Draft:Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday
Directed by
Written by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
Music byAlan Silvestri
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release date
  • May 1, 2026 (2026-05-01)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Avengers: Doomsday is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios and AGBO, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the fifth film in the Avengers film series following Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the 39th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, the film features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Two new Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, were announced in July 2022 as the conclusion of the MCU's Phase Six and "The Multiverse Saga". Destin Daniel Cretton was hired to direct The Kang Dynasty and Jonathan Majors was set to reprise his MCU role as the villain Kang the Conqueror. Jeff Loveness joined the film as writer that September. In November 2023, Cretton departed, Waldron replaced Loveness as writer, and Marvel was considering moving away from the Kang storyline, in part due to Majors's legal issues; Majors was fired the following month. The return of the Russo brothers as directors and McFeely as writer, the casting of Downey as new villain Doctor Doom, and the new subtitle Doomsday were all announced in July 2024. Filming is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025 in London.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 1, 2026, as part of Phase Six of the MCU. Secret Wars is set to be released on May 7, 2027.

Cast

edit

Production

edit

Development

edit

Announcement as The Kang Dynasty

edit

In May 2018, the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said Marvel Studios was focusing on new characters and franchises for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following Avengers: Endgame (2019), but another Avengers film could happen eventually given the popularity of the previous films.[5] Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reiterated this in January 2021, saying another Avengers film would happen "at some point".[6] Discussing the future of the MCU for Variety in May 2022, Adam B. Vary said there was no sense yet of where the franchise was heading after Endgame but several of the MCU's Phase Four projects had featured the multiverse and some potential "Big Bads" such as Kang the Conqueror.[7] Jonathan Majors had been cast as Kang in September 2020 for the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). He was introduced as an alternate universe "variant" of Kang named He Who Remains in the first season of the Disney+ television series Loki (2021), which introduced the multiverse to the MCU.[8][9][10] Kang was described by Michael Waldron, the creator of Loki and writer of the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), as a "time-traveling, multiversal adversary" and the MCU's "next big cross-movie villain".[10] Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness called him a "top-tier, A-list Avengers villain".[11]

(L–R) Jonathan Majors and Destin Daniel Cretton were respectively attached to star as Kang the Conqueror and direct The Kang Dynasty, before Majors was fired in 2023, the film underwent creative shifts, and Cretton stepped down.

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Feige announced the films Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, to be released on May 2, 2025, and November 7, 2025, respectively. They were set to conclude Phase Six of the MCU and complete "The Multiverse Saga", which covers Phases Four, Five, and Six.[12] The films were respectively inspired by "Kang Dynasty", a 2001 comic book storyline written by Kurt Busiek in which Kang the Conqueror travels through time to enslave humanity, and Secret Wars, the name of a 1984–85 comic written by Jim Shooter and a 2015–16 comic written by Jonathan Hickman that both follow various Marvel characters who converge on the planet Battleworld.[13] Feige compared the films to Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame, which concluded "The Infinity Saga" that grouped the first three MCU phases. He said a lot of the Phase Four projects had been building to the larger story of The Kang Dynasty and "The Multiverse Saga", and this would continue throughout Phases Five and Six.[14] It was later reported that Marvel Studios had not initially been planning to have the next MCU saga revolve around Kang, but they decided to do so after seeing Majors's performance in the first season of Loki and in early footage during the filming of Quantumania.[15] Feige noted that Majors's role as multiple variants of Kang made him a different type of villain from the Infinity Saga's main antagonist, Thanos, and said there was "nobody's shoulders I'd rather be putting the Multiverse Saga on" than Majors's.[16]

Feige said Anthony and Joe Russo would not be returning as directors from Infinity War and Endgame, despite them previously expressing interest in making a Secret Wars film.[17] Destin Daniel Cretton was revealed to be directing The Kang Dynasty shortly after the Comic-Con announcement.[18] He had directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) for Marvel Studios, and signed an overall deal with them in December 2021 that included directing a sequel to that film and developing a Wonder Man series for Disney+. Cretton was only hired to direct The Kang Dynasty, unlike how the Russo brothers directed both Infinity War and Endgame.[19] Loveness was hired to write the screenplay in September 2022,[20] and began work two weeks later.[21] He did not expect to be considered for the film, thinking he would be "one and done" with Quantumania despite adding elements to that film which he felt would be good setup for an Avengers film. He believed he was asked to pitch for The Kang Dynasty because Marvel Studios had enjoyed those elements in Quantumania and his take on Kang.[22] Majors confirmed the following month that he had discussed the film with Cretton,[23] and in November, Simu Liu expressed enthusiasm for reprising his role as Shang-Chi and potentially working with Cretton again on the film.[24] Loveness said in January 2023 that he wanted The Kang Dynasty to feel like a "generational struggle" that would take the MCU's new characters from Phase Four and "throw them into the fire".[11]

