Avengers: Doomsday has a 2026 release date, and after some turbulence, a new title and villain. Robert Downey Jr. is back in the MCU, but not as Iron Man.
San Diego Comic-Con 2024 was a feast for superhero movies. Marvel’s Phase 6, which has been in trouble since Kang the Conqueror was scrapped as Thanos’ successor, has put the wind back in its sails.
New movies like The Marvels, Ant-Man 3, and the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps have paved the way for the next big MCU crossover event to varying degrees of success, but The Russo Brothers are back to work their magic.
Below are all the latest updates on Avengers 5.
Avengers: Doomsday release date
The Avengers 5 release date is May 1, 2026.
The release date was originally May 2, 2025, but Disney pushed it back in June 2023 amid a slew of major changes to upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows.
It’s the third of four confirmed movies in Phase 6, after Deadpool 3 and Fantastic Four, and before Avengers Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.
It was set to be directed by Daniel Destin Cretton, Deadline broke the news in November 2023 that he stepped down to focus on other MCU projects, including Shang-Chi 2 and the Wonder Man series.
Cast list
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom in Avengers 5 cast. The Fantastic Four – Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are also confirmed.
- Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
Downey Jr.’s return announcement wasn’t good news in everyone’s eyes, but Phase 6 now has potent OG Avenger energy.
“New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024
Jonathan Majors has been dismissed as the overarching supervillain of this phase, Kang. On December 18, 2023 Majors was found guilty of assault and was dropped from the MCU.
A full lineup hasn’t been shared but a report from Deadline claimed up to 60 superheroes are involved. That’s a ludicrous number, but a team that includes the major players from recent years makes sense.
A recent rumor indicated Tom Holland will reprise his role as Spider-Man in the movie, and he’ll be the lead. That sounds strange, given Peter’s age, but we think the film will focus on him because of the success of Spider-Man No Way Home, not that he’ll necessarily be in charge of the team.
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James Gunn said Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be the last time we’d see that Guardians team, so Peter, Gamora, and Drax will probably sit this out.
It’s likely the new Disney+ casts will graduate to the big-screen Avengers arena, too, including Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight, Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk, and eventually, Charlie Cox as Daredevil.
Given The Marvels post-credit scene, we wouldn’t be shocked to see X-Men, too. Though they are more likely to be on reserve for Secret Wars.
What’s the plot?
The Avengers: Doomsday plot hasn’t been shared, but Marvel revealed that Doctor Doom will be the main villain and the Fantastic Four will be involved.
Another thing revealed at SDCC 2024 was that the Fantastic Four will feature in Avengers 5 and 6.
Stephen McFeely, who wrote films like Winter Soldier and Civil War, will write Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Secret Wars is expected to follow directly from Doomsday, so Victor Von Doom will surely set up the multiversal chaos coming in Secret Wars. Doom is one of the baddies in the comic events, so this makes sense.
Is there an Avengers: Doomsday trailer?
No, there isn’t a trailer for Avengers: Doomsday yet. We’ll likely get the first full trailer in early 2026.
The movie is yet to enter production so we won’t see any footage for a while.
How to watch
Avengers: Doomsday will be a theatrical exclusive before streaming on Disney+ eventually.
Like all recent MCU movies, you’ll need to visit a cinema if you don’t want to wait months to see it.
That’s all about Avengers 5 for now. In the meantime, check out what we know about Spider-Man 4, Captain America: Brave New World, Thor 5, and Agatha Darkhold Diaries.