‘I feel no hype’ — Avengers: Doomsday trailer reactions aren’t what Marvel hoped for

The internet's been buzzing — or possibly grumbling — since Marvel finally dropped new footage for Avengers: Doomsday at Disney's big D23 bash. That trailer was always going to be a lightning rod, but judging by social media, the reactions from hardcore MCU fans are a right old muddle.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to open in cinemas on 18 December 2026, with a frankly massive cast.

The Russo Brothers are Back (With Almost Everyone)

Let’s get the basics out of the way: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are back directing what’s clearly being primed as the next mega-sized crossover event. The cast list genuinely looks like Marvel decided to dump the entire toy box on the floor — returning stars like Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), and Robert Downey Jr. who, if you haven’t been keeping up, is playing Victor von Doom this time round (yeah, you read that right: RDJ as the villain). There’s also Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and a stack of others. If you’re wondering who else is squeezed in: Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, and James Marsden. Honestly, it’d be shorter to list who isn’t in this thing.

Fans Split Down the Middle

So, what’s got everyone fired up? The trailer’s racked up views and hot takes, but not all for the right reasons.

• Some fans reckon the dialogue’s the only thing remotely exciting about it, with posts on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) saying that the rest left them cold.
• Others say it’s déjà vu: same emotional beats, ‘traumatised villain’, and fairly bland speechifying — even for Sue Storm's bits. “It’s all the same beats, even Sue’s dialogue is so ordinary. Villain went through trauma... 'I knew he was lost but not this bad.'”
• And then there’s classic doomposting (no pun intended): “the trailer is so not promising, it’s so bad. I feel no hype and I know it will suck. It’s not just nostalgia bait.”

One big talking point — and it’s a divisive one — is Downey Jr.’s return as Doom. Some reckon bringing him back is a transparent attempt to recapture MCU magic, and that having someone new in the role might have played better.

As one fan on X bluntly put it, "I think another actor playing Doom would have been better received than RDJ. It was a desperate move and it wasn't worth it imo."

But there are bright spots: Ian McKellen (now there’s a legend) is in the thick of things, and if you believe the crowd reactions, his performance is giving a bit of genuine menace. Someone even suggested they were rooting for his character after “how terrified he was” in the trailer snippet.

Some viewers did say they’re on the fence — worried the movie’s just a big bundle of spectacle without enough substance, but giving credit for making Doom feel properly intimidating. Major mixed feelings, to say the least.