Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Avengers: Doomsday

  • New Report Details Marvel Studios’ Plans for Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom

    New Report Details Marvel Studios’ Plans for Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom

    Though fans might debate whether Robert Downey Jr.‘s return to Marvel Studios was a publicity stunt or a brilliant casting decision, there’s little room for argument about the impact the star will have on the box office receipts for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. As one of the franchise’s central heroes, Tony Stark, Downey led the MCU to unimaginable success and is primed to do it again, this time as the newly minted main antagonist of the studio’s Multiverse Saga. The announcement of Downey as Victor Von Doom not only caught a lot of fans by surprise, it also changed the course of the remainder of the studio’s Multiverse Saga, potentially allowing for some projects to move ahead while putting others on the shelf, perhaps forever.

    While the studio’s slate of projects for 2026 and 2027 remains largely unknown, the ongoing shared narrative does have two fixed points in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. And so while the Marvel Studios Parliament continues to rewrite the new saga on the fly, preparations are underway for Anthony and Joe Russo to get back to work with Downey and the rest of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday so it can meet its May 1, 2026 release date. And now, thanks to a new report from a reliable MCU insider, we have an idea of not only what that schedule might look like but also what else awaits Downey in his role as Doom.

    According to long-time MCU inside man Daniel RPK, like Josh Brolin‘s Thanos before him, Downey’s Doom will indeed be the protagonist of Avengers: Doomsday. With a five-month shoot expected to kick off in the UK in March 2025, Downey is expected to be on set for three of those months while other stars are currently looking at only setting up shop for anywhere between one to four weeks.

    How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.’

    -Robert Downey Jr. on Kevin Feige’s pitch for him to return to the MCU,THR

    Given the lengths to which Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, went to bring Downy back into the fold as Doom, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the star will be front and center in Avengers: Doomsday and, likely, again in Avengers: Secret Wars. However, according to RPK, those won’t be the only projects in which Downey dons the mask. The insider suggests that in addition to those two films and 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Downey’s Doom may “potentially” appear in “some other projects between Doomsday and Secret Wars.”

    Without a defined release slate for 2026 or 2027, it’s incredibly hard to pin down what those “other projects” might be; however, given the comic book history between Doctor Doom and Wanda Maximoff, it’s not too hard to imagine Downey joining Elizabeth Olsen in the rumored Scarlet Witch solo film, even though the two characters have to navigate the multiverse to make it happen. Similarly, a shared comic book history with Stephen Strange points to multiple potential opportunities for storytelling in the MCU, pairing Downey with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Master of the Mystic Arts. And, of course, any number of other possibilities exist and with Downey on board as Doom, it would seem as though a bad match would be hard to find.

    Source: THR

  • Marvel Studios 2026 Release Slate Begins Taking Shape

    Marvel Studios 2026 Release Slate Begins Taking Shape

    In the simplest terms, MCU fans would be best served by forgetting Marvel Studios 2022 SDCC and D23 presentations ever took place. Just over two years later, the studio’s plans for their Multiverse Saga have been turned upside down and inside out. However, after going through an unprecedented rough patch, Marvel has begun to emerge and, it seems, learned and evolved and righted the ship.

    As part of the unexpected struggles, many of Marvel’s previously announced and planned projects have been delayed while others face an uncertain future. However, with a new path to the end of the saga outlined, the studio has been able to begin roughing out the supporting pieces that will flesh out the story around the two Avengers centerpieces.

    With the studio’s 2025 projects all seemingly moving along as expected, the Parliament has turned its attention to its 2026 slate and it has started to come together quickly. Though nothing has been officially announced by the studio, it’s beginning to look like 2026 will shape up as follows:

    • Blade (February 13, 2026)
    • Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026)
    • Spider-Man 4 (July 24, 2026)
    • Doctor Strange 3 (November 6, 2026)

    To be clear, as of now only Avengers: Doomsday, set to be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, has been announced by the studio. However, Destin Daniel Cretton recently boarded Spider-Man 4, choosing to direct it rather than a Shang-Chi sequel, and Sam Raimi is reportedly nearing a deal that would see him back at the helm of the Doctor Strange franchise. And yes, even Blade, which has been searching for the proper creative mix for over five years is reportedly still working toward eventually hitting the big screen.

    Caveat emptor certainly applies heavily here as the studio has never faced a more uncertain time than now; however, it is clear the powers that be have been working toward putting together a 2026 slate and have made some legitimate progress. And for a studio trying to scale back its output, 2026 is shaping up to be one of its biggest years ever.

