The Marvel Cinematic Universe is inching closer to what could be its most ambitious project yet. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, the fifth team-up film in the long-running franchise, is well into production ahead of its December 2026 release.
Additionally, while Marvel Studios has been more secretive than ever about its story, a new tease has fans buzzing. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed the Infinity Saga, shared a cryptic new look from the set.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Set Photo Sparks Theories About Reed Richards And Doctor Doom
The photo, posted on Instagram with the chilling caption “Doomsday is coming”, doesn’t reveal much at first glance. It’s just a blurry chalkboard filled with unreadable equations and scribbles. However, in the MCU, even the smallest details can be clues. With speculation already swirling around the movie’s plot, which will feature returning MCU veterans and newcomers, this single chalkboard shot has been enough to send fans into theory mode.
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Marvel fans are no strangers to dissecting cryptic set teases, and the Russo Brothers know exactly how to stir the pot without spoiling anything. The chalkboard seen in the photo instantly reminded many of the final moments of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. That film’s post-credits scene featured Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards at his chalkboard, desperately trying to solve multiversal equations while also dealing with Galactus and his son Franklin’s reality-bending powers.
It’s no coincidence that Reed’s calculations may connect directly to the next Avengers film. Kevin Feige has already confirmed the Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building will appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, meaning their role in the story is all but guaranteed. Could this be Reed’s chalkboard again, extended from his solo film into the Avengers crossover? There’s also the looming shadow of Doctor Doom, now played by Robert Downey Jr.
His shocking return to Marvel as a brand-new character was teased in The Fantastic Four’s mid-credits scene, where Doom was last seen with Franklin Richards. Given Doom’s scientific genius and obsession with the multiverse, he, too, could easily be behind the chalkboard equations. Moreover, the fun lies in the uncertainty. The Russos’ photo doesn’t give away much, but it perfectly continues Marvel’s tradition of breadcrumbs.
David Harbour Calls ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ “Extraordinary”
While the Russos are feeding fans cryptic puzzle pieces, one of the movie’s stars is hyping up just how massive ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ really is. David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian, recently sat down with SR and described his experience working on the blockbuster. “I was not even convinced when we started, and this movie’s gonna be really good,” Harbour admitted with refreshing honesty.
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“The Russos have a special sauce. I don’t even really understand, but they just know how to do these things. And I think that, as evidenced in Civil War, as evidenced in Infinity War, there’s something about the layers in which they put the comedy and the drama and the surprises and the scale and the epicness and all that stuff. It’s incredible.” Harbour didn’t stop there. He went on to describe the sheer scope of the production.
“I will say I’ve never been on a set like this in my life. I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s just insane to look around the room and be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m in the movie. There’s what’s his face doing in that speech.’ It’s just enormous.”
Hearing Harbour comparing ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ to both ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Civil War’ is no small compliment. Those films balanced dozens of characters. If the Russos are once again pulling off that balancing act, fans are in for something truly extraordinary.
