A few days ago, rumors claimed that the first “Avengers: Doomsday” trailer would be playing in theaters during the opening weekend of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Shortly after, the leaks detailed an even more ambitious marketing plan for the next big Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) crossover. No fewer than four distinct “Avengers: Doomsday” trailers would be released in theaters in the first four weeks of “Avatar 3’s” theatrical run, and they may not be released online. The first trailer, featuring Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), leaked online before the “Avatar: Fire and Ash” release. Many MCU fans were able to see a low-quality version of it before watching it in theaters. Despite all that, the first “Avengers: Doomsday” teaser received an incredible reception online, going viral in a matter of hours, after Marvel made another surprise move on Tuesday. The studio released the Steve Rogers clip on social media ahead of Christmas. You can watch (and rewatch) the first “Doomsday” trailer online on YouTube, Instagram, and X, as Marvel released it in various formats.
As of this writing, the “Avengers: Doomsday” trailer received nearly 8.3 million views and over 670,000 likes on YouTube in about 20 hours. The publicly available stats are even more impressive on Instagram, where the video was seen over 80.5 million times, receiving over 6.2 million likes and over 524,000 reshares. The trailer’s performance on X is similarly impressive: 39 million views and 495,000 likes. It’s likely that “Doomsday” will be one of the most talked-about movies this holiday season.
Chris Evans returns to the MCU
The trailer’s performance on social media indicates there’s strong interest among MCU fans for the next “Avengers” movies, despite the MCU’s struggles to impress audiences in recent years, and the superhero fatigue that some moviegoers may have experienced. There’s real excitement for another “Avengers” crossover, with about a year to go until the premiere. As a reminder, “Doomsday” will hit theaters on December 18, 2026. “Avengers: Secret Wars” will follow on December 17, 2027.
Then again, Marvel’s “Doomsday” stunt in late March showed that MCU fans are looking forward to the next “Avengers” movie. Marvel held a surprise livestream event on YouTube, announcing the names of 27 actors that will appear in the movie. The event lasted for over five hours, generating 275 million views and 3.1 million social mentions. Robert Downey Jr., who plays Doctor Doom in the movie, was the only cast member to appear in the video. Interestingly, Chris Evans did not get a mention during the livestream.
It’s this first “Doomsday” trailer that spoils the Steve Rogers surprise. Marvel used the teaser to inform fans that Steve Rogers will be back to fight in another Avengers battle. He’ll be facing Doctor Doom this time, but that’s just speculation. The reveal isn’t a surprise to anyone following MCU rumors closely. For years, we’ve heard that Chris Evans may reprise his Captain America role, even though the character was retired at the end of “Avengers: Endgame.”
What happens in the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer?
The first “Doomsday” teaser picks up the action right about where we last saw Rogers. As a reminder, the original Captain America had one more remaining mission at the end of “Endgame.” He had to return the Infinity Stones to their respective realities. In the process, Cap decided to remain in the past of a different universe, where he had a chance to meet a Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) variant, and get the dance he’d been waiting for. The “Doomsday” teaser shows us the same house we saw at the end of “Endgame.” It’s Peggy’s house, but we only get to see Steve in it, holding a baby. Therefore, the events in the clip must happen about a year after the events in “Endgame”, at least from Steve’s perspective.
The reveal isn’t immediate, however. The clip slowly builds up to showing Chris Evans. First, we see a mysterious character riding a motorcycle and stopping at the familiar house. It’s a married man, as the camera lingers on the ring. The well-known Avengers soundtrack plays in the background, so the audience is already expecting a fan-favorite superhero to appear. If the house isn’t a big enough clue, the moment the character takes out the well-known Captain America superhero suit is enough to tell us he’s Steve Rogers. We don’t get to see his face immediately. First, we meet the baby sleeping peacefully in his arms, unaware of what’s about to happen. We don’t get to find out either.
The first trailer ends with the expected confirmation from Marvel: Steve Rogers will return in “Avengers: Doomsday.”
