You could be excused for feeling like the internet is one big 24/7 crime scene when it comes to the promotion of this film. Viewers are combing through every frame of a still or background detail to get a read on what Marvel Studios has in store. But set aside the social media dissections and there is an easier way to tell where the studio is heading with its takedown of Doctor Doom.
Let’s be honest: the cast list is only half the picture. Some will have it that the first round of teasers and concept art were put out with a fine-tooth comb to keep Sam Wilson’s new Avengers under a veil. With all the fan speculation, it is not a stretch to think some of the early footage was doctored to hide a few key players for later in the third act.
Those in the know say the end of the movie will come down to a coalition of some scale. To give the finale with Robert Downey Jr.’s version of Doom the heft it needs, an array of heroes from every era and timeline is being mustered for a last stand.
A Roster of All Kinds
What we are hearing is a mix of the usual and the unusual. Sure, you have Tom Holland and Iman Vellani, but also Hailee Steinfeld and Kathryn Newton. Then there are types like Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight or Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, who up until now have had their work cut out for them far from Earth.
And then there is the matter of the multiversal heavyweights. There is a chance we will be seeing some of Tobey Maguire, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry or Dafne Keen. For a franchise that has been making its way through the post-Endgame hangover, it makes sense to put these fan darlings in the room for the reckoning.
Loki Pulls the Strings
But the part that has everyone talking is who is orchestrating it. Since his turn in the second season on Disney+, Loki has been the one in charge of the Sacred Timeline. The prevailing thought is he is not just an observer as the multiverse unravels; he is the one putting this together. He has the means to reach into other realities and make a deal with the right people. In a way, it is his path to redemption that is propping up the multiverse against Doom.
Making It Add Up
There is a bit of the Endgame formula here, only the stakes are higher. By reeling in the characters on the outside, Marvel can close some chapters before the timeline is done for. But it is not all for the sake of a throwback. With Loki in the wings, Doomsday is less of a victory lap and more of a setup for Secret Wars. You have to show that even an army from across time and space can be bested by a threat like Doom, which makes Thanos look mild by comparison.
If the word is to be trusted, the tone of Doomsday is going to be a lot sterner. It is not the rousing crossovers of yesteryear; it is a species with its back to the wall. Marvel has not put it in print, but the message is there: time is running out and the universe is banding together in a desperate, if you will, kind of way.