Avengers: Doomsday: Release Date, Cast and What Is Confirmed
Avengers: Doomsday is the next Marvel movie, and Disney has set its exclusive theatrical release for December 18, 2026, with Anthony Russo and Joe Russo directing and Robert Downey Jr. credited as Victor von Doom. Avengers: Secret Wars follows it on December 17, 2027.
Avengers: Doomsday Status: Is It Coming in 2026?
Yes, Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to open exclusively in theaters on December 18, 2026, according to Disney's official film page, and Box Office Mojo lists the same domestic date. Marvel Studios announced the cast and the start of production on March 26, 2025, when the film was still dated May 1, 2026. The move to December leaves it less than seven weeks from release as of November 3, 2026.
Anthony Russo and Joe Russo direct, returning to the saga after Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In main saga release order it follows The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025). Disney has not said which production phase the film is in, and no budget or box office figure has been published yet.
Disney describes the release as exclusively theatrical, so there is no streaming date to plan around. For the video side, see the Avengers: Doomsday trailer page, and for every other release in order, the hub for Marvel movies is the place to start.
Avengers: Doomsday Cast: Who Is Confirmed
Disney has confirmed 28 actors for Avengers: Doomsday, and the only character it has named is Victor von Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. That answers who plays Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. The studio announced 27 names on March 26, 2025, and its official film page also lists Chris Evans.
The full confirmed list is Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. Disney has announced every one of these names itself, so none is only reported.
Disney has not assigned Doomsday roles beyond Doom, so the characters below are the ones these actors played earlier in the saga, not confirmed Doomsday parts. Hemsworth is Thor, Evans played Steve Rogers and later Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), Mackie is Sam Wilson, Stan is Bucky Barnes, Hiddleston is Loki, and Rudd is Scott Lang. Wright (Shuri), Duke (M'Baku) and Huerta Mejía (Namor) arrive from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).
Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach played Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm in the Fantastic Four film, while Stan, Pugh, Pullman, Harbour, Russell and John-Kamen all appeared in Thunderbolts*. Stewart played Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and Tatum played Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. The wider roster sits on the Marvel cast page.
Behind the camera, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo direct. Stephen McFeely is confirmed as a writer on Disney's film page, and Box Office Mojo credits Michael Waldron. Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito and Jonathan Schwartz are listed as producers, and Box Office Mojo credits Alan Silvestri as composer, who also scored The Avengers (2012), Infinity War and Endgame. For the character Downey played before, see Tony Stark.
Announced cast. Confirmed means announced by the studio; reported means a trade report the studio has not confirmed.
Robert Downey Jr.Victor von Doom · confirmed
Chris HemsworthRole not announced · confirmed
Vanessa KirbyRole not announced · confirmed
Anthony MackieRole not announced · confirmed
Sebastian StanRole not announced · confirmed
Letitia WrightRole not announced · confirmed
Paul RuddRole not announced · confirmed
Wyatt RussellRole not announced · confirmed- Tenoch Huerta MejiaRole not announced · confirmed
Ebon Moss-BachrachRole not announced · confirmed
Simu LiuRole not announced · confirmed
Florence PughRole not announced · confirmed
Kelsey GrammerRole not announced · confirmed
Lewis PullmanRole not announced · confirmed
Danny RamirezRole not announced · confirmed
Joseph QuinnRole not announced · confirmed
David HarbourRole not announced · confirmed
Winston DukeRole not announced · confirmed
Hannah John-KamenRole not announced · confirmed
Tom HiddlestonRole not announced · confirmed
Patrick StewartRole not announced · confirmed
Ian McKellenRole not announced · confirmed
Alan CummingRole not announced · confirmed
Rebecca RomijnRole not announced · confirmed
James MarsdenRole not announced · confirmed
Channing TatumRole not announced · confirmed
Pedro PascalRole not announced · confirmed
Chris EvansRole not announced · confirmed
Avengers: Doomsday Rumors: Is Dr. Doom Tony Stark?
Disney has not said that Dr. Doom is Tony Stark, so that idea is a fan theory and not a confirmed story point. The studio's announcement credits Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom, a different character name from the one he played in Iron Man (2008) and the films that followed.
The same applies to how Tony Stark might become Dr. Doom. No studio statement or cited trade report explains a link between the two characters, or even confirms there is one, so any detailed answer you read is speculation. Disney has not described the film's story at all.
Is Iron Man 4 confirmed? No. Downey's confirmed role is Victor von Doom in the Russo brothers' film, not Tony Stark.
A few smaller items are reported or open rather than settled. TheWrap reported Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers as writers, which Disney has not confirmed. Disney has not published UK or Australian release dates, and it has not said which production phase the film is in. Each item becomes settled once Disney or a trade paper confirms it.
