Avengers: Doomsday is Marvel’s next big bet. But can it outshine Endgame or Infinity War at the box office? We break down the numbers and hype.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has taken over the movie landscape. With cultural phenomena like Avengers: Endgame obliterating box office records and newer titles like Spider-Man: No Way Home revitalizing our return to the cinema during a pandemic, the MCU has raised the bar. Now, the house that Iron Man built is pulling out all the stops for their promised “next movie,” Avengers: Doomsday.
MCU Box Office Milestones
Marvel’s audiences have seen terrific milestones come and go, with box office records crushed alongside superhero heroes. Here is a little peek into just how far and fast the franchise has come along:
Avengers (2012): $1.5B worldwide
Avengers: Infinity War (2018): $2.05B worldwide
Avengers: Endgame (2019): $2.79B worldwide (briefly eclipsing Avatar)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): $1.9B worldwide amidst a pandemic
And if the numbers here are any sign of a ticket sales opportunity for the box office alike, there is optimism to see continued success from Marvel. That said, there is only a mixed response to the content and film from Phase 4 and Phase 5, meaning the MCU is not quite as momentum forward, as unstoppable as Marvel yet.
What We Know About Avengers: Doomsday So Far
‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ will be filming at Windsor Castle in two weeks.
— Avengers Updates (@AvengersUpdated) May 29, 2025
Restrictions have been put in place: no pictures can be taken for commercial use, and drones are prohibited from flying near the set.
(via: @UnBoxPHD) pic.twitter.com/6Mv38bSpCJ
While much is being kept under wraps, Marvel has hinted at the following items:
Release Date: Scheduled for May 2027
Cast: rumors are running rampant. There are legacy heroes (Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Sam Wilson’s Captain America) as well as newer characters (Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel).
Villain: A multiversal threat only called “Doomsday” (not to be confused with DC’s Doomsday) that may be related to Kang the Conqueror’s arc or may replace it entirely, given the controversy that has surrounded Jonathan Majors.
It is positioned as a spiritual successor to Endgame and is intended to wrap up the Multiverse Saga and reset the Marvel universe for future phases.
Box Office Impediments in the Post-Endgame Era
Marvel is operating in a different cinema ecosystem than it did in its “heyday”. Here are some of the impediments for Avengers: Doomsday:
1. Superhero Fatigue Is Real
If you ask even the most die-hard fans, they will admit that superhero fatigue is a real phenomenon and the oversaturation of content is beginning to wear on them. With several Disney+ series and back-to-back theatrical releases, Marvel has seemingly lost some of the exclusivity of their titles.
Search trend data has shown that Marvel’s non-event films (The Marvels, Eternals, Ant-Man: Quantumania) have declining interest, which suggests maybe it is time for Marvel to put up or shut up.
2. Box Office Competition is High
The industry is at a turning point:
DC is implementing a new strategy with James Gunn.
Original IPs like Oppenheimer and Barbie showed audiences like to see variations of things.
Streaming is forever changing how audiences engage with blockbusters.
3. Uncertainty in Star Power
While past Avengers films relied on actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson, the new group of Avengers can still achieve quite a lot without that level of cultural significance—at least for now.
How Avengers: Doomsday Can Smash
Everything considered, Doomsday can still be a success—if it can lean into careful storytelling and fan service that hits home. Here’s how:
1. Bring Back the OGs (or at least some of them)
There is rampant speculation of cameo returns of Iron Man, Black Widow, or even Steve Rogers—multiverse or AI-driven—would explode across the internet.
Is there a singular shot of RDJ returning as Tony Stark in the trailer? There will be time codes on YouTube as a form of breaking the internet.
2. A Plot With Stakes Fueled by Emotion
Endgame worked due to more than just the fight—there was finality, loss, and hope. If Doomsday can similarly convey that emotional storytelling, especially with audiences investing emotionally in new heroes like Peter Parker or Shuri, then it has a real possibility of winning a ton of hearts and headlines.
3. World-building That Delivers
Across the internet, multiverse-based storylines have long been depicted as being confusing. Doomsday has the task to pare down the chaos and deliver satisfying resolutions to storylines designed over Loki, WandaVision, Quantumania, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Possibility of Cross-Franchise Cameos
Might Avengers: Doomsday be the movie that introduces mutants, or finally allows the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to blend together into the main timeline?
They can do almost anything:
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine? The internet is certainly buzzing post-Deadpool & Wolverine!
A sneak preview of a new Magneto or a Professor X?
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker serves as a mentor to Miles Morales.
Above and beyond being fun for fans, these cameos are great box office content!
How Marvel’s Marketing Will Make or Break It
It’s hard to know, especially considering Marvel from the early days of its marketing-from-deep-in-the-archives to exploiting the rare cast interviews and the massive Comic-Con reveals. But Doomsday is going to need a marketing bardigan.
Teaser and preview content designed for TikTok.
Augmented reality poster reveals,
Super-Bowl commercials with sneak-peeks or reveals that scare us to the point of positive connotations.
Interactive multiverse-based experiences at the movie theatre
If Marvel can turn Doomsday into more, if it doesn’t embellish it into a cultural experience that supersedes itself as a movie, a cultural experience will almost certainly lead to people wanting to engage! Not merely for the couch potatoes.
Critical Reception Matters More than Ever
Audiences are now more particular. Noted that any Rotten Tomatoes score less than 80% seriously worked against ticket sales, as audiences presumed it was simply not worth their time. The film better get all of the following right:
Cohesive script
Jaw-dropping visuals (not necessarily just CGI gumbo)
Stellar performances (we’re looking at you, Oscar Isaac and Simu Liu!)
Well-defined character arcs
Good word-of-mouth might be the momentum swing you need to potentially differentiate between a $1.5B success versus a Flash-esque flop.
Final Thoughts
If Marvel can successfully deliver on Doomsday after years of buildup, we may see not only box office magic, but also the revival of event cinema. Whether Doomsday becomes the next $2B film or simply a fan-friendly ending, the world will be watching.
FAQs
1. What is Avengers: Doomsday about?
Avengers: Doomsday is positioned to be the epic conclusion to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, featuring a cataclysmic threat against which heroes will have to stand firm throughout timelines and realities. It extends legacy characters with newer heroes to take on a supposed multiversal essence villain called “Doomsday.”
2. Is Doomsday a Marvel or DC character?
DC Comics has its own character named Doomsday (the killer of Superman), whereas Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday character is original. The “Doomsday” in this film is said to be a new multiversal villain made up expressly for the MCU story.
3. Will Iron Man or Captain America return in Avengers: Doomsday?
Despite no longer playing their roles, Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans remain major box office stars. Rumors suggest multiverse cameos, or variants, may appear in the film as a combination of fan service and also to close out a storyline.
4. When will Avengers: Doomsday be released?
Marvel Studios has somewhat tentatively pegged Avengers: Doomsday to release on, or around, May 2027, but release dates are subject to change often because of production schedules and shifts in the industry.
5. Who is the main villain in Avengers: Doomsday?
The main villain is rumored to be a powerful being named “Doomsday” in the multiverse. Rumors lead to theories that the film could center around a variant of Kang, or even a new cosmic-level villain that relates to Galactus, The Beyonder.