Marvel just blew the doors off the hinges. Honestly, nobody saw it coming, even with the rumor mill spinning at a million miles per hour. We're looking at a complete pivot. The "new Avengers series" isn't just a continuation of the Multiverse Saga anymore; it’s a radical emergency surgery on a franchise that was starting to feel a bit shaky. Robert Downey Jr. is back. But he isn't wearing the gold and red. He’s Victor von Doom.
It's weird.
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The transition from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday isn't just a title change. It’s a white flag. Marvel basically admitted that the Jonathan Majors situation and the lukewarm reception to some Phase 4 and 5 projects required a "break glass in case of emergency" solution. So they brought back the Russos. They brought back RDJ. It feels like 2019 again, but with a much darker, more desperate undertone.
The Pivot from Kang to Doom
For years, we were told Kang was the big bad. He was everywhere. Loki, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, mentions in other projects—it was all building to a multiversal war. Then, reality hit. Following the legal issues surrounding Jonathan Majors, Disney officially severed ties.
Now, we have Doom.
Victor von Doom is arguably the greatest villain in comic book history. He’s not just a guy in a suit; he’s a sorcerer, a scientist, and the monarch of Latveria. Bringing him in now feels like a massive gamble. Why? Because Doom deserves years of buildup. Dropping him into Avengers: Doomsday—scheduled for May 2026—means we have very little time to establish why he’s a threat to the entire multiverse.
The Russo Brothers are directing. That gives people hope. They handled Infinity War and Endgame, which are basically the gold standard for how to juggle fifty characters without making it feel like a mess. But even they have their work cut out for them. They have to explain how Tony Stark’s face is now the face of the world's most dangerous dictator. Is it a variant? Is it a "stolen" body? Is it just a guy who happens to look like him? If they don't nail that explanation in the first ten minutes, the audience is going to be distracted for the whole movie.
Secret Wars is the Real Endgame
Everything is leading to Avengers: Secret Wars. If Doomsday is the setup, Secret Wars is the payoff. In the comics, specifically the 2015 run by Jonathan Hickman, Doom becomes "God Emperor Doom." He saves fragments of a dying multiverse and stitches them together into a single planet called Battleworld.
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It's high-concept stuff.
Expect to see characters you haven't thought about in a decade. We're talking about the potential for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine (fresh off Deadpool & Wolverine) to finally interact with the core Avengers. We’re talking about the Fantastic Four—specifically Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards—playing a pivotal role. The "new Avengers series" is basically a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up every Marvel property ever made to create one final, massive spectacle before a rumored soft reboot of the entire MCU.
Kevin Feige is playing the hits. It’s a strategic move. When you’re losing blood, you go back to what works.
Why RDJ as Doom is Controversial
People are split. Some fans are crying tears of joy because they just want to see Robert Downey Jr. on screen again. Others feel it's a bit... cheap. It feels like Marvel is afraid to move forward. By casting the man who started the MCU as the man who might "end" it, they are leaning heavily on nostalgia.
The risk is "Stark-washing" Victor von Doom. Doom isn't Tony Stark. He doesn't have the quips. He isn't a "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." He is an ego-maniacal tyrant with a God complex who truly believes he is the only person capable of saving humanity. If the performance feels too much like "Evil Iron Man," it ruins the character of Doom for a whole generation of fans who have been waiting decades to see him done right.
What This Means for the Current Roster
What happens to the heroes we've been following lately? Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel, and the new Hawkeye? They’re still there. But the focus has shifted. The "new Avengers series" has to find a way to make these characters feel relevant when they are standing next to legends like Downey and (potentially) Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield.
- Captain America: Brave New World has to set the political stage.
- Thunderbolts* needs to show the darker side of the MCU's "heroes."
- Fantastic Four: First Steps is the most important piece of the puzzle. They are the ones who have the deepest history with Doom.
If the Fantastic Four aren't the emotional core of Doomsday, the movie might fail. You can't just have Earth's Mightiest Heroes fight a guy they don't know. There has to be a personal connection.
The Practical Timeline
We are looking at a very tight window. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in May 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars follows in May 2027. Production is expected to start in early 2025.
The Russos are reportedly working through their production company, AGBO, but under the Marvel Studios banner. This is a massive production. It’s probably the most expensive back-to-back shoot in cinema history. They aren't just making movies; they're trying to save a multi-billion dollar brand.
The MCU hasn't had a billion-dollar hit since Spider-Man: No Way Home (excluding the recent Deadpool & Wolverine success). They need these Avengers movies to be cultural events. Not just "content."
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How to Prepare for the New Era
If you want to actually understand what’s coming, you can't just watch the movies. You need to look at the source material.
Specifically, go read the 2015 Secret Wars limited series. It explains the concept of "Incursions"—when two universes collide and destroy each other. This was introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it’s going to be the central conflict of the new Avengers series. Doom is the only one who finds a way to stop the total extinction of everything.
It makes him a hero in his own mind. That’s the most terrifying kind of villain.
Another thing to track is the "Battleworld" rumors. There are whispers that Marvel might actually release projects set on Battleworld between the two Avengers films. Imagine a Disney+ show that takes place in a world where the Wild West version of the Avengers exists alongside a futuristic 2099 version. The possibilities are endless, but the execution has to be flawless.
Real Talk: Can They Pull It Off?
Honestly? Maybe.
The Russos have a track record of handling "unfilmable" scripts. But the MCU is much more bloated now than it was in 2018. There are too many shows, too many characters, and a lot of "homework" for the casual viewer. The success of Doomsday depends on whether it can tell a coherent story that stands on its own while also being the climax of fifteen different sub-plots.
Don't expect a simple "good guys vs. bad guys" story. Expect something that messes with the very fabric of the MCU's history.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the casting news for the smaller roles in Doomsday. Who is playing the "Cabal"? Will we see the return of Josh Brolin’s Thanos via the multiverse? These tiny details will tell us more about the plot than any flashy trailer ever will. Start by revisiting Infinity War—the Russos love to call back to their own visual language. Pay attention to how they handle "desperate" situations. That's the vibe we're heading into.
The era of the "new Avengers series" is officially here, and it’s going to be a wild, messy, and hopefully brilliant ride.
Next Steps for Fans
- Watch Loki Season 2 again: It contains the most vital information regarding the collapse of the Temporal Loom and the state of the Multiverse that Doom will likely exploit.
- Track the Fantastic Four production: Since that movie is set in a retro-futuristic 1960s alternate universe, pay attention to how they "cross over" into the main MCU timeline. That is likely how they encounter Doom.
- Ignore the "leak" culture: Most of the plot leaks on social media right now are guesses. Follow trade publications like The Hollywood Reporter or Variety for actual casting confirmations regarding the Russos' production schedule.