We’re 10 Months Away From ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ — So Where’s the Hype?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at a monumental turning point as it heads into 2026, making this upcoming year potentially decisive for the franchise's future. Given the mediocre releases and underwhelming box office results of their recent films, including a lukewarm response to Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday, releasing in December, carries even greater significance, as Marvel surely hopes it will restore their former glory. However, there is an almighty risk being taken by Marvel in the lead-up to Doomsday, or should I say lack thereof.

It's worth noting that the four teasers released during screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash have not set the world alight. With only a few projects being released between now and December, and none of them likely stepping stones, Marvel is taking a drastically different approach to its next blockbuster film than it did for its previous saga climaxes, even if some decisions have been forced upon them. Although future marketing might be enough to build audience excitement, matching the widespread frenzy the MCU once sparked will demand something truly exceptional.

'Avengers: Doomsday' is Missing the Momentum Building That 'Avengers: Endgame' Had

When fans cast their minds back to 2018, before Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the road that got the MCU to that point was clear. The Avengers came together in the first Avengers, were tested in Age of Ultron, and split in Captain America: Civil War, which is what made them vulnerable in Infinity War. With releases like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, villains like Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the infinity stones were contextualized, as were the catalysts that caused the events of Civil War. Every film felt like a step towards the inevitable showdown, going back a decade. Of course, the pivot away from Jonathan Majors' Kang storyline threw any chance of a drawn-out buildup into disarray, but that doesn't negate the fact that Marvel is taking a risk by jumping into a huge, multiversal franchise-defining film without setting the groundwork for it.

When we look at the films and TV shows released before Doomsday, it further confirms that there won't be much narrative momentum going into December. The three projects coming out that exist in the MCU are the TV shows Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and the only film is Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While these projects might achieve individual success, they each lack a strong connection to Doomsday, with the TV shows being particularly grounded, and even Brand New Day being billed as a story focused more on Peter Parker (Tom Holland) than a multiversal showdown.

Marvel's Marketing For 'Avengers: Doomsday' Faces Significant Pressure

In the past, it has been the special effects workers who have been crunched by the MCU's rushed planning and bloated slate. But this time, it's the marketing team who is going to find it difficult to generate much hype with this reduced calendar. While post-credit scenes could be included, like those in Thunderbolts* and First Steps, especially if Brand New Day expects strong viewership, there’s a balance to strike between hyping audiences and avoiding spoilers, especially since previous scenes didn’t generate much buzz. Seeing Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom was intriguing, as was seeing The Fantastic Four's ship in Thunderbolts*, but it didn't take over the internet the way Thanos' cameo in Age of Ultron, including the iconic line of "fine, I'll do it myself," did.

In terms of teasers, the four trailers that audiences have gotten so far have shown that traditional marketing is unlikely to do the job, especially with Marvel's clear desire to keep as much of the plot under wraps as possible. There could still be some event-style marketing opportunities which could provide this kind of online chatter that the upcoming releases likely won't. The set chair video Marvel released drew 275 million viewers, with only Downey physically appearing, and the names released are considered to be a limited reveal of the cast, which gives Marvel the opportunity for a second announcement, and doing so would at least be less frustrating than leaving viewers guessing and feeling let down by cameos that never materialize. Behind-the-scenes photos could also prove vital, as was the case with Endgame, which released cryptic images that some sleuths believed contained the movie's title in subtle ways.

However, while these are potential workarounds for Marvel's marketing team, they will still struggle to breach the bubble of MCU fans and reach the wider audiences that they need to make this a multi-billion dollar movie. In the end, those viewers are who Marvel isn't grabbing at the moment, and looking ahead, it feels like they may struggle to do so, making Doomsday a film that needs far more work to generate some kind of momentum moving forward.

Avengers: Doomsday comes to theaters on December 18.