Avengers: Doomsday early reactions call it Marvel’s best film yet

Dubai: Marvel Studios has reportedly held a private test screening of Avengers: Doomsday, and if the early reactions are anything to go by, the MCU may be about to deliver something genuinely special. The screening, which took place with Marvel president Kevin Feige and select studio staff in attendance, showed a pre-reshoots cut of the film, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

According to scooper MyTimeToShineH, those present "were very pleased with it, some even called it the best Marvel movie yet."

Insider Robert Meyer Burnett added that after seeing detailed project information for the film, he believes it "will SLAY," and confirmed that the test screening "went Avengers: Infinity War well," which for Marvel fans is about as high a benchmark as it gets.

What we know about the film

Avengers: Doomsday is directed by the Russo brothers, the duo behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame, working from a screenplay by their longtime collaborator Stephen McFeely alongside Michael Waldron. The film centres on Doctor Doom, described as a master of both cutting-edge science and powerful sorcery, who unleashes a cascading crisis across the multiverse.

The biggest talking point remains the casting of Robert Downey Jr. not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom himself, a twist that has kept fans buzzing since the announcement. Reshoots are set to begin this month, with the report noting they will focus primarily on adding character-driven scenes rather than any large-scale changes to the existing cut.

An early look at the film, likely a teaser or trailer, is expected to be revealed at CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas, where Disney is giving Avengers: Doomsday prominent placement, with the film's poster already featured in the event's main hallways.

The cast is staggering

The confirmed lineup for Avengers: Doomsday is one of the most expansive in MCU history, bringing together characters from across the franchise alongside the long-awaited arrival of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four in the main continuity. Here is who has been confirmed:

Returning MCU heroes include Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Winston Duke as M'Baku, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Danny Ramirez as Falcon and Lewis Pullman as Sentry.

The Fantastic Four, fresh from their own film, are represented by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.

Perhaps most excitingly for longtime Marvel fans, the original X-Men cast makes its MCU debut with Ian McKellen as Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Channing Tatum finally getting his moment as Gambit.

Release date

Avengers: Doomsday is set for release in cinemas on 18 December 2026, with the follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled for 17 December 2027. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito and the Russo Brothers through their AGBO banner.

If the early screening reactions hold up, December 2026 cannot come soon enough.