After accumulating over one billions views, it seems as though the four short teasers for Avengers: Doomsday have generated some true excitement for the film, which will hit theaters this December. Despite some hand-wringing over Steve Rogers’ “central role” in the film and outrage over concerns that the film will just be a “fan service” mash-up, it’s clear that the project already has the attention of the masses. And some new details might begin to move the needle even more.
With the Russo brothers back in the fold.to direct Avengers: Doomsday, big action seemed a certainty. After all, the pair directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which may remain the MCU’s exemplar for action excellence, as well as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, each of which feature memorable large-scale battles. It sounds as though the Russos set about the task of outdoing all of those projects when they decided to direct Avengers: Doomsday.
According to YouTuber John Campea, who has often been a reliable source in the past, the brothers Russo were able to “eclipse everything else Marvel’s ever done” in terms of the “sheer volume of action” in Avengers: Doomsday.
I have something I haven’t told you yet. What this person indicated to me was the sheer volume of action is going to eclipse everything else Marvel’s ever done.
-John Campea
According to Campea, the film “shoots you like a cannon out of the gate” and the “massive action…doesn’t let up.”
People are going to lose their minds. This movie starts with its foot through the floor and shoots you like a cannon out of the gate. There’s no slow start—it’s massive action right from the beginning, the scale is insane, and it doesn’t let up
-John Campea
Given that the film is expected to deal with universe-ending incursions, a potential Avengers vs. X-Men battle and introduce and establish Victor Von Doom as a Multiversal threat, there seems to be more than enough opportunity for the film to be wall-to-wall action. Of course, with extensive additional photography set to take place early this year, it might be a bit too premature to develop any opinion at all about the film given Marvel’s propensity to overhaul projects in post-production.
As is often the case, DC Studios co-chair and Man of Tomorrow writer/director James Gunn took to social media to shoot down the growing buzz about Wonder Woman making her DCU debut in the Superman sequel. And now, a new report claims to reveal the true identity of the character.
According to Nexus Point News, the mysterious character will be the alien warrior-queen Maxima.
A member of the Royal Family of the planet Almerac, Maxima’s primary motivation is the survival and evolution of her bloodline. Considered the ultimate genetic prize of her species because of the unique structure of her DNA, she spent years traveling the cosmos in search of a “suitable” mate—someone whose power could match her own and produce an heir capable of ruling Almerac. And that quest led her to Earth where Kal-El’s Kryptonian heritage caught her attention.
A composite powerhouse with a wide array of super powers, Maxima first appeared in an antagonistic role before transitioning into an ally of Superman and, eventually, a member of the Justice League. Her appearance in the film might indicate Gunn has adapted the 1992 Superman crossover event, “Panic in the Sky,” that featured Maxima teaming up with Brainiac.
In an effort to destroy Earth, Brainiac used his telepathic abilities to enslave several cosmic heavy hitters into his army, including Maxima. Once she eventually broke free of his control, Maxima turned on Brainiac, lobotomizing him, and turned the tide of the battle in favor of Earth’s heroes.
I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon.
-Chris Evans on returning as Steve Rogers, January 2023
Though Evans was kept out of the studio’s 5-hour cast reveal, insiders were onto Marvel’s ploy, with Daniel Richtman reporting that he would be returning not as Captain America but rather as Nomad, toting Mjolnir and sporting a new outfit. However, it was unclear just how large of a role he might play.
Now, following the official confirmation of his return via one of four teasers for the 2026 film, Anthony and Joe Russo have revealed Evans‘ Rogers will have a “central role” in Avengers: Doomsday.
While fans are already generating pre-emptive hate over Evans‘ return to the MCU, it’s probably worth noting and at least considering that “central” and “large” are different words. Rogers could easily have central role in Avengers: Doomsday without detracting from the screentime of the heroes who have been central to the Multiverse Saga (not that there really are many). Clearly, Rogers’ actions in Avengers: Endgame will be retconned into having some part to play in the Incursions threatening the Multiverse and despite notions to the contrary, there’s no logical reason why they would not.
