Joe and Anthony Russo have once again set Marvel fans buzzing. The directing duo took to Instagram with a mysterious post tied to Avengers: Doomsday, sharing the words “Doomsday Is Coming” alongside a deliberately blurry image that has left audiences scratching their heads.
The image itself is difficult to decipher, but speculation is already running wild. Some fans believe the white markings could be linked to Mr Fantastic’s chalkboard — a callback to Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, who spent much of The Fantastic Four: First Steps scribbling complex equations in a desperate bid to save the world.
That possibility has sparked a new theory: could Avengers: Doomsday pick up from the chilling cliffhanger of First Steps, which ended with Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom appearing alongside Franklin Richards? If so, perhaps Reed’s frantic calculations are tied to saving Franklin, who many expect to be central to the upcoming film’s story.
Others, however, suspect this blurry tease is less about plot and more about timing — possibly hinting at the debut trailer for Doomsday. Some fans even joke that Marvel may be gearing up for another round of cast reveals, much like the now-iconic “chair reveals”. Speculation continues to swirl about unconfirmed returns, including Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. Deadpool, too, has entered the conversation after Ryan Reynolds recently dropped his own Avengers-themed hint on social media.
Meanwhile, details from set leaks and cast interviews are slowly painting a bigger picture of what’s to come. Channing Tatum, who made a surprise splash as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, confirmed his return in Doomsday and teased a “big fight” with Doctor Doom — raising the possibility of a long-awaited X-Men vs. Doom showdown.
The film itself is shaping up to be Marvel’s most ambitious crossover yet, uniting Avengers, Wakandans, the Fantastic Four, and even the Thunderbolts to face Doctor Doom. The star-studded lineup features Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Channing Tatum, Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Lewis Pullman, Winston Duke, Hayley Atwell, Hannah John-Kamen, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Simu Liu, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, and Ebon Moss-Bacharach.
For now, fans will have to keep piecing the puzzle together. Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theatres on December 18, 2026.
