch sense of comedy. However, realistic and thrilling action in a fictitious world is very important, as well as the comedy and references included in movies. It makes these fictitious characters still feel human and relatable, which truly carries a movie. If the heroes faced no struggle over and over, nailed their combat every single time, it would get boring. These heroes don’t fight because they want to, they fight because they have to. Tony Stark had the perfect line, “That would END the team. Isn’t that the mission? Isn’t that the ‘why we fight’? So we get to go home?” It shows they are humans, fighting not only for everyone else but also themselves. They’re not perfect. No one is. They made the mistake of Ultron, and they have to fix it.

Lastly, rush. I absolutely hate it when I feel that MARVEL has made a movie just to make a movie. Or just to rush what could have been a really good idea or plot. Three hours and forty-five minutes is enough time to have thrilling action, slow but meaningful emotional tension, and whatever else is needed to make the movie brilliant. Five super hero teams are all coming together. That’s going to take a lot of coordination and lots of diving into the limits our heroes can exceed when the time comes that matters most. How could you possibly do that correctly in any less amount of time?

Overall:

I’m feeling pretty good about this movie. I truly disliked Thor: Love and Thunder so much, and I kind of fell off of watching the newer movies that came after it. Granted, I did like Fantastic Four: First Steps, however I instead mostly rewatch the older movies, which are arguably the best ones, especially in my opinion. I’ve been waiting to get this excited by an upcoming MARVEL movie, and it seems that my wish has come true. I know a lot of fans are both worried or thrilled, and there is good reason for either of these emotions. I just hope this is one of the best movies MARVEL has cranked out in a while. What are your thoughts?