‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Trailer Reveals First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom - The Hollywood Reporter

What the report says

The Hollywood Reporter says Disney has released a new trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday,” offering the first clear look at Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. The footage arrives ahead of the superhero film’s scheduled Dec. 18 theatrical release and follows its earlier debut at CinemaCon in April. Downey, long associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark/Iron Man, is returning to the franchise in a new role.

According to THR, the trailer shows a large group of Marvel heroes confronting Doom, with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor warning the team about the scale of the threat. The footage also includes a surprise moment involving Chris Evans and Thor’s hammer. Previously released teasers had shown characters including Black Panther, played by Letitia Wright; Captain America, played by Evans; Thor; and Cyclops, played by James Marsden, but had not revealed Downey’s masked Doom.

The film is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo from a script by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely. It marks the Russos’ return to directing an MCU movie after 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” one of the highest-grossing films in history. THR also notes that “Avengers: Doomsday” is expected to be among the projects discussed during Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

The trailer matters because it clarifies one of Marvel’s biggest casting pivots: Downey’s move from the franchise’s defining hero to one of its major antagonists. Beyond what THR reported, Marvel’s recent film slate has leaned heavily on multiverse storytelling, making the introduction of Doom a significant step for the next phase of Avengers films.