Captain America star Anthony Mackie talks up Avengers: Doomsday's big mission statement: "It's going to give the audience that old Marvel feeling"

Amid a recent spate of stuttering releases at the box office and a general sense that the MCU has lost some of its magic touch, Captain America star Anthony Mackie says the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday aims to recapture "that old Marvel feeling."

"Yeah, man, we're kicking on down the road, so everybody's getting excited and we're getting the band back together," Mackie told IGN of the imminent production of the next Avengers movie, which was marked by a five-hour cast announcement video.

On the wave of positive energy surrounding Avengers: Doomsday, Mackie added, "Everybody's excited. I feel with the script and having the Russo brothers back, it's going to be great. I'm really excited for what this project is going to be. It's going to give the audience that old Marvel feeling that they always had."

Right now, Avengers: Doomsday is the event movie that Marvel needs. Aside from Deadpool and Wolverine's billion-dollar gross at the box office last year, Marvel Phases 4 and 5 have largely been punctuated by middling returns (such as in Captain America: Brave New World and Ant-Man: Quantumania) or risky, experimental failures (Eternals).

With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the fold (this time as Doctor Doom) and a packed cast featuring X-Men alumni, Fantastic Four members, and a mix of modern and legacy superhero talent, it appears Doomsday is on the right track to bring the sense of excitement back to the MCU – if you believe Cap himself, anyway.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on May 1, 2026.

For a larger breakdown of Marvel Studios' grand plans, you'll need our guide to upcoming Marvel movies. Still playing catch-up? The Marvel timeline and a look at how to watch the Marvel movies in order will get you up to speed.