Avengers: Doomsday's four trailers omitted two of the movie's key MCU teams. Marvel Studios dropped four short Doomsday teasers weekly across December and January, appearing in theaters and then online days later. The campaign began with Avatar: Fire & Ash's release with the exciting announcement that Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is back in action. Further weeks put the spotlight on Chris Hemsworth's Thor, the returning Fox X-Men, and the imminent crossover of the Wakandans, Talokan, and the Fantastic Four.
Disney confirmed Doomsday's six teams at an Italian event, revealing the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, Wakandans, and Doctor Doom as its biggest stars. While neither Robert Downey Jr.'s (RDJ) Victor von Doom nor the Thunderbolts (aka the New Avengers) made the cut for the four trailers, there may be some good reasons for their omission.
One could argue that Doomsday's first four trailers are actually the Doomsday-teasing post-credit scenes that these heroes never got, as they copy the familiar "will return" text often found at the tail end of MCU blockbusters.
Unlike other heroes, the New Avengers already got their own Doomsday tease in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene. In fact, fans already saw one clip of the former Thunderbolts from Avengers 5, so it's unnecessary to highlight their imminent return a second time, under a year later.
Another factor in their absence may simply be their lower popularity compared to the likes of Steve Rogers, Thor, the X-Men, Wakandans, and the Fantastic Four. After Thunderbolts* dropped last year as a critically-acclaimed box office flop, heavily marketing their return may not be as beneficial as it would be for others.
RDJ's Doctor Doom, on the other hand, is Doomsday's most marketable element, but he was also just featured in a 2025 post-credits scene. The Fantastic Four: First Steps offered a limited first look at the MCU's Doctor Doom costume, teasing his surprising connection to Franklin Richards in the coming conflict.
Marvel Studios may not quite be ready to pull back the curtain on RDJ's Avengers villain, but many are convinced that Doctor Doom was actually hiding in plain sight, continuing the MCU's long history of trailer trickery.
Some of Doomsday's main actors who were featured in the four trailers include Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
What To Expect Next From Avengers: Doomsday's Trailer Campaign
In bringing back Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom, it's clear that Marvel Studios is hoping that nostalgia for the beloved actor will help sell Avengers: Doomsday to those whose interest in the MCU has declined in recent years.
There were once rumors that Victor von Doom would take the spotlight in the climactic installment of Doomsday's four-trailer campaign. That, of course, never came to pass. The studio is likely saving his full reveal for a bigger stage, debuting another early look at Avengers 5 during Super Bowl LX in February.
Marvel Studios is bound to make a splash at the Super Bowl to continue its bold declaration to the world that 2026 is the year of Doomsday and the MCU. Despite what some are hoping for, 10 months before release may be a little early for the first full trailer, and the studio could instead opt for something closer in scale to the four weekly teasers, but giving the long-awaited reveal of Doctor Doom.
It's likely that Disney and Marvel Studios will want to keep the hype going all year, even using 2026's other major MCU event, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, to remind fans that Doomsday is right around the corner. The studio could drop a trailer around San Diego Comic-Con in July, just in time to play in theaters alongside the wall-crawler's long-awaited return.
Find out the theorized hidden meaning of Avengers: Doomsday's four teasers.
