Avengers: Doomsdayis less than a year away, and following the positive reaction toThunderboltsand excitement forThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel Studios has seemingly gotten fans back on board and ready for what promises to be the ultimate Marvel alliance—or Marvel’sUltimate Alliance, if you will. The five-hour stream of chairs revealed a good portion of the cast, with even more seemingly on the way. The film will unite the Avengers, the Thunderbolts/New Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the nation of Wakanda against Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. himself.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
While these heroes will certainly team up to stop Doctor Doom, it is an unwritten rule in superhero crossovers that the various heroes will also fight. The inclusion of so many X-Men has led to speculation aboutAvengers: Doomsdaybeing a stealthAvengers vs. X-Menmovie.The post-credit scene ofThunderbolts*teased a conflict between two different Avengers teams, and that the New Avengers might engage the Fantastic Four in combat as a perceived threat. Other reports suggest the X-Men and Fantastic Four clashing, suggesting a Marvel royal rumble. With that in mind, here are ten showdowns we want to see inAvengers: Doomsday.
10Captain Marvel vs. Rogue
This one ranks at the bottom only for the fact that neither Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel nor Anna Paquin’s Marie / Rogue are confirmed to appear inAvengers: Doomsday. Yet that doesn’t mean this isn’t a fight fans have been waiting years to see on the big screen. In the comics, Rogue and Captain Marvel have a long history, as Rogue originally began as a villain and drained her powers in an encounter with Carol Danvers during herMs. Marvelera. This resulted in Rogue having flight and super strength—something fans ofX-Men: The Animated SeriesandX-Men ‘97will know, but the live-action films never showcased.
While Rogue was originally an audience POV character for the firstX-Men, as she was chosen due to her ability to drain anyone she gets close to, which highlighted the film’s theme of isolation, as the film series went on, fans were disappointed never to see Rogue come into her own—developing the more passionate personality she displays in the comics and shows.Avengers: Doomsdaycould give Paquin one last chance to showcase a more comic-accurate Rogue. Meanwhile, allowing Rogue to drain some of Captain Marvel’s powers enables the MCU to decrease the character’s power level to solve the Superman problem it has written itself into. This way,Carol Danvers could still be powerful, but also have a few more weaknesses to make future fights more interesting.
9The Hulk vs. The Thing
For as much as fans might say Hulk vs. Wolverine (we have another idea for Wolverine), the Hulk’s most extended feud in the comics has been with Ben Grimm / The Thing of the Fantastic Four—one that dates back toFantastic Four#12 in 1962. Both The Thing and the Hulk are two of Marvel Comics’ first heroes and ones that highlighted what made the comics so different: taking the monster and making it a hero. Fans have dreamed of having these two face off on the big screen for years.
At the moment, only The Thing is confirmed forAvengers: Doomsday, though it would be shocking if Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk doesn’t return, given he is a founding member of the original Avengers. Whilethe MCU’s Smart Hulktakes away part of the fun of a Hulk vs. Thing showdown—as the Hulk’s pure blinding rage can overpower The Thing, but with higher-level brain functions The Thing can also outsmart the Hulk—that doesn’t mean the MCU couldn’t find a way to make this fight interesting. Banner could lose control, or it would be great to see how a book-smart Banner does against a street-smart Ben Grimm in a fistfight.
8Wolverine vs. Cyclops
Wolverine and Cyclops have an interesting dynamic in the comics. While they are teammates, they also butt heads a lot on how the X-Men should operate and also have feelings for the same person, Jean Grey. The two have come to blows many times in the comics, notably in the storylineSchism—essentiallyCivil Warfor the X-Men. The feature films positioned a rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine, but sadly,James Marsden’s Cyclops was killedoff early inX-Men: The Last Stand, and his story seems unfinished—particularly his rivalry with Wolverine.Avengers: Doomsdaycould correct that mistake.
Even though Hugh Jackman isn’t confirmed yet to return as Wolverine, given howDeadpool & Wolverineended, his role in the film seems all but likely. While Wolverine and Cyclops will likely both be fighting for the X-Men, it would be great to see a moment in the movie where the two X-Men members disagree on a specific action, leading to a clash of ideals. This is a feud that has been in the making and could finally bubble to the surface, leading to a clash that could showcase Wolverine’s anger and also explain why Cyclops is the X-Men’s true leader.
7Gambit vs. U.S. Agent
Gambit and U.S. Agent? That’s a random one, you might be thinking. Well, not entirely. Part of it is because it would be a22 Jump Streetreunion between Gambit actor Channing Tatum and John Walker actor Wyatt Russell. The two had great comedic chemistry in22 Jump Streetand have both joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe—why not mine that potential?
Both Gambit and Walker are portrayed as deadly fighters, but they’re also slightly comedic, which could lead to a somewhat different type of superhero face-off. Gambit did fight Captain America in theAvengers vs. X-Menstoryline, so it would be a fun spin on the comics to have him face off against, as Ghost described, “dime store Captain America.” While Gambit charging Walker’s standard metal (still bent) shield isn’t the same as Captain America’s vibranium/adamantium hybrid, it’s still a powerful image.
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6Shang-Chi vs Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler’s opening action scene inX2: X-Men Unitedstill stands as one of the greatest openings for a superhero movie—and a summer blockbuster. Nightcrawler’s impressive display of acrobatics and his teleporting abilities make him one of the most dangerous fighters in the Marvel Universe. While star Alan Cumming has already teased a fight with Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic, it feels like the only one who could best Nightcrawler in a fight is Shang-Chi.
