It's been quite the week for Marvel Studios. Not only has the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday leaked online two days ahead of its worldwide theatrical debut (where it will be paired with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash), the first look at Spider-Man: No Way Home has also leaked out to the outer realms of the internet. Marvel acted fast for the former, and Sony Pictures acted even faster on the second. But you know that when something is out there, it's out there.
Although the footage of both trailers were quickly scrubbed from the internet, the breakdowns, features, and speculation posts have already dominated it. If anything, it has created the buzz that the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs ahead of the two major movies arriving next year. But it could become a continued problem if everything leaks early. And, well, that's already seemingly happening, as another trailer for Avengers: Doomsday - one that isn't even supposed to be available anywhere until next week - has surfaced.
The good news is that this particular teaser doesn't spoil anything we didn't know about the movie. Or does it?
Thor's hopelessness in Avengers: Doomsday trailer sets up Loki's inevitable return
While the footage of the second Avengers: Doomsday trailer has been scarce, the audio has reportedly leaked out across all of social media. Like with the previous one, there were concerns that it might not be legit, with some even claiming that all of them were AI. But a number of insiders, including the reliable Daniel Richtman, confirmed that it's legit.
According to those who heard the audio, it focuses on Chris Hemsworth's Thor. That's not a spoiler in and of itself - we knew that Hemsworth would reprise his role as the God of Thunder, and reports claimed that he would be the next one to be spotlighted in a teaser - but it does lead to some potentially enlightening revelations.
Thor can be heard pleading with his father Odin to allow him to see his beloved "Love" one more time. Fans speculated about who that might be. A new love interest, perhaps, or the love of his life Jane Foster (who became the Mighty Thor and eventually died in battle, transitioning to Valhalla in the process). The most likely candidate, however, is Love herself, a.k.a. the daughter of Gorr the God Butcher who "Uncle Thor" has been raising as his own child since.
"Of all the crowns, the kingdoms, the pride, I ask for none. Father, hear your son. I am not worthy of life, but still I beg you to let the thread lengthen. Not for thunder, not for war… Let me remain long enough to see my Love once more."
Needless to say, this all sounds very hopeless - and it builds towards the idea that both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars could serve as a farewell to Hemsworth's longtime MCU hero. However, there is one person who could very well be the key to stopping Doctor Doom and saving the multiverse from complete destruction - and this person has a very strong connection to Thor.
We are, of course, talking about Loki. The God of Mischief hasn't been seen since the season 2 finale of his own Disney Plus series, in which he sacrificed a life of happiness and choice to become the God of Stories, sitting on the throne at the End of Time to oversee all of the multiverse's timelines. We know that Tom Hiddleston will return in Avengers: Doomsday, perhaps setting the stage for the pair's inevitable reunion.
The moment MCU fans have been waiting for all through the Multiverse Saga
Although Loki doesn't appear in the trailer, the overall hopelessness that Thor is experiencing is expected to set the stage for his return. The God of Thunder is seemingly at the mercy of whatever Doctor Doom's plans are and it just so happens that the one person who can help the Avengers stop him is his brother. And this would pave the way for one of the most long-awaited moments of the Multiverse Saga.
As far as Thor is concerned, Loki died at the hands of Thanos in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. And that is still very much the case; the Loki that we knew between 2011's Thor and the aforementioned Avengers movie - the one who redeemed himself across that decade - died trying to save Thor. The God of Mischief did something good and paid the ultimate price. But then, in Avengers: Endgame, the heroes' antics in 2012 caused the villainous version of Loki to escape into the timeline with the Tesseract - setting the events of Disney Plus' Loki in motion.
Over the course of that show's two seasons, Loki learned about the life that he and his brother had in the MCU's timeline and, eventually, managed to redeem himself in the same way. Although he didn't share those particular memories of growth with his main MCU counterpart, he grew in his own way, helping the Time Variance Authority's Mobius and a variant of himself known as Sylvie in their battles against Kang the Conqueror. In the end, he committed a similar sacrifice, saving others instead of himself.
But now that Loki is in charge of the branched timelines - all of which are in trouble in Avengers: Doomsday due to the rise of Doctor Doom - it's time for him to return to the land of the living. And just when his brother needs him most, the God of Mischief will show up to save Thor, showing him that he was always capable of good - and perhaps giving the Avengers the fighting chance they need against Doctor Doom.
As one of the Multiverse Saga's long-awaited moments, the reunion between Thor and Loki needs to happen in Avengers: Doomsday. And this teaser just pretty much confirmed that we're on track for that to happen.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.