Firing of Jonathan Majors and creative shifts

edit

Following Majors's arrest in March 2023 and subsequent assault allegations, Marvel Studios had not yet discussed removing the actor from the MCU by the following month.[25] He was still attached to star in The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, and was set to receive $20 million with back-end compensation for the former. Disney was reported to be monitoring the situation.[26] Joanna Robinson of The Ringer described the allegations against Majors as a "huge problem" for Marvel Studios that put them in an unusual position, since it was unprecedented for the studio to plan so much of the franchise on one character and actor; she argued that Majors had become a much more integral part of the Multiverse Saga than Robert Downey Jr. or Josh Brolin had been for the Infinity Saga as Tony Stark / Iron Man and Thanos, respectively. Robinson also noted that there were conflicting reports on how the studio would proceed with the matter.[15] By then, The Kang Dynasty was scheduled to begin filming in early 2024.[26] Jeff Sneider of Above the Line reported in May that Loveness was no longer involved in the film and had exited before the start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike earlier that month.[27] In June, the film's release date was pushed back to May 1, 2026,[28] in part due to the script not being ready before the strike.[29]

Tatiana Siegel at Variety reported in November 2023 that Marvel Studios executives had discussed potentially bringing back the original Avengers cast, including Downey as Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow,[30] which Feige later denied.[31] Siegel also reported that Marvel Studios executives had started discussing alternative plans for the Multiverse Saga due to Majors's legal issues, including pivoting to focus on another comic book antagonist such as Doctor Doom;[30] that character was already expected to be a major antagonist, if not the primary antagonist, in Secret Wars.[32] The studio started considering changes to the Multiverse Saga, including minimizing the role of Kang, following the disappointing box office performance of Quantumania.[30][33] Siegel felt recasting Majors was another option given Marvel Studios had previously recast major roles in the MCU due to offscreen issues, and she reported that the final episode of Loki's second season (2023) would set-up the future role for Kang and his variants in a way that would be difficult for Marvel to change.[30] However, when the episode was released soon after, several commentators opined that it actually downplayed Kang's future role and provided several possible solutions for Marvel, including having the Kang variants be handled by Loki's Time Variance Authority (TVA) offscreen and potentially replacing them with Loki variants.[34][35] In mid-November, Robinson reported that Loveness departed the film because he was closely associated with the Kang storyline and Marvel was "moving away" from that.[36][37] Aaron Couch and Borys Kit, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, said Loveness completed a draft of the script before he left. They were unsure whether another writer would be hired to work on the film.[38] At the same time, Cretton stepped down as director to focus on other MCU projects. His exit was said to be amicable as he was still working on other projects with the studio,[39] and it was partially attributed to the film's schedule delays.[38] Sneider reported that Marvel now wanted a writer and a director who could develop both The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars as a two-part finale to the Multiverse Saga. He suggested that Marvel drop the Kang Dynasty title and instead call the films Secret Wars part one and two, believing this to be a convenient way to generate excitement for the films while avoiding further questions about Majors's involvement.[40][41]

By mid-November 2023, the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely—who wrote Infinity War and Endgame—had reportedly been acting as "unofficial advisors" at Marvel Studios for several months.[42] Waldron, who was already writing Secret Wars, was hired to rewrite the screenplay for The Kang Dynasty at the end of the month.[43] In December, Majors was fired by Disney and Marvel Studios after he was found guilty of harassment and reckless assault in the third degree. It was unknown if Marvel would recast Kang or refocus their plans on a new villain, but the studio had started referring to the film internally as Avengers 5.[44][45] Sneider soon reported that, like his earlier suggestion, Marvel Studios was now developing Secret Wars as a "giant five-hour movie" split into two parts, with a year between their releases,[41] and they were searching for a director who had not previously directed a Marvel film.[46][47] Filming was expected to begin in late 2024.[48] In February 2024, Couch and Kit said Marvel was "cleaning up the creative mess" caused by Majors's legal issues and firing, as well as Quantumania's performance, with both Avengers 5 and Secret Wars being re-written to minimize the role of Kang or remove the character entirely. They confirmed that Avengers 5 was being retitled to no longer reference Kang.[33]

