Avengers: Doomsday appears to be one of the most ambitious projects to date, even more than Infinity War and Endgame. Now, before we get into this article, I’d like to point out I am extremely excited for the movie. I have full faith in the Russo Brothers to smash it out of the park. It doesn’t stop me from having this slight concern in the back of my mind.
When Doomsday was announced back in March 2025, it was done so with a lengthy video showcasing which cast members would be part of the project. By the end, there were 27 seats. All actors to be confirmed in Doomsday.
Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing more cast members announced. Chris Evans was recently announced to be returning as Steve Rogers as well. I do suspect we will see more. There are other heroes, such as Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and more. There’s so much scope for even more actors to be part of the project.
Now here’s where my worries come in.
You could say, “Endgame worked fine” in relation to the number of characters. The difference with Endgame is that you had your main core. Thor, Tony, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Hulk, Scott, Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodes. It wasn’t until the final battle that everyone came back. It didn’t feel convoluted because it worked there. You could’ve theoretically added even more characters during that sequence, and it still would’ve worked.
How do you ideally fit all of those arcs into a single film? Let’s break some of the trailers down, for example. This includes the releases of Steve Rogers, Thor, and X-Men teasers. This doesn’t include any leaks at this point.
You have Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers. In what capacity? The film has to explain why he’s back and in what capacity. If it’s Captain America, show us him returning in that way. If it’s something else, like Captain Hydra, they have to show and explain that too.
We have Thor. What’s he been up to? Seemingly raising a kid, but then you have to kind of undo a lot of what Taika Waititi did to the character throughout Love and Thunder. Why is he now all of a sudden serious again?
We see Cyclops break down and lose control of his laser vision. Why? What’s happening with the X-Men? Why is Doctor Doom a threat? Why are the Fantastic Four involved, and how do they know to head to the Earth we’re so familiar with?
Obviously, these questions are pedantic; they’re meant to be. I know they will all be answered in the movie itself. It still doesn’t stop me from being slightly concerned that there could be too much going on.
I’m worried it may end up like the 2017 Justice League movie. In that, they have to throw it home quickly with backstories so viewers understand where the story went. It felt rushed as a result. This does concern me that Marvel may need to do the same, as they only have Spider-Man: Brand New Day before Avengers: Doomsday. Besides Doctor Doom showing up as a cameo in Fantastic Four, they’ve had next to no prep for this, as they did with Thanos.
Marvel has a knack for ensemble storytelling. They make it work. It’s why every Avengers movie or major crossover they’ve delivered has been widely received; even when opinions differ, the storytelling foundation has always been solid.
This isn’t a concern for concern’s sake. Avengers: Doomsday feels like a defining moment for Marvel, not just as a crossover, but as proof that the MCU can still balance scale, character, and clarity in a post-Endgame world.
Concerns aside, Marvel has pulled off impossible feats before. This is where my excitement beckons. I never thought we’d see Chris Evans back, regardless of what capacity, and I never thought we’d see James Marsden return as Cyclops in a full comic-accurate suit either.
One strong creative vision, or in this case, two with the Russo Brothers, can make the scale of this film feel incredible. I’m not here to judge a film before it’s out; all I am saying is the margin for error here is razor-thin.
I’d love nothing more than to see Marvel pull off the impossible once again and bring it home. They’ve had some wins and some losses since Endgame; this could be the ultimate win.