  • Controversial Marvel Multiverse Saga Villain Rumored for a Major Role in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Controversial Marvel Multiverse Saga Villain Rumored for a Major Role in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    So far, Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga has not quite lived up to the expectations as a follow-up to the Infinity Saga. While the studio’s first three phases had bumps in the road, the combination of a pandemic, the tragic loss of one of the studio’s biggest stars, work stoppages in Hollywood and some really bad decisions have led to the perception that Marvel Studios has lost its way. Keenly aware of that perception, Disney dialed up an intervention and began to make key changes behind the scenes. So far, it would be hard to argue with the results as a string of good projects has begun to erase the (short) memory of the public and reestablish the MCU as a pop culture giant; however, with another two-plus years of projects planned to finish up the Multiverse Saga, there’s still plenty of work to do.

    Part of that work is continuing to separate the future from the bad decisions of the past…which has led them to reach further into the past. Following the studio’s decision to part ways with Jonathan Majors, who was contracted to play multiple versions of Kang and serve as the big bad of the Multiverse Saga, Kevin Feige turned to Infinity Saga legends Anthony and Joe Russo and Robert Downey Jr. to save the day by rebuilding Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as Avengers: Doomsday. Pivoting to a new villain at the core of the Multiverse Saga opened up the playbook a bit for the studio, allowing for characters who perhaps weren’t slated for major roles to find one (and it also pushed some characters right out of the stories planned for the next few years. And for one character in particular, that reportedly may mean a redemption arc that will thrill a large segment of MCU fandom.

    According to insider My Time to Shine Hello, the Russos and writer Stephen McFeely have carved out a large role for Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff in Avengers: Doomsday.

    Following the events of WandaVision, which saw the character hold the entire town of Westview hostage within her grief-induced hex, Wanda’s study of the Darkhold corrupted her. By the time she appeared again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda had become the Scarlet Witch and acted as the film’s main antagonist. Though based on comic book lore, the decision by writer Michael Waldron to utilize the character as a villain was controversial. Already a popular character, Wanda’s fanbase grew significantly during WandaVision‘s weekly run on Disney Plus. Following the film’s release, Waldron addressed the fanbase’s issues with Wanda’s heel turn, saying “I guess I would say to the WandaVision fans, like, I get it. Watching a character you love do bad things sucks. That elicits a strong feeling, which is what we’re trying to do in the movies. We never would have done it if it didn’t feel like the next step in her character journey.“

    To me, my interpretation of the story of WandaVision was, that Wanda is confronting her grief in that show, but I don’t think she’s necessarily conquering it. It’s a show about her living in denial to some extent and she’s conquering her denial, but I don’t think that she’s properly reckoning with her anger over what she’s endured, and that anger is what she carries with her as she walks away with the knowledge that she is the Scarlet Witch and with the Darkhold, this evil book. And I think it’s that anger that the Darkhold preys upon and pushes her on what is a, to me and I think to Wanda, a very justifiable, noble journey. She just wants her kids.

    -Michael Waldron on Wanda Maximoff’s villainous role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

    The rumor of Wanda’s potential role in Avengers: Doomsday is the latest in a wave of recent rumblings about the character’s future. Following a report that a Scarlet Witch solo project may be moving ahead at the studio, WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer, who is rumored to be co-writing the script for the film, fueled the fanbase’s fire a bit by stating she couldn’t talk about the project “right now.”

    Though there’s no mention of what Wanda’s role in Avengers: Doomsday might entail, the character does have an interesting comic book history with that film’s title character, Victor Von Doom, that current and future events in the MCU’s ongoing shared narrative could easily be setting up. With things at Marvel Studios more unsettled than ever and with the powers that be apparently deciding to accelerate the ending of the Multiverse Saga, it’s best not to become too attached to any one particular idea at this time; however, a redemption arc for the Scarlet Witch is one idea that continues to look fairly promising.

  • Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

    Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

    Just two years ago, Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga was set to conclude on November 7, 2026 with Avengers: Secret Wars. At that time, the sixth Avengers movie was the studio’s only planned theatrical release for 2026. Things, however, have changed… frequently.

    As part of yet another update of their film slate, Marvel Studios has reduced the number of films on their 2026 slate from four to three.

    Marvel Studios 2026 Film Slate

    While the headliner for 2026 will certainly be Avengers: Doomsday–which will feature Robert Downey’s Jr’s return to the MCU–the studio will also release two films which are currently untitled.

    February 13th, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

    May 1, 2026-Avengers: Doomsday

    November 6, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

    As per the recent mandate passed down by Bob Iger, the slate represents a reduction in output by the studio with a previously Untitled Marvel Studios film dated for July 24, 2026 being removed from the schedule.

    Though two-thirds of the 2026 slate is currently unknown, it is possible that Marvel could use part of its time during next week’s D23 panel to reveal which films will join Doomsday on the schedule.

    Source: Variety