Man, I thought I was out. I thought I was totally over Marvel movies and epic crossovers. But one glimpse at the Avengers: Doomsday trailer and maybe, just maybe, I think I’m back in.
Marvel Studios surprise-dropped the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. It’s the same trailer that first screened for CinemaCon attendees back in April; now, it’s available for all to watch days ahead of Marvel’s hour-long panel at San Diego Comic-Con this Saturday. This means audiences may be in for yet more reveals, announcements, and maybe a glimpse regarding Marvel’s future this weekend.
As far as the trailer goes, it still doesn't really communicate the plot of Doomsday beyond showing the threat of Robert Downey Jr, whose face is still obscured behind the mask of Doctor Doom. But it does bring together the various factions of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe status quo: the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts/New Avengers, the kingdoms of Wakanda and Atlantis (sorry, Talokan), and even the X-Men.
Also, Paul Rudd, Tenoch Huerta, and Anthony Mackie are back as Ant-Man, Namor, and Captain America, respectively. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi throws down with Channing Tatum’s Gambit (back from his role in Deadpool & Wolverine), while Chris Evans makes his dramatic return. Again. Evans’ Steve Rogers even reclaims Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. Remember how loud audiences yelled for that moment in Endgame? What a different world we used to inhabit.
You can watch the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday below.
Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be a make-or-break moment for the Marvel empire. At a time when excitement for superhero tentpoles is at an all-time low, and audiences are turning up for original indies like Obsession and director-driven efforts like The Odyssey and The Invite (a riveting comedy about four people arguing in an apartment), it’s hard to feel anything watching action figures bashing together in desaturated landscapes. To say nothing of Dune: Part Three, the climax to Denis Villeneuve’s adaptations of Dune that will open the same weekend as Doomsday and has even seized on all available IMAX screens, forcing Marvel Studios to push out whatever “Infinity Vision” is supposed to be.
But if there’s a tiny part of you that still believes in heroes, Doomsday looks formidable enough to keep the light from burning out. Personally, I’m thrilled by what I’m seeing thus far: I’m eager to know how these characters bounce off each other. I’m hyped for the Fantastic Four to shake hands with Wakanda and for Wakanda to reconcile with Atlan—sorry, Talokan. I’m excited for my main man Shang-Chi to share space with heavyweights like Thor. I’m excited for the X-Men cast to retire. And I still want to know why the hell Doctor Doom has Iron Man’s face.
Maybe it isn’t cool to be excited for superhero movies anymore. But once upon a time, it wasn’t cool to read superhero comics either. So let the cool kids enjoy Dune: Part Three—that just means more seats for the rest of us in the next theatre over.