With additional photography on Avengers: Doomsday and principal photography on Avengers: Secret Wars all the remain on the docket for the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios looks to be fully invested in making sure the next saga gets off to a solid start.
Though nothing has been made official yet, the new saga–which will get underway in 2028–looks be kicking off with Jake Schreier‘s X-Men reboot and Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther 3with a sequel to The Fantastic: Four First Steps and a potential team-up film, Midnight Sons, among the projects reported and rumored to be on the way. While MCU fans wait for Marvel Studios to give some insight into what to expect, another project may find itself in contention for a spot in the first phase of the new saga.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has decided to move ahead with an X-Force project in the new saga.
As was foretold, Kathleen Kennedy officially announced that she was stepping down as President of Lucasfilm, turning the keys over to Lynwen Brennan and Dave Filoni. Filoni, the creator behind a pair of beloved animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and the live-action streaming series Ahsoka, has served as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Office since November 2023 and will remain in command of the “creative direction of the franchise in film, television, and any other platforms in the galaxy.” Brennan, who was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm by Kennedy in 2015, is expected to continue coordinating the business side of things for the studio
Kennedy‘s career at Lucasfilm began in 2012 when she was handpicked by George Lucas to serve as co-chair before the company’s acquisition by The Walt Disney Company. Following the sale, she was promoted to President, overseeing Lucasfilm’s primary divisions, including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound. Under her leadership, the studio revitalized the Star Wars franchise, launching a sequel trilogy that began with the record-breaking The Force Awakens (2015) and continued with The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Beyond the Skywalker Saga, Kennedy shepherded standalone “anthology” films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) as well as the return of another iconic Lucasfilm property with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
In addition to her work in feature films, Kennedy spearheaded Lucasfilm’s expansion into streaming through Disney+. She served as executive producer on critically acclaimed and award-winning live-action series, most notably The Mandalorian, which debuted in 2019, and the Emmy-winning Andor. In an exit interview with Deadline, Kennedy gave a glimpse into the future of Star Wars, which looks quite different than it did three years ago.
Star Wars Celebration 2023 seemed to stand as a pivot point for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars brand. Films by Dave Filoni, James Mangold and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy were announced, promising an exciting return to theaters after an uncomfortable absence. The studio rolled out a brand new timeline which included two new eras (Dawn of the Jedi and New Jedi Order) set to be explored in upcoming films and an old fan favorite that has so far been absent from Lucasfilm’s live-action projects (The Old Republic). Nearly three years later, none of those projects have gone into production, having been passed in the queue by Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian and Grogu.
In her interview, Kennedy updated the status of Mangold’s “Jedi Prime” film (it is not the update you were looking for) while Filoni and Obaid-Chinoy‘s projects went unmentioned.
“Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold and it’s on hold,” Kennedy revealed. She also provided updates on a trio of projects that fans likely thought were long dead, including the recently revealed Kylo Ren film.
“Taika has turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door. Donald Glover has turned in a script,” said Kennedy. “And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk.”
However, Kennedy went on to clarify that fans should not expect any of those films to be starting down the production pipeline soon. “Mangold’s is really on the back burner as is Soderbergh’s. I think the ones by Taika and Donald are still somewhat alive. That’s going to really be up to the new team to figure out,” she said.
“He’s working right now. He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there,” said Kennedy of Kinberg. “We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.”
While that’s not exactly the vote of confidence fans were hoping for given the skepticism that met the announcement of Kinberg ‘s trilogy, it does sound as though the studio plans to go into production on the first film in the near-ish future while pushing the sequels out in relatively short order.
“I know that Dave and Lynwen are very much on board with what Simon’s doing, and that would be a new trilogy. In the timeline of things, that takes you well into 2030 plus. So that’s really what’s up next,” explained Kennedy.
Kennedy also revealed that a heavy dose of succession planning took up quite a bit of bandwidth over the last two years. With a plan now in place, perhaps Brennan and Filoni will find a way to get the franchise’s film studio running smoothly again.
For a project which has never been formally addressed by anyone at Marvel Studios, the rumored Midnight Sons film certainly has quite an archive of potential information. From rumored writers to directors and cast members, the big screen team-up flick has allegedly been in development since 2022 and its potential to be a hit is undeniable.
