A new report claimed that Marvel Studios created 30 versions of Avengers: Doomsday's trailer as anticipation builds for the 2026 MCU crossover. Doomsday is perhaps the biggest movie under the MCU umbrella to date due to its stacked cast of heroes, which already includes Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, going up against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. While marketing for Doomsday has yet to kick off in full force, the insurmountable hype is already shattering the internet, and it will only grow further when Marvel Studios ends 2025 with the official release of Avengers: Doomsday's first trailer before showings of Avatar: Fire and Ash starting on December 19, 2026.
The timing of Avengers: Doomsday's trailer release is quite fitting. The massive popularity of Avatar: Fire and Ash means that theaters will be packed with audiences, and more eyes will get to witness a first glimpse of what Marvel Studios has in store for Doomsday. As a result, this trailer might be the most important one for Marvel Studios yet.
While confirming Collider's earlier report about the timing of Avengers: Doomsday's trailer release alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash screenings, Entertainment insider John Campea claimed that it is the most important trailer of all time because a source pointed out that "they've put together 20-something different versions of this trailer:"
"But here's the funny thing, a couple days ago. I was talking to a friend of mine, who is in those circles, and they said, It's not just the tweaking. They said this trailer is so important. They said, ‘John, you and Rob said that this was going to be the most important trailer, maybe of all time. You have no idea how right you are because this trailer is so important. They put… not some minor tweaks. They put together, like 20, something different versions of this trailer. So I reached out to someone I know over at Marvel again."
However, upon reaching out to a source from Marvel and Disney, Campea learned that there are "30 or more" versions of the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, meaning that the studio is aware how much is riding on this piece of marketing because they clearly need to find the perfect one to keep the momentum high and potentially erase its losing streak on the box office:
"So I wrote to somebody over at Marvel Disney, and I said, ‘Hey, I kind of heard this, any truth to that?’ And they simply said, ‘No, not 20, 20 or more. [it's] 30 or more."
It's possible that Marvel Studios wanted to mimic the success of Avengers: Infinity War's trailer in November 2017 after it set the record for being the most watched trailer in the first 24 hours with 230 million views (as of writing, the trailer has 268 million views).
The first trailer of any movie is hugely important because it could either make or break the movie. With 30 or more versions in their back pocket, Marvel Studios is definitely pulling out all the stops to showcase a near-perfect trailer to drum up the hype while still finding the right balance of preserving secrets and spoilers from the worldwide audience.
Directed by the Russo Brothers, Avengers: Doomsday has a confirmed lineup of 27 Marvel stars, which includes the likes of Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Patrick Stewart, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Robert Downey Jr. The movie is set to premiere in theaters on December 18, 2026.
Why Avengers: Doomsday's Trailer is the Most Important for Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios needs to deliver with the upcoming release of Avengers: Doomsday to restore faith in the Marvel brand, especially after Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World underperformed at the box office. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously acknowledged the MCU's last few misses at the box office, admitting that fans were "feeling the residual effects" of having to have seen so many other projects to understand the movie's characters.
The stakes are high for Marvel Studios and they need the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday to turn the tide for the MCU. Any lukewarm or disappointing reaction could derail that momentum, which is why having 30 or more versions to choose from means that the studio is not messing around because they want to make sure that this trailer will put the movie to a certain pedestal right before it premieres in December 2026.
Given that eagle-eyed fans and diehards are definitely going to analyze (maybe over analyze) the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, finding the right balance in trying to preserve suprises while ensuring that it has the perfect mix of teasing the movie's story and massive ensemble is important, similar to how Infinity War's trailer captured that main event feel in November 2017.
Avengers: Doomsday's trailer is only at the top of the marketing chain, and Marvel Studios has a year-long strategy to pull off surprises and big reveals to ensure that the movie has enough hype before it premieres in theaters. As John Campea noted in his podcast, the insider described the trailer as a "very strategic first piece," meaning that there is more to come but this piece of marketing needs to deliver to extend that momentum forward.