New work as Doomsday

edit

While completing his work as director of the film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) for Marvel Studios, Shawn Levy was quietly asked to direct Avengers 5 in mid-March 2024. He turned down the offer due to scheduling concerns with his role as a director and executive producer on the fifth season of Stranger Things that would keep him busy until 2025.[49] In April, filming was reported to be beginning in early 2025,[47][50] after Marvel Studios delayed the film's production schedule by several months.[49] By early May, the studio had approached Downey about portraying Doctor Doom;[51] he had auditioned for the role in 20th Century Fox's film Fantastic Four (2005) before being cast as Iron Man in the MCU.[52] Feige wanted Downey to return to the franchise and the studio made repeated offers to the actor, but Downey turned these down and said he would only return if the Russo brothers also returned as directors.[51][53] Waldron turned in a new draft of the script by late May which was given to Levy, who was still considered to be the studio's top choice to direct the film. Levy was in contention again following the production delay and began early discussions with the studio by the start of June. Other directors were still being considered and Levy had yet to commit to the film due to his work on Stranger Things and a planned Star Wars film.[49][54]

Deadline Hollywood described Avengers 5 as more of an ensemble than the prior Avengers films, which mostly focused on a core group of Avengers. There was potential for more than 60 MCU actors to reprise their roles in the film, including established characters from the Infinity Saga alongside newer ones from the Multiverse Saga,[54] though Feige cautioned that not all of the new Multiverse Saga characters would be able to appear in Avengers 5 and Secret Wars.[55] Benedict Cumberbatch said he would reprise his MCU role as Dr. Stephen Strange in the next Avengers film and would begin filming in 2025.[3] The Russo brothers were in early talks to direct both Avengers 5 and Secret Wars by mid-July,[56] after it became clear that Levy was not interested in returning to the MCU so soon after Deadpool & Wolverine.[51] Matthew Belloni of Puck reported that talent agency Creative Artists Agency had suggested Greg Berlanti and Noah Hawley to Marvel Studios as potential directors for both films, but they were turned down by Feige.[57] Downey signed a deal to star as Doctor Doom by late July. Sneider reported that he would be introduced in the film The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) before starring in the next Avengers films,[51] and that Jeremy Renner would reprise his MCU role as Clint Barton / Hawkeye in Avengers 5.[2]

Joe and Anthony Russo (left), directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, returned for Doomsday after the film's creative shifts alongside star Robert Downey Jr. (right) as new antagonist Doctor Doom.

At San Diego Comic-Con at the end of July 2024, the Russo brothers were confirmed to be directing the next two Avengers films and said the story for Secret Wars had convinced them to return after being "creatively spent" by their previous MCU films.[1] The directors revealed that Avengers 5 was now titled Avengers: Doomsday and would feature Doctor Doom, who they felt was required to do justice to the Secret Wars story. Downey's casting as Doom for both films was announced.[58] Discussing the change from playing Iron Man to being cast as Doctor Doom, Downey said he enjoyed portraying complex characters and described the role as "new mask, same task".[1][58] Different storylines within Marvel Comics have seen Stark and Doom swap bodies,[59] and Doom takes on the Iron Man mantle in the Infamous Iron Man comic book series by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.[59][60] The Russo brothers were producing Doomsday and Secret Wars through their production company AGBO, McFeely had taken over as writer for both films from Waldron,[1][61] and filming was set to begin in the second quarter of 2025 in London. The reunion of Marvel Studios, Downey, and the Russo brothers was considered by industry insiders to be a return to what had worked in the past and a "perfect combination of timing and everyone being on the same page".[53] The Russo brothers and Downey were reported to be earning $40 million and $50 million, respectively, for each film. They were expected to receive bonuses based on the films' box office performances, with potential for Downey's salary to double.[51][53] Downey also negotiated private jet travel, dedicated personal security, and multiple trailers on the film sets in his deal.[53] Additionally at Comic-Con, cast members from the films Thunderbolts* (2025) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps were said to be reprising their roles in the next two Avengers films,[62] including the main Fantastic Four actors: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing.[4] Responding to the convention's announcements, Majors said he was "heartbroken" over the decision to move forward with the films starring Downey instead of himself, and added that he was open to return to the MCU as Kang if Marvel Studios ever wanted to explore more with the character.[63]

