The Avengers' new opponent has been revealed! Kang the Conqueror is history. In his place comes the legendary Doctor Doom, arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four. And he will be played by Mr. "Iron Man" himself: Robert Downey Jr. In this article, we bring you up to date on all things "Avengers 5: Doomsday"!

The Team Behind Avengers 5

It all began in July 2022, when the movie was first announced as "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty". It was to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who became known for the popular MCU movie "Shang-Chi". However, he quit in November 2023 to devote himself fully to "Shang-Chi 2". In the meantime, "Spider-Man" and "Doctor Strange 2" director Sam Raimi was in talks.

In July 2024, however, some particularly exciting news started spreading: The Russo brothers were to return to lead "Avengers 5" and 6 to success. The Russos have been responsible for some of the MCU's most popular movies to date: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Civil War" as well as "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame". So experience shows that the franchise is likely to be in very capable hands with them.

The screenplay was initially supposed to be written by "Ant-Man 3" author Jeff Loveness, but he was later replaced by "Loki" and "Doctor Strange 2" writer Michael Waldron. According to current rumors, however, he has now likewise left the project - 8 months before the planned shooting start in March 2025.

Who Will be the Villain in Avengers 5?

The big shock for the project occurred in December 2023: Kang actor Jonathan Majors was sentenced in court for abusing his girlfriend and subsequently fired by Disney. The movie was then renamed internally and was initially simply called "Avengers 5". The big question then was: What happens next? Will Kang no longer play a role or will the character perhaps be recast?

The answer dropped at San Diego Comic-Con 2024: at the end of its panel, Marvel once again surprised us with a big announcement that very few of us were expecting. First, MCU boss Kevin Feige revealed that the Avengers' fifth adventure will now be called "Avengers: Doomsday" and finally confirmed that, like part 6, it will once again be directed by the Russo brothers.

In keeping with this, a number of Doctor Doom characters entered the stage. One of them eventually came to the fore and removed the iconic mask from his face. Underneath was none other than Robert Downey Jr., who announced his comeback with the words "New Mask, Same Task". The cheers were endless, even if the question now naturally arises as to how the return of the former "Iron Man" actor will play out. However, as we already know, the multiverse and its variations of well-known characters offer countless possibilities.

Who is Doctor Doom?

Dr. Doom is best known from "The Fantastic Four" franchise, which will make its debut in the MCU on July 25, 2025. Doctor Doom also plays a role in the comic book version of the sixth Avengers film "Secret Wars". Introducing him as an antagonist in part 5 is therefore entirely fitting.

The classic comic book villain has been around since 1962. His full name is Victor von Doom and he is the ruler of the fictional Eastern European country of Latveria. The dictator is often portrayed as a mad scientist and partly as a magician. He is considered the main enemy of the Fantastic Four, but also takes on other Marvel heroes such as Spider-Man.

His green cloak and steel mask, which he normally uses to hide his disfigured face, are particularly eye-catching. He also wears armor equipped with all kinds of technical gadgets. Fittingly for his appearance at Comic-Con, he is often surrounded by the so-called Doombots: electronic doppelgangers who carry out his sinister plans and keep his people under control.

In case you're wondering why "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr. is now supposed to play Doctor Doom: Without giving too much away, there are some connections between Iron Man and Doctor Doom in the "Secret Wars" comic book series. And these comics are, in fact, providing the basis for the 6th "Avengers" film.

Doctor Doom has already featured in the previous film adaptations of "The Fantastic Four". However, several aspects of his story there differed from the comic original. How his backstory will end up in "Doomsday" thus remains an exciting question. His role in "Avengers 5" also raises the question of whether he might make an appearance in the upcoming "Fantastic Four" film - so far, there's no information on this. However, as the Silver Surfer and Galactus will be the main focus there, we are expecting a typical post-credits scene to hype up the next "Avengers" movie.

The Heroes

Of course, the biggest remaining mystery is which heroes will make an appearance in "Avengers: Doomsday". The first movie from 2012 only had 6 main characters - since then, the number of characters has kept growing. In the meantime, it was even claimed that the next part would actually outshine "Endgame" with its nearly 40 roles.

According to the latest insider rumors, however, they now want to hold back a little. The team is to be kept rather small - they want to offer a proper conclusion for the old Avengers who have not yet retired. Therefore, some new heroes from the last MCU movies will reportedly be left out.

At Comic-Con, though, it was confirmed that the Fantastic Four will appear in both Avengers movies. The Thunderbolts, Marvel's counterpart to DC's Suicide Squad, are also involved. These anti-heroes include Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, John Walker and Bucky Barnes, who already came together in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier". Yelena Belova, Red Guardian and Taskmaster, meanwhile, are best known from "Black Widow". Ghost was seen in "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

Possible Superheroes in Avengers 5

But who else could be considered for an appearance? Well, there's no way we can do without a Captain America, even if his name is now Sam Wilson. With his first solo movie "Brave New World", Anthony Mackie will have another chance to win over fans with his character in 2025. Benedict Cumberbatch will also hardly be able to stay out of the action as Doctor Strange. Unlike Captain Marvel: she already had better things to do in "Infinity War" than participate in the battle on Earth.

Another exciting character is Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. After his last film, everyone has forgotten him and his identity. What part he will play in "Avengers 5" will probably also depend heavily on what happens in "Spider-Man 4" - assuming it is actually released first. Shooting is rumored to start in 2024, however.

Although Chris Hemsworth has recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the development of his character Thor, he is open to sequels if the character were to be taken more seriously again. However, as Thor is currently having adventures with his foster daughter on all kinds of different worlds, the character could be saved for the 6th film.

Chris Pratt aka Star-Lord has basically already had his farewell in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3". He may now be on Earth, but without superpowers or the other Guardians, it is quite likely that he will be kept out of the story.

The situation is different when it comes to Shang-Chi: The fresh hero was well received by viewers with his debut film and many would surely be glad to welcome actor Simu Liu to the Avengers with some cool martial arts skills. Letitia Wright as the new Black Panther is another role they probably won't want to do without. There's also no reason not to include Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.

Should Marvel indeed focus on the older heroes in "Avengers 5", the so-called "Young Avengers" will most likely be kept for the sixth installment. These include Kate Bishop, Cassie Lang, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel as well as Riri Williams aka Ironheart.

Production

According to current plans, filming for "Avengers 5: Doomsday" is set to begin in late March 2025 and continue until the end of summer. If everything runs smoothly from now on, there is nothing to prevent the planned release date of May 1, 2026.

It is not clear yet whether the movie will be filmed back to back with "Avengers 6: Secret Wars". But it is a possibility, as the sixth part is due to be released in cinemas a year later. We expect more exciting news at this year's Disney D23 convention from August 9 to August 11, 2024.