According to social media’s busiest bee, My Time To Shine Hello, the MCU’s Midnight Sons team will be made up of Dane Whitman, Blade, Elsa Bloodstone, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Moon Knight, Werewolf By Night and Wong.
An Ali and Oscar Isaac-led project would carry some cache and the supporting cast, should the rumor be accurate, would be among the studio’s most impressive–and that’s without knowing who they’d cast as whichever Ghost Rider is supposed to be on the squad.
For what it’s worth, in the comics, the Children of Midnight have typically had 9 members, meaning there’s room for one more surprise on the supernatural squad’s lineup as they potentially take on Mia Goth’s Lilith while also dealing with the machinations of Mephisto!
With nearly a year to go before it hits theaters, Marvel Studios has already begun marketing Avengers: Doomsday and building a good deal of buzz around the film. A series of short teasers have revealed the return of Chris Evans, a more serious Thor, James Marsden sporting a comic accurate look and a meeting between Earth 616’s Wakandans and Earth-828’s Ben Grimm.
Reactions to the teasers have been largely positive and though they haven’t really provided any real indication of what the film’s story might be, the promise of more character interactions like M’Baku and Thing have fans excited. With additional photography for the project set to get underway this spring, rumors of multiple stars who were not available to film during principal photography, which wrapped in September, have begun to spring up. And according to one of Marvel Comics legendary creators, another of the stars of Fox’s original X-Men trilogy will be one of them.
In an interview shared by Power of X-Men, Chris Claremont claimed that Famke Janssen will have a role in Avengers: Doomsday.
This isn’t the first time that Claremont has claimed to know that Janssen would return as Jean Grey in Avengers: Doomsday nor the first time she’s been rumored to be joining the cast, though the actress has repeatedly denied it and stated she’s not interested in revisiting the role. Of course, Janssen would hardly be the first star to deny being in a Marvel Studios project despite being in it and there are plenty of other actors and actresses who are believed to be in the film whose roles have yet to be confirmed. With the X-Men expected to play a large role in Avengers: Doomsday, it does seem as though there would be room for several more characters from the Fox films to appear.
It may have taken a little longer than anticipated to get The Batman-Part II ready to roll but it’s beginning to look like it may have been worth the wait.
According to Deadline, MCU vet Sebastian Stan has entered into talks to join the cast of The Batman-Part II. While the trade report didn’t reveal the nature of the role, it’s believed that Stan will portray Gotham’s White Knight, Harvey Dent.
Harvey Dent is a prominent character in DC Comics, best known as the tragic hero who transforms into the villainous Two-Face. He first appeared in Detective Comics #66 in 1942, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Before his descent into crime, Harvey Dent was Gotham City’s youngest and most dedicated District Attorney. Known as the “White Knight” of Gotham, he was a close ally of both Batman and Commissioner James Gordon. Together, the three formed a secret pact to dismantle Gotham’s organized crime families from within the legal system.
The turning point in Dent’s life occurred during the trial of mob boss Sal Maroni. In an act of desperation, Maroni threw sulfuric acid at Dent, hideously scarring the left side of his face. This physical trauma, combined with repressed mental health struggles (often portrayed as dissociative identity disorder stemming from childhood abuse), caused a total psychological break and turned Dent into Two-Face, a criminal mastermind obsessed with duality.
News of Stan’s potential casting comes less than a month after fellow longtime MCU star Scarlett Johansson joined Matt Reeves-helmed sequel. Following her casting, industry insider Jeff “The In” Sneider reported that Johansson was set to play Gilda Gold, most famous for her role in Jeph Loeb’s seminal graphic novel The Long Halloween (which heavily influenced Matt Reeves’ first film). In a shocking twist at the end of that story, it is implied (and confessed by her) that she was the original “Holiday” killer. She is a tragic figure, deeply in love with Harvey but constantly terrified of his dangerous work fighting the mob. In The Long Halloween, she secretly murdered gangsters on holidays to thin out the mob’s ranks. Her goal was not power, but to lighten Harvey’s caseload so he could finally retire, and they could start a family.