Filming

edit

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025 in London,[53] under the working title Apple Pie 1.[64] Filming was originally expected to begin in 2024, prior to various production delays and Majors's firing.[48][65]

Music

edit

In April 2024, Alan Silvestri indicated that he could be composing the music for an upcoming MCU project after previously doing so for Infinity War, Endgame, and other MCU films.[66] That July, he was confirmed to be returning as the composer for both Doomsday and Secret Wars.[67]

Marketing

edit

The Doomsday subtitle, return of the Russo brothers, and casting of Downey as Doctor Doom were all announced at Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel in July 2024. The announcement involved multiple people dressed as Doom appearing on stage, including Downey who unmasked himself to reveal his casting to the audience.[1] Kat Bailey at IGN described the casting announcement as "one of the most dramatic reveals in recent Marvel history" and reported on mixed responses from fans, with some praising Downey's return while others thought it was a desperate move from Marvel Studios following the poor performance of some recent MCU projects.[68] Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge saw the casting as "Marvel betting that it might be able to win audiences back with another massive cinematic event built around a person whose face and voice have long since become synonymous with Iron Man".[59] Other commentators also discussed the casting and mixed responses to it,[69][70][71] including Collider's Collier Jennings who criticized the casting of a non-Romani actor considering the character's comic book heritage.[70] The announcement led to speculation about whether Downey would be playing an alternate universe variant of Tony Stark / Iron Man or if his recasting would be ignored in the film's story.[71][72]

Release

edit

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 1, 2026.[58] It was previously scheduled for release on May 2, 2025. It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU.[12]

