'Namaste India!' Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans drop Diwali surprise before Avengers Doomsday

It’s not every Diwali that Doctor Doom drops by to wish you well, but 2026 is full of surprises.

With 50 days to go before Avengers: Doomsday arrives in cinemas, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans have sent a festive video message to fans in India. Downey Jr. plays the villainous Doctor Doom this time, and Evans returns as Steve Rogers. Indian audiences also get a head start: the film opens in India on December 17, 2026, a day before its US release.

A Diwali greeting, Marvel-style

The pair started warmly enough, with a “Namaste India!” and a nod to what they love about the festival: it marks the end of one chapter and the start of another. That’s something Marvel’s heroes know plenty about. Then came the twist. Instead of moving from darkness to light, they suggested, this particular story might be heading the other way. Ominous, festive and very on-brand.

They signed off with a cheerful “Happy Diwali” and a promise to see fans at the movies. “You bet!”

What’s coming

Avengers: Doomsday brings together heroes from three different universes to face an existential threat bigger than anything they’ve dealt with before. Anthony and Joe Russo direct, and Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Jonathan Schwartz produce. It will be the 39th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The cast is longer than most Diwali guest lists: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Hayley Atwell, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena and Tenoch Huerta Mejia.

The film will be available in Infinity Vision and other premium formats. Like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it opens on a Thursday, which gives it an extended four-day opening weekend.

Fans who couldn’t wait got an early taste on September 25, when Avengers: Endgame: Encore re-released in Indian theatres with bonus footage and a special preview of Doomsday.

A December showdown

Doom won’t have the box office to himself. Dune: Part Three opens worldwide on December 18, setting up a clash between the Russo Brothers’ Marvel film and Denis Villeneuve’s desert saga.