‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Theory Predicts the MCU’s Darkest Fate

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Marvel Studios recently changed the next Avengers movie title to Avengers: Doomsday from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. When the new title was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, many assumed it referred to the villain Doctor Doom. However, after seeing the four teaser trailers shown before Avatar: Fire and Ash, it’s possible the title has a second, more ominous meaning. If taken literally, Doomsday could suggest a catastrophic event that leads to the end of The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men.

The latest trailer for Avengers: Doomsday got fans buzzing when directors Joe and Anthony Russo suggested the four trailers together tell a hidden story, encouraging viewers to look for clues. They ended their announcement with the hashtag “DoomsdayHasBegun.” Marvel Studios also launched a countdown clock for the film’s release on December 18, 2026, but it seems this countdown isn’t just about the premiere. It appears to be tracking a catastrophic event that will effectively end the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it reaches zero.

The Countdown Shows That Time Is Running Out for the MCU


Walt Disney Pictures

All the trailers for Avengers: Doomsday ended with a countdown to the movie’s release. To coincide with the fourth trailer, Marvel Studios launched a live stream called “Doomsday Clock” that counted down the days. This name is a reference to the real “Doomsday Clock,” which has been used since 1947 to symbolize how close humanity is to a global disaster. The clock measures this risk in minutes or seconds, with midnight representing the point of catastrophe.

Marvel using the name “Doomsday Clock” hints that the “Doomsday” subtitle isn’t just about the villain Doctor Doom. It suggests a countdown to the end of everything in the Marvel Universe. The real-life Doomsday Clock considers threats like climate change and nuclear war, while in the movie Avengers: Doomsday, and for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the multiverse, the danger comes from something called “incursions.” These incursions were first explored in a famous storyline by Jonathan Hickman in New Avengers, which led to the 2015 event Secret Wars.

According to the movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, an incursion happens when the line between two universes breaks down, causing them to crash into each other and potentially wipe one or both out.

The story arc where The New Avengers tried to prevent universes from colliding, ultimately failing and leading to the destruction of the entire Marvel multiverse, was known as ‘Time Runs Out.’ Just like the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ event, Marvel Comics used countdown banners – reading ‘In [X number] Months…Time Runs Out’ – to build anticipation for the ‘Secret Wars’ crossover, which is now heavily influencing the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios is building its upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie around the “Time Runs Out” comic book storyline. The heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are racing against time to prevent a catastrophic event across multiple realities. The countdown clock for Avengers: Doomsday highlights the urgency – when it reaches zero, the movie will be released, and the beginning of the MCU’s end will unfold.

Death Is Inevitable, and the Heroes Can’t Stop the End of the World(s)


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The trailers for Avengers: Doomsday heavily feature themes of death. Aside from the initial trailer showcasing Captain America, the other previews have been somber and foreboding. The trailer focusing on Thor presents a serious and solemn side of the character, a stark contrast to his more lighthearted appearances in Ragnarok and Love and Thunder. He’s shown praying to his late father, Odin, asking for the strength to protect his daughter, Love, in what appears to be a final fight.

Both the sneak peek for the X-Men and the one for Wakanda focus on the theme of death. They show the heroes accepting death as unavoidable, and grappling with how to face it – questioning themselves and each other about how they’ll meet their end.

Everyone dies eventually. That’s the only certainty. The real question isn’t whether you’re ready to die, but what kind of person you’ll be when your time comes.

I’ve lost everyone I loved. As a king, T’Challa had a responsibility to prepare our people for what comes next. And now, I have my own responsibilities to fulfill.

Magneto challenges the idea of what truly motivates a hero to fight and make the ultimate sacrifice. This question forces the X-Men, and all heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to consider their limits – how far they’ll go to protect everything they care about, even if it means losing lives. We see a bleak future for the X-Men, with the Xavier Institute destroyed and Cyclops making a desperate, final stand against an overwhelming Sentinel army, suggesting they will fight to the very end, even knowing they might not win.

Shuri’s comment connects M’Baku and Namor as leaders who must protect their people even when facing unavoidable destruction. The trailer suggests Namor’s people, the Talokan, are in dire straits – their underwater city appears completely emptied, hinting that a major, irreversible event is unfolding in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This could be a catastrophic occurrence with devastating consequences.

The upcoming movie, Avengers: Doomsday, could be more than just a superhero adventure where heroes from across the multiverse battle Doctor Doom. It might also explore how people cope with the end of everything. The film suggests the destruction of the multiverse is unavoidable, forcing characters to make tough decisions. While some will fight to the very end, others might choose to spend their final moments with family and friends. The movie promises to show what the heroes of the MCU will do when faced with their last moments.

It also begs the question: If the Marvel Cinematic Universe is facing destruction, what comes next?

The End is the Beginning


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Many fans feel that Avengers: Doomsday doesn’t feel like a natural conclusion to the current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the same way that Avengers: Endgame capped off the Infinity Saga. However, directors the Russo brothers and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige have suggested that Doomsday and the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars are intended to be less of a grand finale and more of a fresh start, similar to how the first Avengers movie launched a new direction for the franchise. Joe Russo specifically described these films as “a beginning — it’s a new beginning.”

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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kevin Feige explained that the Secret Wars storyline will be crucial for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He contrasted it with Endgame, which focused on concluding storylines, saying Secret Wars is about starting new ones. While Feige clarified he doesn’t plan a full reboot, he indicated the MCU will undergo a significant reset after Avengers: Secret Wars.

As a huge Marvel fan, I’ve been following all the buzz around Avengers: Doomsday, and it really feels like they’re setting things up for a massive conclusion to everything we’ve seen in the MCU so far. It’s definitely the start of a final chapter, but knowing Marvel, that doesn’t mean it’s over over. I’m expecting a real cliffhanger, kind of like what happened with Infinity War. There’s a lot of speculation that Doctor Doom will play a key role in bringing together all the different realities of the multiverse, potentially creating something called Battleworld. And get this – some people think the movie might end with a title card similar to the original Secret Wars comic, but updated for the MCU – something like “The Marvel Cinematic Universe: 2008–2026.” It’s a pretty exciting thought!

This will lead directly into Avengers: Secret Wars, a movie taking place in a completely new world. Similar to the comic books, the Marvel Universe will be rebuilt at the end – it will look familiar, but with some important differences. This won’t be a complete restart, but rather a refresh, timed to coincide with the MCU’s 20th anniversary in 2028. Avengers: Doomsday is building towards the end of the current MCU…and the birth of a brand new universe afterwards.

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2026-01-15 15:35