Seven years after their last cinematic appearance, the Avengers are set to reassemble for "Avengers: Doomsday," with new art surfacing from the Shanghai Expo providing the clearest look yet at the film's extensive cast. This massive crossover event aims to recapture the box office success Marvel once consistently achieved.
The conclusion of "Avengers: Endgame" marked the end of an era for core characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow. While Marvel Studios attempted to pass the torch to a new generation with characters such as Moon Knight and She-Hulk, these ventures largely underperformed. "Avengers: Doomsday" appears to be leaning into established fan favorites and previously successful franchises to reignite audience interest.
Reports indicate Robert Downey Jr. will return as Dr. Doom, and Chris Evans is reprising his role as Captain America. The emerging artwork prominently features several members of the X-Men, with actors reprising their roles after decades. This includes Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellan), Cyclops (James Marsden), Beast (Kelsey Grammer), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), and Mystique, portrayed by Rebecca Romijn, who sports a notably different hairstyle. Channing Tatum is also slated to appear as Gambit.
Further expanding the roster are characters from the Fantastic Four, Thor, Loki, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Falcon/Captain America, Shang-Chi, and the Thunderbolts. Notably absent from this collection of art are several newer MCU additions, as well as the highly bankable mutants Wolverine and Deadpool, and key figures from the upcoming Spider-Man film like Spider-Man himself, Hulk, and the Punisher.
The industry appears to have high expectations for "Avengers: Doomsday," similar to the anticipation surrounding "Grand Theft Auto VI." This reliance on established franchises comes at a time when original genre films are gaining traction with audiences. The performance of "Avengers: Doomsday," which is set to release in December and directly compete with "Dune: Part Three," will be a significant test for the current appetite for large-scale comic book crossovers in a shifting entertainment landscape. Recent superhero films like "Supergirl" and "He-Man," along with the latest "Star Wars" entry, have underperformed, suggesting a potential audience fatigue with the genre.
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