Avengers: Doomsday opens in U.S. theaters Friday, Dec. 18, with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Fans in the U.K. get it two days earlier, on Dec. 16. Anthony and Joe Russo directed the film, tickets are on sale now, and the Endgame re-release in theaters this weekend includes four new scenes that fans believe connect to the new movie. It is the first Avengers team movie since 2019.
Most of the buzz is about Downey in the mask. Far less of it is about Wakanda, which has a lot riding on this film. Sam Wilson carries the shield as Captain America. Letitia Wright’s Shuri wears the Black Panther suit. Winston Duke’s M’Baku and Tenoch Huerta Mejia’s Namor are in the fight too. Marvel has also already named the next Black Panther for a 2028 film, which makes this December a turning point for the Wakanda fans know today.
When does ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ come out?
It opens Dec. 18 in the U.S., with previews starting Thursday, Dec. 17. Marvel and Disney confirmed the earlier U.K. date, and a trailer shown only in U.K. theaters closes on Dec. 16. General ticket sales opened in late August, after an early run for Infinity Vision theaters.
Who is in the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast?
Heroes from three universes are headed for a collision. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men all cross paths. Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards, while Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen return as Professor X and Magneto. Anthony Russo told a New York audience that some cast members have not been announced yet.
Why is Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom?
The Russos wanted to push him somewhere uncomfortable again. Anthony Russo compared the choice to Civil War, when they asked Downey to play Tony Stark as the antagonist, an idea that scared a lot of people at the time. He said Downey likes being pushed into difficult places. When asked whether Doom connects to Iron Man, Russo said that answer is saved for theaters.
The footage makes Doom look terrifying. In the D23 trailer, Thor admits he is frightened, and Doom blocks Stormbreaker and overpowers the god of thunder in seconds. Sue Storm tells the heroes that Victor von Doom was once kind and decent until he lost everything.
How does ‘Endgame’ connect to the new film?
It connects through one extra moment. Anthony Russo said the re-release plays one beat past the end of Steve Rogers’ story with Peggy Carter, and that is where Doomsday begins.
What should fans watch before December?
The essentials are Infinity War, Endgame, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four film First Steps, plus the series “Loki.” Add Wakanda Forever if you want Shuri’s full journey, because her story may be the one to watch most closely.
What does ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ mean for Black Panther?
This is the thread worth following. Shuri took up the mantle in Wakanda Forever after Chadwick Boseman’s death in 2020. At Comic-Con in July, Ryan Coogler introduced David Jonsson as Toussaint, T’Challa’s son, who will star in Black Panther III on Dec. 15, 2028. Wright and Duke stood on stage beside him.
That means Doomsday arrives with a handoff already on the calendar. Marvel stills show the Wakandans meeting the Fantastic Four, which puts Shuri near the center of the action. How she comes out of this fight could shape the throne her nephew inherits.
For Black moviegoers, the stakes go beyond plot. The first Black Panther grossed $1.3 billion in 2018 and turned Wakanda into a cultural touchstone. This December, a Black Captain America and a Black Panther stand on the front line against Marvel’s greatest villain. Whether Shuri still wears the suit when the credits roll is the question fans will be waiting to answer.
