The new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday finally came out, and it took over the internet by storm. The highly anticipated movie, which will premiere on December 18, 2026, alongside the equally anticipated Dune: Part Three, will see the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe go against what Thor (Chris Hemsworth) describes as their biggest threat yet: the Latverian scientist, sorcerer, and overall genius Victor Von Doom, AKA Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr,).
Although major plot details remain a secret, the trailer did give us enough hints to make an informed guess regarding the overall narrative. Eagle-eyed comic book fans also caught a few key details in the Doomsday trailer that might’ve eluded those who aren’t up to date with their comic book lore. It’s not a lot, to be honest, but while we’re patiently waiting for more news, we might as well go into the trailer’s intricacies — we are comic book readers, after all; it’s what we do.
6
Comics Accurate(ish) Costumes!
Cyclops shooting eye beams in Avengers: Doomsday.Image via Marvel Studios
Yes, after years of wondering and countless movies, we finally have comics-accurate costumes for several major characters. Primarily, the change concerns the X-Men, who infamously received terrible, watered-down, black spandex suits for their original trilogy. The trailer, however, shows Scott Summers (James Marsden) in his popular blue-and-yellow suit, albeit without the trunks.
Elsewhere, Rebecca Romijn‘s Mystique, Channing Tatum‘s Gambit, and Tenoch Huerta‘s Namor also get new, comics-faithful costumes. Mystique’s and Gambit’s are overall solid efforts, but Namor’s pales compared to the rich, heavily Mayan-influenced versions we got in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Still, these changes are mostly for the better, and they go a long way to win favor with comic book lovers.
5
Who Is Winning These Fights?
Gambit holding up a card in Avengers: Doomsday.Image via Marvel Studios
The trailer shows several key fights between random characters as different universes collide. However, it must be said that many of these fights don’t seem fair, at least at first glance. First, we see Tatum’s Gambit going against Simu Liu‘s Shang-Chi, a fight that, in theory, should be unbalanced. Shang-Chi wields the massively powerful Ten Rings, and while Gambit isn’t a pushover by any means, he’s not an Omega mutant either.
Then, we have Mystique against Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova. Anyone even remotely familiar with these two characters will know that Mystique vastly surpasses Yelena in terms of fighting ability, cunning, endurance, and overall performance. The movie will probably have these battles be on a more even ground, but if we were going by the comic book canon, Gambit and Yelena wouldn’t stand a chance.
4
Betrayal Looms Over These Characters
Rebecca Romijn as Mystique in Avengers: Doomsday.Image via Marvel Studios
Speaking of Mystique, the trailer shows her in the X-Men mansion, and it’s been hinted that she’ll be either working with the X-Men or an outright part of the team. While the idea of Mystique being a more traditional hero was heavily featured in Jennifer Lawrence‘s version of the character, Romijn’s take always remained firmly grounded in the idea of Mystique as a proper villain rather than an anti-hero.
Then there’s Mystique’s complicated comic book history. She has, indeed, joined the X-Men a few times, most notably in X-Men Vol. 2 #181. Alas, it didn’t last, and it didn’t take long before Mystique betrayed the X-Men and tried to kill them. She’s like that story about the scorpion and the frog; it’s just in her nature. Thus, the idea of Mystique eventually betraying this version of the X-Men, perhaps by joining Doom’s side or acting out of self-interest, should not be ruled out.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
3
Love Never Dies?
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) comforts his daughter, Love (Indira Rose Hemsworth) in Thor: Love and Thunder.Image via Marvel Studios
At the end of the rather unpopular Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor adopts Gorr’s (Christian Bale) daughter, Love (India Rose Hemsworth), and the two form a team of sorts, with her wielding Stormbreaker and him wielding Mjolnir. However, the new Doomsday trailer shows Thor using Stormbreaker to fight Doom, only for the Doctor to effortlessly stop him with just two fingers.
If Stormbreaker is back in Thor’s possession, questions about Love’s fate are bound to arise. Thor’s trailer shows Love, so she will likely make an appearance as part of his personal story, and it would make sense for Thor to keep her away from the battle against such a powerful being. However, perhaps something more sinister could be at play. Doom has a long and complicated history using children for his plans, so there might also be something there. Likely, Love is just sitting this incredibly dangerous fight out, but maybe, just maybe, she might be playing a bigger role here.
2
“Time Runs Out”
By now, it’s well-known that the MCU will adapt the massive crossover event Secret Wars in Doomsday‘s follow-up, appropriately titled Avengers: Secret Wars (lol). Thus, it makes sense that Doomsday would adapt elements from Secret Wars‘ immediate predecessor, the event known as Time Runs Out. In it, multiple incursions occur, and both worlds will end unless one is destroyed first, leading the heroes of multiple realities to band together. Some, like Namor, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, opt for the aggressive approach and outright wipe out entire worlds to guarantee their survival. Others, however, try to stop such atrocities, only to pay the price. In the meantime, Doom operates from the shadows, planning to take over the Beyonders’ powers.
The trailer pretty much confirms that Doomsday will adapt Time Runs Out. Every major player in the storyline is there, sans Iron Man, and the consequences will be huge if they fail. Likely, the X-Men universe will end, thus giving the mutant team one last chance to go out with a bang. Their loss will add to the emotional stakes and cement the conflict as the greatest and most dangerous one the MCU has faced thus far. Time Runs Out also ends with the destruction of the Marvel Multiverse as it’s known, leading to the creation of Battleworld and thus setting the stage for Secret Wars.
1
Whose Steve Is It Anyway?
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) returns in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’Image via Marvel Studios
The trailer ends with the reveal that Chris Evans‘ Steve Rogers is alive and seemingly joining the battle against Doom. He even proves himself by summoning Mjolnir, proving he’s still worthy. It’s important to note that this version of the character doesn’t seem to be operating under the Captain America mantle, meaning Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is still very much the MCU’s Cap. So who exactly is this Steve?
Well, going by the comic books, we could be looking at Nomad, the identity Steve Rogers adopted when he abandoned the Cap mantle and which he briefly used in the MCU following Captain America: Civil War. We could also be looking at a brand new characterization exclusive to the MCU, a sort of Captain Rogers, if you will. However, there’s also the possibility that we could be looking at something a bit more sinister: Captain Hydra. This villainous, alternate version of Cap famously infiltrated SHIELD and even wielded Mjolnir despite being a brainwashed agent of HYDRA who eventually triggered the Secret Empire crossover event. The idea of having an evil RDJ plus an evil Evans seems like something the MCU would do to further justify bringing them back after their characters received two beloved and perfect endings. It would also increase the emotional stakes for the actual heroes, who’d be forced to go against variants of people they know and love.