Sequel

edit

A sequel, titled Avengers: Secret Wars, is scheduled to be released on May 7, 2027.[28] It is also being written by McFeely and directed by the Russo brothers.[58] The film will conclude Phase Six of the MCU.[12]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron; Gajewski, Ryan (July 28, 2024). "Robert Downey Jr. Back as Doctor Doom for Two 'Avengers' Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (July 17, 2024). "'Avengers 5 & 6': Russo Brothers in Talks to Return to MCU After Marvel Struggled to Find Someone Else". The InSneider. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (June 21, 2024). "First MCU Hero Confirmed For Avengers 5 As Actor Reveals When Filming Starts". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e Grobar, Matt; D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 28, 2024). "'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Unveiled As Official Title Of Marvel Pic; Core Four Will Appear In Next Two 'Avengers' Movies – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Couch, Aaron (May 8, 2018). "Disney's Bob Iger Won't Rule Out More Avengers After 'Avengers 4'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  6. ^ Kim, Matt T.M. (January 11, 2021). "There Will Be More Avengers Movies "At Some Point," Says Marvel's Kevin Feige". IGN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Vary, Adam B. (May 15, 2022). "Where Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe Going? Only Kevin Feige Knows For Sure". Variety. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 14, 2020). "Jonathan Majors Joins Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lands Major Role In Next 'Ant-Man' Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Davids, Brian (July 17, 2021). "'Loki' Director Kate Herron on Casting Jonathan Majors with Peyton Reed and Sylvie's "Horrible Goodbye"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Paige, Rachel (July 14, 2021). "'Loki': Meet the Man Behind the Curtain, He Who Remains". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Setchfield, Nick (January 23, 2023). "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer says Kang the Conqueror is a "top-tier, A-list Avengers villain"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Vary, Adam B. (July 23, 2022). "Marvel Studios' Phases 5 and 6: Everything We Learned at Comic-Con About the Multiverse Saga". Variety. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (July 26, 2022). "Avengers: Secret Wars – Why Marvel's Phase 6 Will Be Its Biggest Ever". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  14. ^ Lovett, Jamie (July 24, 2022). "Comic-Con 2022: Marvel's Kevin Feige Reveals Biggest Lessons Learned from Phase Four (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  15. ^ a b McPherson, Christopher (May 22, 2023). "Marvel Reportedly 'Changed All Their Plans' Due to Jonathan Majors' Performance in 'Loki'". Collider. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  16. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (July 23, 2022). "Comic-Con: Kevin Feige Praises Jonathan Majors' Kang for Shouldering Multiverse Saga". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Cordero, Rosy; D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 23, 2022). "Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Says Russos 'Not Connected' To New Phase 6 'Avengers' Movies, But "We Want To Find Something To Do Together"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  18. ^ Kit, Borys (July 26, 2022). "'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' to Be Directed by 'Shang-Chi' Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  19. ^ Vary, Adam B. (July 26, 2022). "'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' Lands 'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  20. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 14, 2022). "'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty': Jeff Loveness Tapped To Write Next Installment In Marvel Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  21. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (September 20, 2022). "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Drops Major Update About Upcoming Film". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  22. ^ Tyrrell, Caitlin (February 24, 2023). "How Ant-Man 3 Prepared Writer Jeff Loveness for Avengers: Kang Dynasty [Exclusive]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  23. ^ Jackson, Angelique (October 17, 2022). "Jonathan Majors Talks Preparing for 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' With Director Destin Daniel Cretton, Why He Wants to Play Dennis Rodman". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  24. ^ Perry, Spencer (November 10, 2022). "Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Drops Major Avengers: Kang Dynasty Hint (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (April 17, 2023). "Jonathan Majors & Manager Entertainment 360 Part Ways; Actor Facing Domestic Violence Allegations In NYC". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Siegel, Tatiana (April 19, 2023). "Jonathan Majors' Issues Worsen as More Alleged Abuse Victims Cooperate With D.A.'s Office (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (May 18, 2023). "New Marvel Rumor Claims Avengers: Kang Dynasty Has Lost Its Writer". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  28. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela; Couch, Aaron (June 13, 2023). "'Avatar 3' Pushed a Year to 2025, Two 'Star Wars' Movies Head for 2026 and 'Avengers' Films Delayed". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  29. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 13, 2023). "'Thunderbolts', 'Blade', 'Avengers: Kang Dynasty', 'Secret Wars' Among Disney Release Date Changes Due To WGA Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  30. ^ a b c d Siegel, Tatiana (November 1, 2023). "Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, 'The Marvels' Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  31. ^ Behbakht, Andy (November 8, 2023). "Kevin Feige Comments On Reports Of Original MCU Avengers Returning". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  32. ^ Rocha, John; Sneider, Jeff (November 2, 2023). Variety's Controversial MCU Article, Marvel's Blade Exec Fired, HBO Attacks TV Critics – The Hot Mic. Event occurs at 23:33. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ a b Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (February 21, 2024). "How Marvel Is Quietly Retooling Amid Superhero Fatigue". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  34. ^ Jacobs, Eammon; Adekaiyero, Ayomikun (November 11, 2023). "The 'Loki' season 2 finale may have just solved Marvel's Jonathan Majors problem". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  35. ^ Scott, Lyvie (November 10, 2023). "'Loki' Season 2's Ending Just Debunked a Major Kang Theory". Inverse. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  36. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (November 13, 2023). "Marvel Moving Away From Kang, Quantumania Writer Off Avengers 5: Report". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  37. ^ Joseph, André (November 14, 2023). "Report: Marvel Studios to Abandon Jonathan Majors' Kang Storyline". