When I first heard that “Avengers: Doomsday” is set to release this December, I found myself quite excited. I’ve always been a fan of the world of superheroes and supervillains, and the idea of one big crossover movie has me thrilled.  Certain news and decisions made by Marvel have raised eyebrows, but at the same time have also added onto the hype, and I think it’s worth exploring the path we took to get here in order to prepare for the actual event in December.

How we got here

Ever since “Avengers: Endgame” came out, it seems like a lot of Marvel projects have been a hit or miss. Take “Spiderman: No Way Home” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” for example. I think these movies were really good and they have great reviews. On the other hand, movies like “Eternals” and “The Marvels” have very negative reviews. 

Compare this to pre “Avengers: Endgame” Marvel Cinematic Universe.” While some movies weren’t the best from that era, Marvel was on a steady roll. Everyone loved them back then and when “Avengers: Infinity War” came out, it brought in so many new fans. The movie was a big success and then we had to wait a whole year for “Avengers: Endgame.” The anticipation during that year had people on their toes. It was that devastating.

When “Avengers: Endgame” finally released, it was like the whole world united. Theaters were packed, fans shared intense emotions together, and it was all anyone talked about on the internet for weeks. What a time to be alive.

Robert Downey Jr. coming back feels like a cash grab

One part of the movie that I am having trouble coming to terms with is how Robert Downey Jr. is returning to play Dr. Doom, according to an article by Brendan Morrow titled, “Robert Downey Jr. reveals the story behind his return to Marvel in Doctor Doom role.” I just think his sacrifice as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame was a really good way to end off his character and they should have left it at that. I know that the multiverse will be at play here but I still think Marvel should’ve casted someone who we haven’t seen before. I can’t help but think this is just a part of some cash grab.

The chair promo had some exciting inclusions

Marvel released a promo video in March of last year to reveal who to expect in Avengers Doomsday. The first name that caught my eye was Simu Liu, who plays Shang-Chi. I thought “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was a pretty solid movie when I first saw it. The movie even features one of my favorite Marvel fight scenes. I kept on wondering when Shang-Chi would return and come to find out, he will be in Avengers: Doomsday.

Other names that especially caught my eye were Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), and James Marsden (Cyclops). This absolutely thrilled me because the X-Men are my favorite Marvel team. I enjoyed the X-Men movies and I can’t wait to see what they do with their characters in this upcoming movie.

The Fantastic 4 cast was also revealed, but I think they were well expected for this movie, as they just had a movie release last year and Dr. Doom is a famous villain of theirs. 

I am a little confused on how Steve Rogers is returning because the teaser showed a young version of him. The last time we saw him though was at the end of Avengers: Endgame and he was old. He ended up passing on his role as Captain America to Sam Wilson (The Falcon). Maybe it will be a Steve Rogers from a different universe, as the MCU is at that phase where the multiverse plays a big role.

One part of the movie I am most excited about is to see all my favorite characters in their comic accurate suits. Back then, Marvel would just throw black on a character and call it a day, thinking that a comic accurate suit would look goofy. Nowadays, we see that Marvel is embracing this more and really letting the characters be who they were meant to be.

4 mini trailers leaves me confused

Official teaser trailers for the movie have recently been released and it showcases some of the characters to expect in the movie. The Russo Brothers (the directors for the movie) have already shown us who to expect though with the chair promo, but they did say that these teaser trailers were more than teasers, they’re stories and clues.

To be honest, I don’t know what to make of this. For context, the first teaser trailer showed young Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) holding a baby. The second teaser trailer showed Thor with a daughter, praying to Odin to give him strength to fight and make it back home to her. The third teaser trailer showed some of the X-Men talking about accepting death and fighting in ruins. The final teaser trailer showed the Wakandans meeting with The Thing (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach). It also showed the Talokanii people who they formed an alliance with.

First and foremost, I don’t understand how Steve Rogers will return in this movie. The last time we saw him was at the end of “Avengers: Endgame,”and he was old due to traveling back in time to spend his years with Peggy Carter. We then see him pass on the role of Captain America to Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie).

A lot of people online have speculated that each trailer has a different theme representing the cycle of life: Life (Steve Rogers has a newborn child), Love (Thor wanting to stay with his daughter), Death (Professor X and Magneto talking about how death comes for us all, and Afterlife (Black Panther saying they are ready to die to prepare for the afterlife).

This is a really popular theory, but I still don’t understand the significance of it. How will this play a role in the movie? What will happen? All we can do for now is wait and see.

The future of Marvel

With Marvel’s slippery slope post “Avengers: Endgame,” I really don’t know what to expect from “Avengers: Doomsday.” It has been a well awaited project and I just hope they don’t fumble. I think there is still a good amount of hope left though, as the Russo brothers, who directed both “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame,” are returning to direct Avengers: Doomsday. With how good those movies turned out, I have faith that this will be one great movie. If this movie does turn out to be a huge success, my only question is, will Marvel be able to keep making the right decisions?