Fans have known for a while now that Avengers: Doomsday will see the return of familiar faces across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the latest teasers for the blockbuster make this even clearer.
The latest teaser, now playing in cinemas before Avatar: Fire and Ash, reportedly features several key X-Men characters set to return in Avengers: Doomsday. Although Marvel has yet to release the teaser online, many have already noted that it features Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and Cyclops (James Marsden). All three actors have confirmed they are reprising their roles, along with other X-Men, such as Gambit (Channing Tatum), Beast (Kelsey Grammer), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn).
A Thor-centric teaser debuted in cinemas on December 30, featuring a teary-eyed God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) praying to his father. The teaser also includes a quick glimpse of his daughter, Love (India Rose Hemsworth). Fans last saw the Avenger in Thor: Love and Thunder, which Hemsworth himself criticized for being “too silly” for its own good. “I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself,” Hemsworth told Vanity Fair. “I didn’t stick the landing.”
The first Avengers: Doomsday teaser to hit cinemas centered on Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers, shown admiring his old Captain America suit and cradling a newborn child.
While an array of actors have already confirmed their involvement with Avengers: Doomsday, including Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Florence Pugh as Yelena, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and more, one of the biggest returns to the MCU is that of Robert Downey Jr., who will be stepping into a new role as Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom.
The film is part of Phase Six of the MCU, which began with this year’s The Fantastic Four: The First Steps. Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame) will be back to direct Doomsday. More teasers are likely to be released in cinemas, although the official number has yet to be confirmed.
Although the returning ensemble more than suggests that a healthy dose of nostalgia-baiting is going on, both Russos have emphasized that Doomsday is meant to mark a new chapter in the MCU. “It’s a new beginning,” the directors said in a video interview with Omelete. “We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story. And then who knows where we’ll go from there.”
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit cinemas on December 18, 2026.
