Avengers: Doomsday won’t hit theaters until the end of 2026, but Marvel Studios has wasted no time in generating hype for its upcoming blockbuster. Over the past four weeks, a series of Doomsday teasers has been released, each one focusing on a specific character (or group of characters) who will appear in the film. Marvel has been very deliberate in choosing the subjects of these trailers, using the marketing materials to confirm Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers, set the stage for an emotional arc for Thor, give fans their first true look at the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and tease the Fantastic Four’s journey to Earth-616 to meet the Wakandans.
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The trailers underscore the massive scale and scope of Avengers: Doomsday, but Marvel fans know they’ve only scratched the surface. Last year, Marvel made history with a livestream event to announce the Doomsday cast, revealing the names of 27 actors. Some of those actors have been show in the trailers, but there are several more who have not. Below is a list of the individual characters officially confirmed for Doomsday who have yet to appear in a teaser:
- Sue Storm
- Sam Wilson
- Bucky Barnes
- Ant-Man
- John Walker
- Shang-Chi
- Yelena Belova
- Hank McCoy/Beast
- Bob Reynolds/Sentry
- Joaquin Torres
- Johnny Storm
- Red Guardian
- Ghost
- Loki
- Nightcrawler
- Mystique
- Gambit
- Reed Richards
- Doctor Doom
When Will We See More Avengers: Doomsday Trailers?
Before the Steve Rogers trailer debuted in late December, word was that there would be a total of four Doomsday teasers. Now that the Black Panther/Fantastic Four trailer has been officially released online, we have now seen the four that were promised. However, there are signs suggesting there could be more Doomsday teasers in store. Updates on Korea’s media ratings board indicate there are seven Doomsday trailers, meaning there potentially could be three more on the way. However, it’s important to note that nothing has been officially confirmed on that front.
It remains to be seen if the extra trailers present on Korea’s ratings board are new promotional materials or simply different edits of the trailers that have already premiered. It’s common for studios to make multiple cuts of the same trailer, tweaking the run time so it can be attached to certain screenings. That could very well be the case here. Shortly after the Black Panther/Fantastic Four teaser made its way online, Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo released a cryptic statement on social media, telling fans that the four teasers are “clues.” The filmmakers sharing public comments now feels like a cap on the first wave of Doomsday marketing, so there may not be any more teasers.
If there isn’t a new Doomsday teaser to look forward to next week, it raises the question of when we’ll get our next look at the film. In early February, the Super Bowl takes place, and that seems like the ideal platform for another Doomsday trailer. Disney has a history of promoting its upcoming Marvel films during the NFL’s big game. Last year, viewers were treated to the first look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and in 2024, there was the record-breaking trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine. Something to keep in mind is that those were summer releases, and Doomsday doesn’t come out until December. Disney may not want to drop millions of dollars on a TV spot for a film that’ll be more than 10 months away from release when the Super Bowl takes place — especially since July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still waiting for its marketing rollout to start.
By attaching the Doomsday teasers to showings of Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marvel proved it’s okay with marketing Doomsday a year in advance. But it wouldn’t be surprising if attention shifted to Brand New Day in the near future. Understandably, no Spider-Man preview was released in the midst of this Doomsday wave; Marvel and Sony didn’t want it to get overshadowed. However, now that the four Doomsday teasers are here, Marvel has an opening to take a quick break and then come back with the Brand New Day promotional campaign. In that event, we may not see more Doomsday footage until the summer movie season, when a teaser can play in front of Disney blockbusters like The Mandalorian & Grogu and Toy Story 5.
Which Missing Marvel Characters Will Appear in Future Avengers: Doomsday Trailers?
Of the 19 names from the above list, the one who feels like the safest bet to appear in an upcoming trailer is Doctor Doom. In all likelihood, the villain will be the primary focus of a proper, full-length Doomsday trailer that provides a basic overview of the plot. While it’s smart to keep Doom hidden for now, the powerful antagonist is undoubtedly going to be a significant part of the marketing campaign as we make our way through 2026. Especially with Robert Downey Jr. back in the fold to play Doom, Marvel will want to lean on the actor’s presence and his anticipated performance as the main villain to see Doomsday to a wide audience. Marvel knows fans are eagerly awaiting the first reveal of Downey’s Doom, so that could be the show-stopping money shot of the next trailer.
As for the missing heroes, odds are we will see nearly all of them over the course of the Doomsday marketing campaign. When looking back at Avengers: Infinity War (the last time Marvel was juggling an ensemble of this scale), a majority of the principal cast appeared in the trailers that were released. In some cases, audiences only got brief glimpses of certain characters, but just about every name you’d expect was checked off. It would be smart if Marvel replicated that promotional strategy for Doomsday. It’s an efficient way of communicating to general audiences who is in the film and what they can expect. Not everyone planning on seeing Doomsday took the time to watch the infamous chairs livestream, so some viewers may be be unaware of the full breadth of Doomsday‘s scope.
The teasers built around individual characters might be over, but there are still so many other heroes to spotlight. We’ve yet to see any of the New Avengers in Doomsday marketing, and considering the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, that team likely has a key role to play. Shang-Chi has been missing from the MCU since 2021, so it would be a good idea to incorporate him into future trailers, re-introducing the character to general audiences as an older, self-assured hero. Marvel could also use upcoming trailers as a way to confirm actors who weren’t mentioned in the livestream, such as Benedict Cumberbatch. All signs are pointing to Doctor Strange coming back, yet Marvel has been mum on the subject.
It’ll be interesting to see how effective Marvel’s Doomsday marketing strategy is with moviegoers. The MCU is in a very different place now than it was in late 2017, when everyone was hyped for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. It’s abundantly clear that Marvel is trying to position Doomsday as a major comeback for the franchise; that’s why the teasers so far have revolved around characters with strong connections to audiences (Steve Rogers, Thor, the X-Men). Even in the case of the most recent trailer, the Black Panther franchise is a cultural phenomenon and The Fantastic Four: First Steps was Marvel’s highest-grossing film last year. The teasers are leaving an impression and keeping Doomsday in the conversation, so fans should look for Marvel to pull out all the stops over the next several months.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
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