by Jaron Pak
Marvel Cinematic Universe exhaustion is real, folks. People have become bogged down in the convoluted web of Marvel’s multiverse. They’ve lost track of the endless ping-ponging between MCU streaming series and tentpole theatrical releases. The one thing that could truly recapture the Marvel magic? Another killer crossover experience like “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Is it possible? I don’t know. But I do know that if it’s going to happen, an A-list cast is item number one on the to-do list, and the sheer number of actors set to reprise their Marvel roles in “Avengers: Doomsday” is robust, to say the least. Seriously, everyone and their mother is in this thing.
Following the epic “Doomsday” cast reveal in March 2025, Marvel and directors Anthony & Joe Russo have rolled out four short teaser trailers to tee up the film’s release at the end of this year. This character-by-character trickle feed has gotten mixed responses, but I think it has a lot of the energy that marked the lead-up to “Endgame.” Despite the growing MCU apathy in recent years, I’ll admit that it has me sitting up and paying attention again. Love it or hate it, this is going to be the MCU experience for the immediate future. So, we thought we’d gather up the four mini character reveals and do what we always do: rank ’em and see what there is to see. What does each one tell us? Is the information repetitive or new? How much do we care, either way? Let’s dive into this thing.
Read more: Every Marvel Character Locked Up In The Raft
On December 30, 2025, the Thor “Doomsday” teaser went officially live. (Online, at least — many of these were showing in theaters in the days before they were released to the public.) It was the second of the four teaser trailers, and it primarily showed Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder kneeling in a forest, holding Stormbreaker, and praying to his father for strength in his hour of need. What else is new? There’s plenty of talk of duty, war, the All-Fathers, final fights, defeating enemies, and a general heeding of words.
Thor has a way of shining out in the MCU’s ensemble films, and he’ll doubtless be an anchor character in the upcoming “Doomsday.” This teaser also touches on his newfound fatherhood as the adopted dad to Love (India Rose Hemsworth) and the tension that it adds to his long and complicated MCU journey. Make no mistake, Thor’s part in this thing is going to be awesome. But the teaser? Well, it just didn’t really bring anything new to the table. That’s why it lands at the bottom of the ranking.
3. Wakanda and the Fantastic Four will return (together)
When Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing forced “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to change course, it ended up building out its own ensemble of important characters within the MCU’s Wakanda narrative. Certain pre-existing characters, like Shuri (Letitia Wright) and M’Baku (Winston Duke), were pulled forward into the limelight. Others, like the king of Talokan, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), were introduced for the first time.
That was way back in 2022, over three years ago. While we’ve gotten little nods to T’Challa’s homeland since then in Disney+ shows like “Ironheart” and “Eyes of Wakanda,” the Wakandan story hasn’t developed much beyond its own borders. Now we know that the country’s citizens will be back for “Doomsday” — oh yeah, and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and his fellow Fantastic Four astronauts will be with them. Yep.
Said trailer ranks above the Thor teaser for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a twofer — and if you consider the ensemble element, more than that. Also, these are IPs that have been set up for future MCU roles and have been waiting to re-enter the fold. Between the universe-hopping injection of the Fantastic Four and the re-emergence of Wakanda (and Talokan) into the larger MCU narrative, you can bet your bottom dollar that this promo legitimately teased a very big part of the “Doomsday” story, if only thanks to the quantity of characters involved.
2. Steve Rogers is returning (from the past)
The first “Avengers: Doomsday” character trailer officially dropped online on Christmas Adam 2025. (That’s Christmas Eve, for those of you not following trending terms the kids are using these days.) Said teaser kicks off in a rural setting with a lone biker riding down a dirt path. The evocative shot screams Captain America, and sure enough, it culminates with the reveal that Chris Evans will be returning as the one and only Steve Rogers. Oh, and he has a baby now, too. (Or, at least, he’s shown holding a baby. We’re assuming Cap hasn’t suddenly taken to kidnapping random kids.)
Yeah, this was a splashy announcement to be sure, and it ranks above the Thor one because, technically, this was at least official confirmation that Evans is, indeed, coming back to the MCU. Is it an unexpected development? Not really. To quote my wordsmith of a /Film colleague Jeremy Mathai, Rogers has become Marvel Studios’ “Break glass in case of emergency” hero. He’s the one you trot out whenever audience interest wanes because, well, he’s Steve freaking Rogers. The guy is an MCU Founding Father. You can’t help but root for him. That said, the fact that Marvel actually had to “go there” and bring Evans back to make this thing work does water down the reveal a tad.
1. The X-Men will return (for the first time)
Okay, the X-Men contingent technically made their MCU debut in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” but that disappointing reveal wasn’t much more than a massive, multiversal dose of fan service. It didn’t last long, and we didn’t really see much of everyone’s favorite mutants in action. We know an “X-Men” film reboot is coming, but at least some of the OG gang from 20th Century Fox’s X-movies are getting back together for a (presumably) final go-around in “Doomsday.”
This one’s big, folks. It’ll be a blast having Fox’s mutants in the mix for the “Doomsday” drama. More than that, this reveal — which has been a long time coming — has huge implications for the MCU at large. It means the film will bring in yet another key superhero group alongside established MCU teams like the Avengers and Wakandans, as well as franchise newcomers like the Fantastic Four. Here’s hoping this iteration of the X-Men sticks the landing as they transition from Fox to Disney. I’ll say this much at this point: The trailer is a good start.
“Avengers: Doomsday” opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.
Read the original article on SlashFilm.
