Marvel has released the first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, its star-studded attempt to revive the flagging superhero franchise ahead of a December cinema release. The preview brings together returning heroes including Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Paul Rudd's Ant-Man and Chris Evans's Captain America, alongside figures from other Marvel properties such as Pedro Pascal, Patrick Stewart, Letitia Wright and Florence Pugh, while teasing an "unthinkable decision" and the arrival of Robert Downey Jr as the villain Doctor Doom.

Downey Jr, who previously played Iron Man, is reportedly being paid around $100m for this film and its sequel Secret Wars, and co-director Joe Russo has described the project as returning to "phase zero" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trailer also features Ian McKellen reprising Magneto, who spoke about filming a destruction scene in Rome. The stakes are high, as Marvel has had a run of underwhelming box-office results with films such as Thunderbolts and Captain America: Brave New World, in contrast to 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which grossed almost $2.8bn. Avengers: Doomsday opens on 18 December, the same day as Dune: Part Three, setting up a potential box-office clash.