Tuesday, January 13, is shaping up to be a major moment for MCU fans, even in a year with a lighter theatrical slate. While Marvel Studios is only releasing two films in 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday are among the franchise's most anticipated projects since 2019. Adding to the excitement, Marvel is set to drop another significant tease for Avengers: Doomsday on January 13, giving fans plenty to look forward to as the new year kicks off.
The fourth teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash, continuing Marvel Studios' controversial (possibly brilliant) rollout strategy.
The first three teasers each spotlighted different corners of the franchise, beginning with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), followed by Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and then the latest centered on the original X-Men, featuring Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and Cyclops (James Marsden).
This latest teaser shifts the focus to more modern MCU players, highlighting Wakandan leaders Shuri (Letitia Wright) and M'Baku (Winston Duke), alongside Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who was introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The footage also delivers a surprise appearance of Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, marking the first major Avengers: Doomsday crossover.
Following the release pattern of the previous three teasers, the fourth trailer is expected to debut online on Tuesday, January 13, at 9 a.m. ET.
Digging deeper, the footage opens on an introspective note, with Shuri, now fully established as the Black Panther, walking alone through a vast desert landscape.
In a somber voiceover, she reflects on loss and responsibility, "I've lost everyone that matters to me. A king has his duties, to prepare our people for the afterlife. I have mine."
The teaser then cuts to brief but notable glimpses of Namor and his cousin Namora, marking the first official confirmation that Namora will return after her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
A key interaction follows as a group of Wakandans, led by M'Baku, approaches Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four, with M'Baku formally introducing himself as the King of Wakanda and Ben responding a bit tongue in cheek, "Ben. Yancy Street between Broome and Grand."
The footage concludes with Shuri poised for battle as on-screen text confirms that both the Wakandans and the Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday.
While Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn do not appear in the teaser, it's safe to assume they are nearby.
The trailer also reinforces that the team will officially cross over into the main MCU timeline, following The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which was set in the separate Earth-828 universe, and builds on the film's credits tease, suggesting Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) kid-napping Franklin Richards will factor into the larger Doomsday storyline.
Where this interaction takes place is unclear, while it's assumed to be Earth-616, that doesn't explain how it connects to the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, where that New Avengerz team sees the Excelsior ship entering Earth's atmosphere.
In theory, Ben isn't just joined by his family, but also heroes like Yelena (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), all searching for Doom. How all these teams will ultimately meet up is a major question mark for fans, but given the early tease, more trailers will likely reveal some early crossovers.
Is There a 5th Avengers: Doomsday Teaser?
With the fourth teaser set to make its full online debut on January 13, fans are already clamoring for a fifth Doomsday trailer. These four character-focused teasers were part of the reported four-teaser plan that was linked to Avatar: Fire and Ash in theaters.
Taken together, they have functioned less as traditional hype trailers and more as tone-setting vignettes, deliberately fragmented across timelines, universes, and teams.
However, persistent rumors suggest Marvel Studios or the Russo Bros. may not be finished just yet. A potential fifth teaser has been widely discussed online, with speculation that it could serve as a connective piece, bringing together threads that have so far felt intentionally splintered.
One notable absence fueling this speculation is Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, the film's most significant selling point. Despite four teasers and multiple legacy reveals, Doom has yet to appear in any footage. For many fans, a fifth teaser centered on Doom, or at least directly teasing his influence, feels less like a bonus and more like an inevitability.
Even if nothing happens the following week on January 20, fans should at the very least expect a more traditional Avengers trailer during the upcoming Super Bowl broadcast on February 8.