Shang-Chi has been positioned asthebest martial arts and hand-to-hand combatant in the MCU. The prospect of seeing him fight Nightcrawler—possibly anticipating where he will teleport—would not only make for an incredible fight sequence but also let viewers knowShang-Chi is one of the best heroesin the franchise. To even the playing field, he also has the mystical Ten Rings, which might counter Nightcrawler’s teleportation.
5Thor vs. Sentry
Thunderbolts*made a great deal to emphasize the power of Robert “Bob” Reynolds, aka The Sentry, noting he was more powerful than all the Avengers combined. The Sentry even said it would make him theoretically stronger than the god of thunder, Thor. That certainly sounds like a setup for an epic showdown between Thor and The Sentry, though there might be concerns it would run the risk of unleashing The Void.
The showdown between Thor and The Sentry in the comics is certainly one of the most epic. The two faced off inSiege, a storyline that saw Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers attack Asgard. The Sentry briefly wrestled power away from The Void, asking Thor to kill him, end his suffering, and save the world. We don’t expect to see that in the MCU anytime soon. SinceThunderbolts*was all about saving Bob’s life, Thor and Sentry could have a brief showdown to establish that the New Avengers have their own powerhouse to put them on par with the Avengers.
4The Invisible Woman vs. Ghost
Ghost and Invisible Woman don’t have a long history of fighting in the comics like the Hulk and The Thing or Thor and Sentry. This showdown is based purely on their similar but different powers. Both characters can turn invisible, but whereas Sue Storm can create force fields,Ava Starr can phase through objects. This raises a simple question: can Ghost phase through Invisible Woman’s force fields?
We don’t have an answer, but we want to seeAvengers: Doomsdayanswer that. Part of the fun of these team-ups and superhero fights is using the battles to explain different dynamics about characters’ powers—like howThe Avengersestablished Iron Man’s armor could absorb Thor’s lightning, orDeadpool & Wolverineestablished that Pyro could manipulate Human Torch’s flames. TheThunderbolts*post-credit scene teased the Fantastic Four’s arrival into the MCU, so a fight between these two drastically different Marvel teams is being set up and could answer this question of how Ghost and Invisible Woman’s powers stack up against one another.
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3Mister Fantastic vs. Namor
Mister Fantastic and Namor have one of the most complex dynamics in Marvel Comics. Namor is in love with Susan Storm / The Invisible Woman, the wife of Reed Richards. Reed respects Namor as the ruler of his own civilization but also loves his wife, so he does not take kindly to the underwater ruler’s advances. Their history came to a head in a brawl inMarvel Knights 4#8—one of the most impressive displays of both men’s powers.
Avengers: Doomsdayalready has the prospect of bringing theNamor/Sue Storm/Reed Richards love triangleinto the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverhas already established Namor as one of the most powerful figures in the MCU, equating his strength to that of the Hulk. Reed Richards going head-to-head with Namor—and being able to hold his own—would let the audience know Mister Fantastic is more than just the smartest man in the multiverse. What about Reed Richards vs. Doctor Doom, one might ask? Well, that seems guaranteed at this point.
2Sam Wilson vs Bucky Barnes
One of the most interesting teases from thepost-credit scene ofThunderbolts*was a strained dynamic between Sam Wilson / Captain America and Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier. The two started off with a combative relationship, as shown inCaptain America: Civil War, but throughout the MCU—and in projects likeThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierandCaptain America: Brave New World—they established that they had developed a true friendship of their own beyond their mutual connection to Steve Rogers. However, with Bucky not being part of the New Avengers—one competing with Sam Wilson’s—but also working with figures like John Walker and Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, the new Captain America is understandably not pleased.
Sam Wilson and Bucky briefly faced off inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. However, that was when Sam began working alongside Captain America as the Falcon, and Bucky was under HYDRA’s control. The two friends’ feud could come to blows, similar to the fight between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark inCaptain America: Civil War. After years of a friendly back-and-forth, it might be time to see Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes fight it out—and haveCaptain America vs. The Winter Soldier2.0.
1Doctor Doom vs. Magneto
For all the talk about heroes vs. heroes, one of the most exciting elements in comics that the films sadly rarely get to touch on is villains vs. villains. When it comes to Marvel villains, no two are more iconic than Doctor Doom and Magneto. In the comics, Doom and Magneto have a begrudging respect for one another but have also found themselves on opposite sides of the board, as their interests do not typically align. While Magneto, in theory, would be able to crush Doctor Doom’s metal armor, Doom’s knowledge of magic and sorcery normally allows his armor to beimmune to Magneto’s powers.
Avengers: Doomsdaywill not only feature the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four together, but will also showcase Marvel’s two most famous villains in the same film for the first time—and it feels like too good of an opportunity to pass up letting these two fight. The idea of seeing Ian McKellen—the actor audiences will have associated with Magneto for 26 years by the timeAvengers: Doomsdaycomes out—share the screen withRobert Downey Jr. as a new incarnation of Doctor Doomis worth the price of admission alone. The comics have rarely shown the full might of what happens when the ruler of Latveria and one of the greatest sorcerers in the world faces off against the Master of Magnetism, butAvengers: Doomsdayis now in the unique position to answer that question.
