A major crisis is brewing. Marvel Studios has released the first details about their upcoming crossover event, revealing that Doctor Doom’s plan to control the Multiverse will impact multiple worlds. Before the trailer is shown at San Diego Comic-Con this week and then online, we now have a much clearer idea of what to expect from the new Avengers sequel.
The upcoming movie Avengers: Doomsday will bring together heroes from three different universes. These universes are set to collide when Doctor Doom puts his dangerous plan into motion. Though details are scarce, we now have a good idea of which alternate timelines will be featured in the film. Here’s what you need to know before the trailer is released this week.
Earth-616 Is the Main MCU Universe
As a huge Marvel fan, I’m really excited to hear that Avengers: Doomsday will be set primarily on Earth-616! That’s the main MCU timeline – basically, the one where everything we’ve been watching has happened. It makes sense, since it already boasts so many heroes and teams like the Avengers, who are now led by Sam Wilson as Captain America. From what I understand, most of the movie’s big events will unfold right there in that familiar universe.
Earth-616 used to be called “The Sacred Timeline” by the Time Variance Authority. Anything that happened differently than planned by He Who Remains – the creator of the TVA and a version of Kang the Conqueror – was seen as a new, unwanted timeline and was erased. Following the events of Loki, it’s now uncertain if Earth-616 still holds this special status. While the TVA no longer destroys alternate timelines, they might still be closely monitoring this particular one, as it was so important to He Who Remains.
As a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’m getting really excited about what’s coming! We can definitely expect to see some of our favorites return – Thor, Ant-Man, Stature, Black Panther, Shang-Chi, Winter Soldier, and even Sentry are all confirmed. But honestly, pretty much anyone from the past thirty-eight movies and shows could pop up in Avengers: Doomsday. Characters like Hulk, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, plus cosmic teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Eternals? They’re all possibilities! It feels like once you’ve appeared in the MCU, you’re always a contender.
It’s worth noting that the main Marvel comic book timeline is called Earth-616. Before the Multiverse Saga, fans typically called the Marvel Cinematic Universe Earth-199999. However, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Studios decided to officially name the movie universe Earth-616 as well, creating a clear distinction between the films and the comics. So, while both universes share the same name, fans should remember that the Earth-616 timeline in the movies is separate from the Earth-616 timeline in the comics.
Earth-838 Is the Retrofuturistic Home of the Fantastic Four
Earth-838 is a recently featured universe in Avengers: Doomsday. It was originally shown in the 2025 film The Fantastic Four: First Steps and is where Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Sue Storm-Richards (The Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing) live. This version of The Fantastic Four are the only heroes protecting their world from dangers like the Wingless Wizard, the Mole Man, and other threats.
The Fantastic Four’s world on Earth-838 is quite different from their main universe, Earth-616, which is similar to our own with the addition of superheroes. Earth-838 evolved into a society that looks like the future as imagined in the 1960s – full of advanced technology and gadgets. This could be because Reed Richards, one of the Fantastic Four, achieved even greater scientific breakthroughs on this version of Earth than he did on Earth-616.
Rumors indicate that Earth-838 could be the original universe for Robert Downey Jr.’s version of Doctor Doom, who is expected to fully appear in this year’s Avengers: Doomsday. This would strengthen Doom’s ties to the Fantastic Four, mirroring their dynamic in the comic books. This theory also aligns with the post-credits scene from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which featured a mysterious, cloaked figure – seemingly Doom – approaching young Franklin Richards.
Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue Richards, will play a significant role in Avengers: Doomsday. The comics portray Franklin as incredibly powerful – one of the strongest beings in existence – and he was central to the 2015 Secret Wars comic series. That storyline is inspiring both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A recent comic, First Steps, showed even a baby Franklin possessing impressive abilities, suggesting he’ll be very important in the upcoming crossover event.
Galactus is a hugely significant character introduced in the Earth-838 reality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This ancient being survives by consuming entire planets. While this is our first glimpse of Galactus, Marvel has established that he’s unique – there are no alternate versions of him in other timelines. Every version of Galactus, regardless of appearance, is actually the same individual. If he appears in a future Avengers film like Doomsday, he would almost certainly recall his past encounter with the Fantastic Four and their victory over him.
Earth-10005 Is the Homeworld of the X-Men Franchise
In the Avengers: Doomsday series, one alternate Earth explored is Earth-10005. This is the setting for most of the X-Men movies from Fox, although the storyline gets very confusing. The X-Men universe is packed with time travel and changes to the established story, but all these events technically happen within the same timeline.
Following the timeline changes in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the original X-Men movie from 2000 and portions of X2: X-Men United are now considered the main storyline. While elements of X-Men: First Class and both Deadpool films still have some relevance, it’s more important for viewers to know the characters than the specific plot details of previous movies. Confirmed returning characters include Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Mystique, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Gambit.
The alternate reality known as Earth-10005 has been featured twice in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It first appeared in a post-credits scene from The Marvels, when Monica Rambeau, also known as Photon, was unexpectedly transported there after a tear in space-time opened. It reappeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, where Deadpool and Wolverine battled to save their timeline from a dangerous faction of the Time Variance Authority.
There’s a chance that Avengers: Doomsday could rewrite the history of certain Marvel franchises previously owned by Fox, integrating them into the main Marvel universe (Earth-10005). This could include past Fantastic Four movies, the 2003 Daredevil film and its spin-off Elektra, treating them as part of the same storyline. While it’s unknown if characters from these franchises will appear in the final Multiverse Saga film, the recent appearance of some in Deadpool & Wolverine suggests anything is possible.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
2026-07-22 20:46