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  38. ^ a b Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (November 15, 2023). "'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' Loses Director Destin Daniel Cretton". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  39. ^ D'Alessasndro, Anthony (November 15, 2023). "Destin Daniel Cretton Departs As Director On 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'; Remains Aboard 'Wonder Man', 'Shang-Chi 2' & More In MCU". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  40. ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 15, 2023). "Marvel Madness: Has Feige Found His First Family? Plus, Best Director Power Rankings". The InSneider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  41. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (December 18, 2023). "Jonathan Majors Guilty and Fired From Marvel: Will 'Magazine Dreams' Go the Route of Nate Parker's 'American Skin'?". The InSneider. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  42. ^ Rocha, John; Sneider, Jeff (November 16, 2023). Marvel's Fantastic 4 Eyes Pedro Pascal, Javier Bardem, Doctor Doom Replacing Kang? – The Hot Mic. Event occurs at 22:13–22:25. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023 – via YouTube.
  43. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 27, 2023). "'Loki' Creator Michael Waldron To Write Marvel Studios' 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  44. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 18, 2023). "Jonathan Majors Fired By Disney/Marvel Studios After Assault Guilty Verdict; Actor Had Played Kang The Conqueror". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  45. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (December 18, 2023). "Marvel Drops Jonathan Majors After Assault, Harassment Verdict". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  46. ^ Rocha, John; Sneider, Jeff (January 4, 2024). Steven Yeun Out as Sentry, Obaid-Chinoy's Star Wars Comments Spark Controversy – The Hot Mic. Event occurs at 15:07. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
  47. ^ a b Baculinao, Michael (April 19, 2024). "Avengers 5 Reportedly Looking for Non-Marvel Director to Helm Movie". Epicstream. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  48. ^ a b "Production Weekly – Issue 1382 – Thursday, December 28, 2023 / 99 Listings – 22 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1382. December 27, 2023. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (June 4, 2024). "Marvel Eyes Shawn Levy to Direct Next 'Avengers' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  50. ^ Browski, Rich (April 11, 2024). "Production Weekly – Issue 1397 – Thursday, April 11, 2024 / 212 Listings – 46 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1397 (published April 10, 2024). p. 4. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  51. ^ a b c d e Sneider, Jeff (July 29, 2024). "Inside Robert Downey Jr.'s Return to the MCU, His Casting as Doctor Doom, and His Massive Salary". The InSneider. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  52. ^ Dominguez, Noah (May 23, 2023). "Marvel Boss Confirms Robert Downey Jr. Once Almost Played Doctor Doom". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  53. ^ a b c d e Siegel, Tatiana (July 29, 2024). "Behind Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers' Mega 'Avengers' Paydays". Variety. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  54. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr.; Kroll, Justin (June 4, 2024). "With 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Set To Bow, Is Shawn Levy High On The List To Direct Marvel's Next 'Avengers' Movie? – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  55. ^ Lussier, Germain (July 19, 2024). "Kevin Feige Says Not to Expect Everyone to Come Back for the Next Avengers Films". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  56. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (July 17, 2024). "Marvel Shocker: Russo Bros. in Talks to Direct Next Two 'Avengers' Movies (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  57. ^ Anderson, Jenna (July 19, 2024). "Avengers 5 and Secret Wars Reportedly Turned Down Two Popular Directors". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024. – via Belloni, Matthew (July 19, 2024). "David Zaslav's Come-to-Jesus Moment". Puck. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  58. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B.; Woerner, Meredith (July 28, 2024). "Marvel Announces 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars' Directed by the Russo Brothers". Variety. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  59. ^ a b c Pulliam-Moore, Charles (August 1, 2024). "Doctor Doom's comics legacy is so much bigger than his Iron Man connections". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  60. ^ Marston, George (July 29, 2024). "Robert Downey Jr's return to the MCU is proving controversial, but there's a surprising comic book history between Iron Man and Doctor Doom". Newsarama. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  61. ^ Coogan, Devan (July 28, 2024). "SDCC 2024: Robert Downey Jr. to Play Doom in the Russo Brothers' 'Avengers: Doomsday'". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  62. ^ Russell, Bradley (July 28, 2024). "Marvel unveils the first Avengers: Doomsday cast members – including Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  63. ^ Sharf, Zack (July 31, 2024). "Jonathan Majors 'Heartbroken' Over Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom Replacing Kang in Next 'Avengers' Films; He'd Still Return to MCU 'If That's What Marvel Wants'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  64. ^ "Production Weekly – Issue 1378 – Thursday, November 30, 2023 / 162 Listings – 38 Pages". Production Weekly. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  65. ^ Vary, Adam B. (December 18, 2023). "Marvel Studios Drops Jonathan Majors Following Guilty Verdict for Harassment and Assault". Variety. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  66. ^ Murray, Emily (April 30, 2024). "The composer behind Marvel's Avengers: Endgame teases a return to the MCU". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  67. ^ "Alan Silvestri to Score Marvel Studios' 'Avengers: Doomsday' & 'Secret Wars'". Film Music Reporter. July 29, 2024. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  68. ^ Bailey, Kat (July 28, 2024). "Marvel Fans React to Robert Downey Jr's Shocking Return as Doctor Doom | SDCC 2024". IGN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  69. ^ Newby, Richard (July 28, 2024). "Robert Downey Jr. Electrified Comic-Con, But Will He Energize the Marvel Universe?". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  70. ^ a b Jennings, Collier (July 28, 2024). "Is Having Robert Downey Jr. Return to the MCU As Dr. Doom a Good Thing?". Collider. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  71. ^ a b Yang, Angela (July 28, 2024). "Fans are confused about Robert Downey Jr.'s return to Marvel — this time as a villain". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  72. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (July 28, 2024). "How Can Robert Downey, Jr. Be Doctor Doom? The Shared History Between Doom and Iron Man Explained". IGN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
edit