Dent has been a central figure in nearly every Batman film or television series, including Batman: The Animated Series in which he was given a deeply sympathetic backstory that established his “Big Bad Harv” alternate personality before the accident that turned him into Two-Face.
Following the news of Stan’s casting, social media was abuzz with the possibility that it may portend the demise of Bucky Barnes in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Currently a member of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers, Barnes’ death would serve as a potential catalyst for multiple plot points, including convincing Steve Rogers to get back in action.
After less than a decade of (at best) half-assed efforts to create a Spider-Man Universe without a Spider-Man, Sony finally threw in the towel afterKraven the Hunter hit the screen as a lame duck in 2024. When it was all said and done, the so-called SSU gave fans some of the worst superhero films in the history of the genre; however, an argument can be made that Tom Hardy‘s Venom trilogy provided at least a few highlights.
In the comics, Mac Gargan’s tenure as Venom is distinguished primarily by its sheer brutality and a complete lack of the moral “Lethal Protector” code that defined Eddie Brock. Unlike other hosts who viewed the symbiote as a partner or a tool for justice, Gargan experienced a parasitic relationship fueled by the career criminal’s base instincts. This led to a version of the character defined by cannibalism and animalistic savagery; Gargan famously gave in to the suit’s hunger for human flesh, consuming enemies and even Skrulls during his time on the Dark Avengers. This loss of control was often reflected in his physical appearance, as he was frequently depicted as a massive, hulking monster with human eyes visible through the symbiote’s mask, highlighting the terrifying reality of a man being swallowed by an addiction-like bond.
Beyond his personality, Gargan’s Venom was unique because of the biological synergy between the alien and his original Scorpion powers. He maintained his “Scorpion-sense” and enhanced durability, often manifesting a massive, prehensile symbiote tail that allowed him to strike with the lethal precision of his former namesake. This made him one of the most physically formidable iterations of the character, possessing a raw power level that surpassed Brock’s. His unique role reached its peak when he masqueraded as a sinister version of Spider-Man under Norman Osborn’s leadership. By using chemical suppressants to shrink the symbiote’s mass, he was able to hide his monstrous nature in plain sight, serving as a government-sanctioned “hero” while secretly remaining a feral killer.
Of course, there’s always the very good possibility that Marvel will simply wait until Avengers: Secret Wars to introduce its own version of the symbiote, paying homage 1984’s Secret Wars when Peter Parker found himself wearing a new black suit that was revealed to be Venom.
Following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, it was hard to imagine how much more Marvel Studios was going to squeeze out of Tom Hiddleston‘s Loki. Fortunately, Michael Waldron, Eric Martin, Kate Herron, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead found a way to breathe new life into the God of Mischief, putting together two seasons of an incredible journey into mystery that allowed Hiddleston to fulfill Loki’s glorious purpose.
As brilliant as Hiddleston was in Loki, the chemistry between him and his co-stars, specifically Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino, helped make both seasons work so well. With the L1130 Variant of Loki now set up as the MCU’s keeper of the timeline–the God of Stories, it was no surprise that Hiddleston was among those announced as part of the main cast of Avengers: Doomsday last year. It’s not yet entirely clear exactly what role Loki will play in attempting to stop Doctor Doom from unleashing a “cascading crisis across the entire multiverse,” but according to a new report, he’ll have his best buddy at his side.
My contribution has been contributed. It is monumental. The centre of the story is absolutely brilliant, and was so surprising when I read it. It just has never been done before.
-Tom Hiddleston
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Owen Wilson will return in Avengers: Doomsday as TVA timecop Mobius.
We have different styles. You’re a man of action, which is fine. I take a more slow, deliberate, cerebral approach because I see everything. I notice everything.
-Mobius
When last seen in the Loki series finale, Mobius had left the TVA to enjoy the freedom to live his own life free from the machinations of He Who Remains. However, it was made pretty clear that there was room more Mobius and, with the Multiverse at stake, it sounds like it’s time for him to get off the couch.
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