Avengers: Doomsday's official trailer made a splash when it was finally released online in mid-July, but fans still had a few criticisms regarding certain scenes. The fifth Avengers film is Marvel's first major superhero team-up movie of the Multiverse Saga, and it's set to pave the way for the culminating event in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Yet, under six months out from its December 18 release, strikingly little is known about Avengers: Doomsday, and fans still have concerns after the first footage was released.
Marvel fans have been eager to see a glimpse of some of the 30+ returning cast members in Avengers: Doomsday, as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s appearance as a new character, Doctor Doom. After a series of short teaser trailers were released weekly in December 2024, Marvel Studios finally released an official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday online in July, ahead of San Diego Comic-Con (at which Marvel screened further exclusive Doomsday footage).
This trailer, while still light on specific plot details, showcased much of the action to come in Avengers: Doomsday, as well as many of the Avengers in action. Nevertheless, Marvel fans have still had some nitpicks with the trailer.
Scenes in Avengers: Doomsday's First Trailer That Fans Disliked
Steve Rogers Wields Mjolnir
The final moment of Avengers: Doomsday's trailer shows Chris Hemsworth's Thor reunited with an old friend he thought was dead: Chris Evan's Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Before appearing on-screen, Evans is heard saying, "Hey, pal," to which Thor responds, "It's not possible," then holds out his godly weapon, Mjolnir, for confirmation. Rogers then proves himself worthy once more by summoning Mjolnir to him.
Why Fans Are Complaining
Steve Rogers wielding Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame is one of the MCU's most explosive moments, eliciting eruptions of cheers in theaters. While Avengers: Doomsday's trailer uses this scene as a smart callback, fans feel it falls a bit flat.
In particular, the scene's editing doesn't build to an emotional climax. When Thor walks into the room, it's initially unclear who he is talking to. When he holds out Mjolnir, and it whips out of his hand, Steve is revealed in a wide shot with Thor as he catches the hammer. The scene cuts back to Thor, looking shocked, before it switches back to reveal Steve Rogers.
This particular editing choice removes the emotional impact that would've come from hiding Steve until the final close-up, since the scene's surprise has already been revealed in the wide shot showing him catching the hammer.
Will It Hurt the Movie?
Overall, this is a small nitpick in Avengers: Doomsday's trailer that is unlikely to reflect the final film.
It's well known that trailers are edited for marketing purposes, and in this case, it's clear that the reunion of Thor and Captain America has been cut down for inclusion in the trailer. It's very likely this sequence will not play out the same way in the final film, and the directors, the Russo Brothers, still have time to adjust their editing choices to enhance this scene's emotional impact in theaters.
Thor vs. Doctor Doom
One of the most climactic action sequences in Avengers: Doomsday's first trailer is a face-off between Thor and Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Avengers: Doomsday is the first time fans will see Doctor Doom in action in the MCU, and as such, his power remains an unknown quantity. But when Thor swings Stormbreaker at Doom with all his godly might, he's stopped in his tracks as the masked villain blocks the axe with just two fingers.
Why Fans Are Complaining
While the fight sequence between Doctor Doom and Thor in this trailer is certainly effective, one criticism leveled at the scene is that the battleground on which Doom and Thor fight is visually bland. It's unclear where the two are, but the scenery shows a dark, gray landscape of debris, with cloudy, red-streaked skies. Seeing this, many are concerned that Avengers: Doomsday will rely on a visually uninteresting and colorless battleground, something Avengers: Endgame also fell prey to in its final battle against Thanos.
Will It Hurt the Movie?
It's worth noting that visual effects are among the last stages of the editing pipeline, so it's still possible there is more work to be done on this sequence over the next few months to spruce it up with more interesting visual elements. Marvel Studios is also well-known for editing things out of its trailers to maintain secrecy, so it's possible that this fight sequence between Thor and Doom is leaving a lot out.
That said, if this is the final color palette and landscape for Thor and Doom's big fight, the sequence could risk being underwhelming when the scenes play in cinemas.
Thor's Speech
The scenes in Avengers: Doomsday's official trailer are accompanied by an impassioned speech from Thor as he addresses the various Avengers heroes who have come together for the first time.
"I’ve fought with many warriors in my time. They were far stronger than all of us put together. And they died. They died facing enemies and threats that scared me far less than this one. Everything that they sacrificed will be for nothing if we do not stand together. Put aside your petty squabbles and presume nothing except this. If you return, you will return as brothers and sisters. But mark my words, we’re going to need a miracle."
Why Fans Are Complaining
Avengers: Doomsday has a lot of ground to cover in its marketing, with dozens upon dozens of Marvel characters to serve, but the main one fans want to know more about is Doctor Doom. Downey Jr.'s return as the Multiverse Saga's big bad is a huge drawcard for the fifth Avengers film, but the decision to hear Thor describe the threat of Doctor Doom rather than seeing the villain in action has left some feeling that the trailer is a bit hollow.
Fans do get a small taste of Doom's power toward the end of the trailer, when he halts Thor and Stormbreaker in their tracks, but apart from this, the major villain is rarely seen in the footage, leaving others to describe him.
Will It Hurt the Movie?
Compared to Avengers: Infinity War, which similarly set up Thanos as the film's main villain, Avengers: Doomsday leaves a lot unsaid about Doctor Doom. Josh Brolin's villain was featured quite heavily in the initial trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, but in this instance, Marvel Studios seems reluctant to put Downey Jr.'s villain in the spotlight.
To be fair, Doctor Doom was featured more heavily in the extended trailer shown at Comic-Con, where he was seen raising the infamous Sentinels from the ground, so it seems there will be more from Doctor Doom coming, but right now, hungry Marvel fans need more to go off in order to trust that RDJ's new villain is the threat he's described to be.
Avengers: Doomsday still has several more months in the lead-up to its release, during which the marketing campaign is sure to kick into high gear, so there's still plenty of time for Marvel Studios to show off more of Doctor Doom.
Bonus: Doctor Doom's Appearance
Speaking of Doctor Doom, not only is the villain not featured enough in Avengers: Doomsday's trailer, but when he is shown, he's only ever framed in extreme close-ups, from a distance, or in side profiles. Avengers: Doomsday's posters have given audiences a better look at Doctor Doom's full profile, but not seeing him in such a way in the footage has made it difficult for them to get a handle on this new villain.
Bonus: Mystique's Costume
Marvel fans are incredibly eager to see the return of many legacy X-Men actors and characters in Avengers: Doomsday, including Rebecca Romijn's return as Mystique for the first time in over two decades. However, the brief shot of Mystique in the trailer shows the blue-skinned mutant in something of a lackluster costume, particularly compared to the outfits of some of her X-Men colleagues.
Bonus: Avengers Assembled
Another Avengers: Doomsday trailer scene that has drawn criticism for being bland is the sequence that finally sees all the various Avengers teams united under one roof. The sequence should be momentous, as it brings together heroes from all corners of the MCU, but instead, the color grade and shot composition feel dark and uninteresting, making it difficult to tell which heroes are even present in the room.
Bonus: Gambit vs. Shang-Chi
Darkness is a recurring theme throughout Avengers: Doomsday's trailer, with many of its major scenes set in shadowy rooms with little color or lighting. One scene that exemplifies this is the fight between Shang-Chi and Gambit, in which the hero's vibrant costumes are dulled by shadows.
