Marvel Studios brought some huge surprises to D23 2026, including a new special look at Avengers: Doomsday and the official cast announcement for Marvel’s upcoming X-Men movie.
The D23 presentation in Anaheim gave fans their biggest look yet at what is coming for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Avengers: Doomsday now just months away from its December 18, 2026 theatrical release.
New Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Revealed
Marvel Studios brought Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell onto the D23 stage to unveil a new special look at Avengers: Doomsday.
The new trailer puts Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom front and centre and gives fans a better idea of the threat facing the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men.
The footage opens with Doom sitting on a throne as Sue Storm narrates a description of Victor’s transformation from a brilliant and caring person into someone who has been “broken.” The trailer then shows Reed Richards confronting Doom after a devastating event, with Doom declaring that the heroes have lived “stolen lives” and must give them back.
The trailer also features appearances from several major Marvel characters, including Thor, Loki, Ant-Man, Captain America, Black Panther, Professor X, Magneto and Cyclops.
One of the biggest moments comes when Thor attacks Doctor Doom with Stormbreaker. Doom stops the weapon with a single finger before blasting Thor away, demonstrating just how powerful the villain has become. He then awakens a group of X-Men Sentinels.
The movie will bring together heroes from three different universes as they face Doom, setting the stage for Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theatres on December 18, 2026. Marvel also confirmed that tickets are now on sale.
The New MCU X-Men Cast Has Been Revealed
One of the biggest announcements of D23 was finally revealing the principal cast for Marvel Studios’ new X-Men movie.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was joined on stage by director Jake Schreier and Sadie Sink, who will play Jean Grey. The new cast includes:
- Sadie Sink as Jean Grey
- Kit Connor as Scott Summers/Cyclops
- Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier
- Samara Weaving as Emma Frost
- Inde Navarrette as Rogue
- Maya Boyd as Storm
- Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, better known as Mister Sinister
Driver’s involvement was revealed through a special video message during the presentation.
The new X-Men movie is being directed by Jake Schreier and is scheduled to arrive exclusively in theatres on May 5, 2028.
The announcement gives Marvel its first official lineup for the next generation of X-Men characters, although fans will still have to wait to see how this new team fits into the wider MCU.
Interestingly, the original X-Men are also playing a major role in Avengers: Doomsday. The new trailer features Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto and James Marsden as Cyclops, while Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming and Rebecca Romijn are also returning from the original X-Men movies.
Other Major D23 2026 Announcements
D23 wasn’t just about Marvel. Disney, Pixar and Lucasfilm also revealed a number of new movies, television series and release dates.
- VisionQuest — Disney+ — October 14, 2026
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 — Disney+ — November 20, 2026
- Ahsoka Season 2 — Disney+ — January 20, 2027
- Ice Age: Boiling Point — Theatres — February 5, 2027
- Oswald — Disney+ — February 17, 2027
- Gatto — Theatres — March 5, 2027
- Star Wars: Starfighter — Theatres — May 28, 2027
- The Bluey Movie — Theatres — August 6, 2027
- Frozen 3 — Theatres — November 24, 2027
- Ghost Market — Theatres — March 2028
- Tangled — Theatres — March 31, 2028
- Lilo & Stitch 2 — Theatres — May 26, 2028
- Incredibles 3 — Theatres — June 16, 2028
- Marvel’s X-Men — Theatres — May 5, 2028
- Coco 2 — Theatres — November 2029
Disney also officially confirmed that Zootopia 3 is in early development, although a release date has not yet been announced. Pixar’s Kingdom Hearts IV was also given a late 2027 release window, while an animated Kingdom Hearts series is in development for Disney Channel and Disney+.
Avengers: Doomsday Is Setting Up Marvel’s Next Big Saga
With Doctor Doom, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the original X-Men and several generations of Marvel characters all appearing, Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of the MCU’s biggest crossover events yet.
The D23 trailer makes it clear that Doom isn’t simply another villain for the Avengers to defeat. He appears to have the power to challenge some of Marvel’s strongest heroes while manipulating the very existence of their universes.
With Avengers: Doomsday arriving December 18, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars following in 2027, Marvel has now given fans a much clearer look at where the MCU is heading next.