Avengers: Doomsday Trailers and Trailer Songs
What to Watch Before Avengers: Doomsday
- 1
Avengers: Endgame (2019)Steve Rogers hands his shield to Sam Wilson, who becomes the new Captain America. - 2
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)Sam leads as Captain America and hears a warning that threats from other worlds are coming. - 3
Thunderbolts* (2025)Yelena, Bucky and the team are unveiled as the New Avengers, and the end scene spots a Fantastic Four ship. - 4
The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025)The mid-credits scene shows Doctor Doom beside baby Franklin, setting up the villain of Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday: The Story So FarSpoilers
Watch Avengers: Endgame (2019), Captain America: Brave New World (2025), Thunderbolts* (2025) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) before Avengers: Doomsday. Together they set up the heroes and the villain of the new film.
Endgame closes the last Avengers story. Steve Rogers returns as an elderly man and hands his shield to Sam Wilson, who becomes the new Captain America. Brave New World follows Sam in that role, with Thaddeus Ross as president, and it ends with a warning that threats from other worlds are coming.
Thunderbolts* gathers Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes and a group of outsiders, and Valentina presents them to the world as the New Avengers. Its post-credits scene, set about a year later, has the team facing a trademark lawsuit from Sam over the Avengers name. It then spots a spacecraft with a Fantastic Four style emblem.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps sets up the villain directly. Its mid-credits scene, set four years later, shows Doctor Doom standing beside the baby Franklin. In Doomsday, Robert Downey Jr. plays Victor von Doom, and Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are confirmed in the cast. Earlier team films such as Avengers: Infinity War help, but these four carry the setup.
What We Know About the Next Marvel Movie
The next Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, and what is solid is its date, its directors, its cast list and the fact that Avengers: Secret Wars arrives a year later on December 17, 2027. The MCU phases page is a useful companion for where the two films sit in the wider saga.
What is the film about? Disney has not published a synopsis, so no one can say yet. In my opinion, though, the cast list tells you the shape of it. It combines Avengers veterans such as Hemsworth, Evans, Mackie and Stan with the Fantastic Four actors from the 2025 film, the Thunderbolts* group, the Wakandan characters and Tom Hiddleston, which makes it an ensemble on the scale of Infinity War. The most interesting open question is how the Fantastic Four, who were set on Earth-828 in their own film, meet everyone else. Disney has not answered that.
Spider-Man is a separate case. The four MCU Spider-Man films live in the Spider-Man franchise: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), which opened July 31, 2026 under director Destin Daniel Cretton and has grossed more than $2.5 billion worldwide. Tom Holland is not on Disney's Doomsday cast list.
If you want to be ready for December, my suggested viewing is Endgame, The Fantastic 4: First Steps and Thunderbolts*, since those carry the most returning actors. Our Marvel movies in order guide gives release and chronological order for the rest.
Facts
- Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for an exclusive US theatrical release on December 18, 2026. Disney official film page, checked 2026-11-03
- Avengers: Doomsday moved from its earlier release date of May 1, 2026. Variety, checked 2026-11-03
- Avengers: Secret Wars moved to December 17, 2027, from May 7, 2027. Variety, checked 2026-11-03
- Marvel Studios announced the Avengers: Doomsday cast and the start of production on March 26, 2025. The Walt Disney Company, checked 2026-11-03
- Robert Downey Jr. is credited as Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. The Walt Disney Company, checked 2026-11-03
- Anthony Russo and Joe Russo direct Avengers: Doomsday. The Walt Disney Company, checked 2026-11-03
- Disney has confirmed 28 actors for Avengers: Doomsday: 27 in its March 26, 2025 announcement, plus Chris Evans on its film page. Disney official film page and The Walt Disney Company, checked 2026-11-03
- Stephen McFeely is confirmed as a writer of Avengers: Doomsday. Disney official film page, checked 2026-11-03
- Alan Silvestri is credited as composer of Avengers: Doomsday. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito and Jonathan Schwartz are listed as producers of Avengers: Doomsday. Disney official film page, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
What is Avengers: Doomsday about?
Disney has not published a synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday. What it has confirmed is that Anthony Russo and Joe Russo direct, Robert Downey Jr. plays Victor von Doom, and a cast of 28 actors returns or joins, including Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Chris Evans.
Is Doomsday coming in 2026?
Yes. Disney's official film page says Avengers: Doomsday releases exclusively in theaters on December 18, 2026 in the US. It was originally dated May 1, 2026 and moved in May 2025, according to Variety. UK and Australian dates have not been announced.
Who plays Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday?
Robert Downey Jr. plays Victor von Doom, the name behind Doctor Doom, according to Marvel Studios' cast announcement of March 26, 2025.
Is Dr. Doom Tony Stark?
Disney has not said so. The studio credits Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom, not as Tony Stark, and it has not explained how Tony Stark could become Dr. Doom. Any specific answer is a fan theory.
What is the next big Marvel film?
Avengers: Doomsday is the next big Marvel film, opening in US theaters on December 18, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars follows on December 17, 2027.
Is Iron Man 4 confirmed?
No. Robert Downey Jr.'s confirmed role is Victor von Doom in the Russo brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, not Tony Stark.
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