The first official trailer for Avengers: Doomsdaydropped this morning, giving fans their very first look at Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doctor Doom and the sight of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men sharing the screen for the very first time. It also hints that things are about to get immensely apocalyptic for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) urging the others to unite and Doom delivering an ominous warning: “Before this day is done, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision.” This and other moments confirm that Doomsday will be adapting one of the most epic and emotionally devastating storylines in Marvel Comics’ history.
That storyline is “Time Runs Out,” which ran in the pages of Avengers and New Avengers under Jonathan Hickman‘s guidance. True to its word, “Time Runs Out” focused on the final days of the Marvel Universe as it starts to encounter a series of “incursions,” or multiversal events where two parallel Earths occupy the same space. The Illuminati, a group of superheroes led by Iron Man and Mister Fantastic, try to stop the incursions but eventually run into conflict with the Avengers squad led by Captain America, not to mention a “Cabal” of warriors led by the Atlantean king Namor. “Time Runs Out” isn’t just an important storyline in setting up Avengers: Doomsday and its upcoming sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, but also sets the emotional stakes.
Adapting “Time Runs Out” Means That ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Could Be The Most Heartwrenching Marvel Movie to Date
The Avengers, New Avengers, and Fantastic Four gather in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’Image via Marvel Studios
A key part of what makes “Time Runs Out” such a significant storyline is how it deals with the nature of sacrifice. Throughout New Avengers, the Illuminati try to stop incursions without destroying worlds, until they’re left with no other choice. Captain America and the Avengers, however, fight to save every life they can. In the opening arc of Avengers, Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena highlight the difference between Captan America and Iron Man with a single sentence: “It started with two men. One was life. And one was death.” It’s a motif that recurs throughout “Time Runs Out,” and one that’s sure to pop up in Avengers: Doomsday, as Doom seeks his own way of ending incursions.
Some fans will no doubt draw parallels to Avengers: Infinity War, where the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy were faced with hard decisions when trying to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) from wiping out half the universe. This time, though, the stakes are exponentially higher. For Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), they have to save their son Franklin. For Thor, it’s protecting his daughter. Even the X-Men fight like their world’s on the brink of ending, which it most likely is. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo rocked the moviegoing world back in 2018 with Infinity War‘s unforgettable ending, and using “Time Runs Out” as inspiration means that they intend for Doomsday to exceed it.
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.
Marvel Studios Previously Teased Jonathan Hickman’s Influence on ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
“I think people know that the story of Doomsday is inspired by a very famous comic run in which universes are colliding and earths encounter one another and different timelines encounter one another…And in movie speak, what that allows us to do is get different casts from different franchises.”
Many comic book fans have awaited “Time Runs Out,” alongside the 2015 version of Secret Wars, to hit the screen for years as Hickman managed to deliver a true epic in comic book form that felt equal parts apocalyptic and personal. Avengers: Doomsday suggests that those fans are about to see their wish come true.
Avengers: Doomsday premieres in theaters on December 18, 2026.
