If the recent “Thunderbolts*” debuted in theaters to rave reviews from critics, and the reboot “Fantastic Four: First Class” promises to relaunch the famous superhero quartet in grand style, the imposing “Avengers: Doomsday” is aiming for an even more ambitious goal: with a project of epic scope the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a long time in the Marvel Studios catalog.

Expected for May 2026, the crossover will mark the surprising return of Robert Downey Jr. as one of the main protagonists, in the new and mysterious guise of the dangerous Doctor Doom. Filming officially began last April 28, as confirmed by Marvel president Kevin Feige through a photo from the set: a shot of the director's chair with the name "Viktor Von Doom" printed on it, the civilian identity of the historic villain that Downey will play for the first time.

On the commitment the star is already showing in the early stages of production, Joe Russo said recently: "He's so immersed. He's so focused. He's writing the backstory, he's coming up with costume ideas. We got on the phone with him this morning before we came here to talk about it. He loves really rich, three-dimensional characters. He sees a real opportunity in the character."

A photo, by the way, to be carefully guarded. In fact, according to what was communicated by the Russo Brothers - the director duo already acclaimed for "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" - the controls on the set will be very strict, in an attempt to avoid any leak of audiovisual material and prevent the spread of spoilers. To learn new details on the project, therefore, we will have to wait for official communications.

In the meantime, after the studios confirmed the twenty-seven names that will make up the cast – a revelation that set the web ablaze for hours – it has emerged that the “X-Men” will have a major role in the film, paving the way for future adventures dedicated to the mutants. Among the previews leaked online, a video that presumably escaped controls has attracted particular attention: in the images you can see the wreckage of a spaceship that has crashed to Earth and several craters. According to the analysis of some fans, the site of the impact could be the X-Mansion, Charles Xavier's villa and historic home of the School for Gifted Youngsters.

This exciting return will also be joined by the four iconic heroes in blue tights. In the wake of the latest official trailer for “Fantastic Four: First Class,” released in mid-April, Marvel has confirmed that the group will take a central role in “Doomsday,” thus denying the rumors that they would only be present for a cameo.

Although work has begun, the film does not yet have a final script. A choice that, however, is not surprising: since the first “Iron Man” in 2008, Marvel Studios has always made changes to the script even during filming. A modus operandi that, in this case, would be linked to the need to define the latest additions to the cast. Among the names circulating, that of Halle Berry stands out, in negotiations to return as Storm.

Also still up in the air are the possible participations of Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Chris Pratt. And then, of course, there are rumors about the return of Hugh Jackman’s “Wolverine,” Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool” and the three cinematic “Spider-Men”: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. The list could therefore grow much longer, and until Kevin Feige confirms the final composition of the cast, the hope of seeing new and old faces appear remains more than plausible.

There will also be plenty of surprises on the new character front: according to insider @Cryptic4KQual, “Avengers: Doomsday” will welcome many new presences from the Marvel Universe: «I’ve heard that they’re introducing some unique heroes/villains that we’ve never seen. You’ll probably never see them on the big screen again after this saga ends. When I say never, I don’t mean original characters. They’re not inventing characters from scratch. Characters that already exist but have never been seen on the big screen. They’re most likely heroes from other worlds that we’ve never seen and who are easily eliminated. I don’t think they want to pollute the main timeline with new characters, never seen on TV or in the cinema, and have them stick around for too long».

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