The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer is now officially online, as the Russo Brothers explain why they brought Cap back: "It was always going to come back to this"

Avengers: Doomsday | Only in Theaters December 18, 2026 - YouTube

The first teaser for Avengers: Doomsday has been playing in front of theater screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash since Friday, but if you haven't taken that return trip to Pandora yet, it's now available to watch online. And the Russo Brothers have explained why they're bringing Captain America back, six years after Avengers: Endgame.

The short tease, which, let's be honest, everyone on planet Earth has already seen after it somehow leaked over a week ago, confirms the worst-kept secret in comic book moviemaking – that Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is returning for Avengers: Doomsday. And not only is Steve Rogers back, he also has a child.

If the reported details are correct, this Steve Rogers-centric teaser will be followed by three more – one focused on Chris Hemsworth's Thor, one centering on Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, and a fourth which will serve as a full teaser for the film. Leaked details from the Thor teaser suggest the god of thunder is praying to Odin for the return of his daughter, Love. And given Doom's interest in Franklin Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, things aren't looking too rosy for Rogers Jr.

Over on Instagram, the Russo Brothers have broken their silence on Chris Evans' return and provided an insight into why they've chosen to bring Steve Rogers back after giving the character a definitive ending in Avengers: Endgame. "The character that changed our lives. The story that brought us all here together. It was always going to come back to this…"

A post shared by The Russo Brothers (@therussobrothers)
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With less than a year till Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters, the countdown is on to the MCU's Hail Mary following years of diminishing returns. Set to release on December 18, 2026, the film isn't just bringing back the MCU's big guns, but also several X-Men legacy actors, including Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Professor X and Magneto, alongside the relatively fresh-faced casts of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts*.

Next up for the MCU is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which swings into theaters on July 31, 2026. Much like the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, that's also been the subject of a leak. Though the trailer for Brand New Day isn't set to appear online anytime soon.

For more on Marvel Studios' future plans, check out our guides on Marvel Phase 6 and upcoming Marvel movies.

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I'm the Managing Editor, Entertainment here at GamesRadar+, overseeing the site's film and TV coverage. In a previous life as a print dinosaur, I was the Deputy Editor of Total Film magazine, and the news editor at SFX magazine. Fun fact: two of my favourite films released on the same day - Blade Runner and The Thing.

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