'Avengers: Doomsday' signals Marvel’s big-screen reset as CinemaCon trailer reunites heroes

Highlights

• First full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday unveiled at CinemaCon
• Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers, again wielding Thor’s hammer
• Robert Downey Jr. appears as Doctor Doom leading a multiverse threat
• X-Men, Fantastic Four and Avengers converge in a large-scale crossover
• Film signals Marvel’s push to restore its theatrical dominance

A long-awaited reunion aimed at reviving theatres

After six years since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has revealed the first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday at CinemaCon, positioning the film as a major theatrical event. The footage, presented by Disney to cinema owners, highlights the studio’s effort to bring audiences back to large-scale, ensemble storytelling.

Earlier teasers had focused on individual characters, but this extended look brings them together, marking a return to the franchise’s signature team-up format.

Multiverse chaos brings heroes and rivals together

The trailer opens with Robert Downey Jr. as a masked Doctor Doom preparing to invade the multiverse. From there, it moves through a series of crossover moments featuring characters from across Marvel’s expanding universe.

Professor Xavier appears at the X-Mansion, while Gambit, Shang-Chi and Mystique are seen in action. One sequence shows Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, confronting Doom, who catches Mjolnir mid-air.

A key moment follows with the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. Despite his apparent exit in Endgame, he is shown once again lifting the hammer, raising questions about how the character re-enters the story.

The film brings together multiple factions, including the Fantastic Four and a new Avengers line-up featuring Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes and U.S. Agent. Wakandan forces also return, with tensions against Namor’s Talokan army revisited.

A high-stakes crossover designed to restore Marvel’s momentum

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, Avengers: Doomsday sets up the closing arc of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, leading into Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. The two films are expected to follow a connected narrative structure similar to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

The cast spans multiple Marvel storylines, with appearances from Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Pedro Pascal, Ian McKellen, Letitia Wright and Tom Hiddleston. The scale reflects Marvel’s strategy of uniting its biggest characters to create a large theatrical draw.

Chris Evans promotes "Avengers: Doomsday" during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at CinemaCon Getty Images

With recent releases delivering mixed results, the studio is leaning on the proven appeal of crossover events. Past successes such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine showed that large ensemble films can still drive audiences to cinemas.

Scheduled to release alongside Dune: Part III, Avengers: Doomsday is positioned to anchor a major box office weekend, as Marvel looks to recapture the momentum that once defined its biggest releases.