The marketing for Avengers: Doomsday has started, and yet, Marvel Studios has yet to show its most important characters. In eight months, the MCU’s Multiverse Saga will begin its culmination after five years of build-up. Joe and Anthony Russo return behind the camera for the first MCU crossover movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Doomsday is the first time in the Multiverse Saga that the whole franchise will come together for a single storyline. Other familiar faces in front of the camera are returning, such as Chris Evans reprising his role as Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, an intriguing casting choice following his brilliant 11-year stint as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
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The marketing for Avengers: Doomsday technically started at the end of 2025, with a teaser confirming Evans’ comeback. This was followed by a series of short snippets focusing on other characters in the film. While there hasn’t been a widely-released one, Marvel Studios previewed the Avengers: Doomsday trailer at CinemaCon 2026, revealing more characters joining the fight against Doctor Doom. Amid all of these, the Multiverse Saga’s most important characters, Loki and Doctor Strange, are noticeably nowhere to be found.
Why Loki & Doctor Strange Are The Multiverse Saga’s Most Important Characters
The events of Avengers: Doomsday picking up after Avengers: Endgame may have given the idea that all the set-up in the Multiverse Saga is all for nothing, but that isn’t the case. For starters, the upcoming crossover event is still tackling the concept of the multiverse, which is at the center of its storytelling. While some stories will understandably not factor in the movie, certain events from other projects will likely be foundational to what Marvel Studios is attempting to do in Avengers: Endgame, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the two seasons of Loki.
Both shows laid the groundwork for the MCU’s exploration of alternate universes and timelines, so naturally, its two main characters are expected to play an important role in the fight against Doctor Doom. Not only are they aware of the existence of the multiverse, but they also know first-hand what it’s like moving from one branch of it to another. Considering how clueless the majority of the MCU is about this, it’s crucial that Doctor Strange and Loki touch base with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes so they can figure out the best way to address the looming threat.
Marvel Studios had the luxury of intentionally including foreshadowing scenes about the arrival of Thanos long before his proper debut in Avengers: Infinity War. Stark was sounding the alarm for years about the Mad Titan’s return, and even then, they still lost to the villain. The Multiverse Saga doesn’t have that, so the Russos need to be efficient with how they’ll incorporate Loki and Doctor Strange into its narrative, especially since both have been contained in their respective pockets of the universe.
Arguably, Wanda should also be included in this list, but technically, she’s supposed to already be dead. Whether Marvel Studios undoes that is currently up in the air, although there have been countless theories claiming that she’s alive. If she did survive the collapse on Mount Wundagore, there’s no doubt that she’s due for an MCU comeback.
Avengers: Doomsday Marketing Hiding Loki & Doctor Strange Makes Sense
From a marketing perspective, it made sense to kick off Avengers: Doomsday‘s promotions with Evans’ Rogers and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. Aside from Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, they are the faces of the MCU. Because of how tumultuous the Multiverse Saga has been, Marvel Studios needed to drum up hype and revitalize people’s enthusiasm for the franchise, and the best way to start that was to bring back actors and characters that people already love. Subsequently, the clip featuring the X-Men evoked nostalgia, especially after seeing Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen’s Professor X and Magneto. The snippet of Shuri and the Wakandans meeting the Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm, on the other hand, was not only a reminder of the next generation of MCU heroes but also an exciting tease of the new character crossovers that can be expected in Avengers: Doomsday.
Admittedly, Marvel Studios hasn’t really shown Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom either, although he was featured in the CinemaCon trailer. Despite that, Disney is smartly using the actor’s star power in terms of promoting the film. Not only was he at SDCC 2024, where they announced his casting, and CinemaCon 2026, but he has also been spreading the word about the film via doing the press rounds and his own social media. Right now, both Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch haven’t been involved in any kind of marketing for Avengers: Doomsday. It’s worth noting that while Loki was officially announced as part of the film through Marvel Studios’ production start announcement video, Doctor Strange wasn’t. There have been reports, however, that he will be in the movie.
With the way Marvel Studios’ marketing for the film has been, as well as the rousing reaction to the Avengers: Doomsday trailer at CinemaCon 2026, Kevin Feige and his team are no longer as pressured to hard sell the film to the public. The hype is already up for the movie, which means that they can revert to their more conservative way of marketing projects. Long-time fans would remember the frenzy during the wait for the official title and first look at Avengers: Endgame, and how that only fueled people’s interest in the blockbuster. Marvel Studios can do a softer version of that for Avengers: Doomsday. In any case, if Marvel Studios wants to use Doctor Strange and Loki in their marketing, they still have time to do so.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
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