The first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday has been released online, offering a look at Marvel's big-budget big hope. The preview opens with the line, "Something's coming, something we may not be able to deter," and proceeds to bring back multiple characters from various Marvel movies and universes.
Returning Heroes and New Faces
Returning Avengers featured in the trailer include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and Chris Evans as Captain America. Also appearing are Pedro Pascal as Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic, Patrick Stewart as Professor X from the X-Men, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova from Thunderbolts. A glimpse of Ian McKellen returning as Magneto is also shown. McKellen recently spoke about the film at the Piazza festival in Rome, telling the audience that "they got me at one point to destroy New Jersey." He added that directing duo the Russo brothers "told me to look more furious: make it look as if you hate what you're destroying. So I stood there and I shouted: 'Mar-a-Lago!'"
Doctor Doom's Arrival and a Fresh Start
The trailer teases an "unthinkable decision" as well as the arrival of Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom. The actor, who previously played Iron Man, is returning to play the famed villain in a move that is reportedly earning him an estimated $100 million for both Doomsday and its follow-up Secret Wars. Returning co-director Joe Russo has said they are "back to phase zero" of the MCU with the new film. "This is starting over from scratch," he said. "We want to make sure everybody feels like this isn't leaning on anything from the past."
Marvel's Current Struggles and High Stakes
The film arrives at a difficult time for Marvel, once box office champions but now struggling to return to former glories. The last few years have seen adventures such as Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Captain America: Brave New World achieving mediocre results. However, in 2019, Avengers: Endgame became one of the highest-grossing films of all time with a box office total of almost $2.8 billion. The Guardian's Ben Child recently wrote: "the success or failure of this next superhero extravaganza might well decide the future of the entire franchise."
Release Date and Box Office Showdown
Avengers: Doomsday is releasing on 18 December, the same date as Dune: Part Three, leading box office pundits to predict a Barbenheimer-style showdown.
