Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have revealed that "Avengers: Doomsday" will conclude with a "very surprising ending," adding to the anticipation for the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Speaking with Fandango, Anthony Russo described the film as having a "focused propulsive narrative." While an exact runtime is still being finalized, potentially due to ongoing reshoots, it is expected to clock in around two and a half hours. This places it among Marvel's longer films, though shorter than "Eternals" (157 minutes), "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (161 minutes), and "Avengers: Endgame" (181 minutes).
"It's a two-and-a-half hour movie or so, and you're sitting through it, and it's a focused propulsive narrative that has an organizing principle at its center, and everything has to orbit around that," Anthony Russo explained. "That's part of the creative challenge for Joe and I — just figuring out what that orbit is and how it all smashes together."
Joe Russo further teased the film's conclusion, stating, "I think people are going to be surprised. It's a very surprising ending. It's a very surprising movie and that's all we'll say about it."
Given that "Doomsday" is only the first part of a larger narrative leading into "Avengers: Secret Wars," it is unlikely to offer a definitive resolution. The ending may mirror the structure of "Avengers: Infinity War," which concluded with the heroes facing defeat and a shocking cliffhanger, potentially setting up a similar scenario where the Avengers lose to Doctor Doom before "Secret Wars."
One notable scene mentioned involves Doctor Doom "collecting" the Hulk, suggesting the character might be sidelined for "Doomsday" and play a significant role in "Secret Wars." "Avengers: Doomsday" is scheduled for release on December 18.