With 2026 well and truly underway, Avengers: Doomsday is officially on the horizon. The heavily-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe movie may not be arriving in film theaters until December, but the studio has already kicked off the promo train - launching four major trailers a year out from its release to give fans just a glimpse of what to expect. And considering that this is a movie that once felt like it might never come out, we'll take the nine months wait.
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as the terrifying new villain Doctor Doom, bringing one of the msot famous Marvel Comics villains to the franchise after years, in a film that is set to kick off the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. Although not an awful lot is known about its plot, a new update suggests it might be closely connected to one of the franchise's most divisive movies.
Avengers: Doomsday is reportedly tied to Doctor Strange 2
According to a new report from Marvel insider Cryptic4KQual, Avengers: Doomsday will have heavy connections to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness. On paper, this sounds pretty normal; Multiverse of Madness explored the Multiverse Saga in a way few other MCU movies have, and Doomsday looks to commence its conclusion. However, there are some concerns about this that has left fans a little unsure of what to expect.
While the Doctor Strange sequel is one of the most successful Marvel movies in recent memory - it grossed over $900 million upon its release in theaters in 2022 - it is also one of the most divisive. Fans applauded Sam Raimi's direction, as the movie leaned into all of the horror visuals and tropes that the legendary director does oh-so-well, but there was criticism of the script - particularly when it came to the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff.
Wanda may always be one of the MCU's most chaotic characters, but she had learned from the mistakes of expanding her magic in WandaVision. Darkhold or not, to put her through all of that again, just to force another redemption in the movie's concluding act didn't sit too well with fans - nor did the apparent death that Wanda faced when she seemingly sacrificed herself to destroy the Darkhold.
While Elizabeth Olsen was more than deserving of a break after playing the character in back-to-back projects, fans widely criticized the decision to kill Wanda off - at least for now. The character's evolution of the Scarlet Witch is universally considered one of the strongest elements of the Multiverse Saga and any storyline related to her (see WandaVision and Agatha All Along) has been critically-acclaimed. The exception being Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The good side of a potential connection
It's unclear what "heavy connections" actually means at this point. However, there is a silver lining to Avengers: Doomsday's potential connection to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which could turn this concern into glee very, very quickly. And that is that it could potentially back up the rumors about Wanda having a role in the movie.
Although the MCU wants fans to believe that Wanda genuinely died on Mount Wundagore, there has been a ton of speculation that the Scarlet Witch will actually return. After all, Agatha All Along essentially undid the franchise's commitment to the idea of Wanda being dead, as Agatha Harkness herself revealed that she genuinely doesn't know if Wanda still lives - a stark contrast to the previous commitment to the idea that she is.
It simply wouldn't make sense for Marvel Studios to kill off such a beloved character right after she took on the iconic mantle of the Scarlet Witch, so it's long-been suggested that Wanda's death was simply the first step in a long storyline built to bring her back. And now that we know Avengers: Doomsday will likely have strong ties to the movie that the former Avenger died in, it's increasingly likely that she at least be referenced in it.
Taking all of that into account, it's clear that there are highs and lows to Avengers: Doomsday's apparent connection to Doctor Strange 2. But if it genuinely leads to the return of the Scarlet Witch, the highs drastically outweigh the lows. And that's a victory in our book!
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.