Ms. Marvel Is Returning for Official Avengers: Doomsday Release Coming Aug. 27
Marvel and Disney are stepping up promotion for Avengers: Doomsday, due in cinemas in roughly four months, with a new tie-in podcast fronted by Iman Vellani, who plays Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan. The Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast launches on 27 August and will run for five weeks, hosted by Vellani alongside Frank Alvarez as they revisit key moments from the lead-up films. However, the announcement disappoints some fans, as it confirms Vellani is contributing to promotional content rather than appearing in the film itself, continuing her character's absence from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2023's poorly received The Marvels.
The podcast will be available in video form on Disney Plus and YouTube, as well as audio-only on podcast apps, with its final episode timed to coincide with the theatrical rerelease of Avengers: Endgame, which will include four minutes of previously unseen footage. The wider promotional push also features Doctor Doom appearances in Marvel video games and a Marvel Comics revisit of the storyline that inspired the 2015 Secret Wars event. Marvel has also released an official watchlist of era-spanning films to watch before Doomsday, running from 2000's X-Men to last year's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, while speculation continues that Vellani's Ms. Marvel could still resurface in a future X-Men film or Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
- Iman Vellani hosts new Avengers: Doomsday countdown podcast, launching 27 August
- Podcast, not the film, marks her return — Ms. Marvel absent from MCU since 2023
- Five-week series ends alongside Avengers: Endgame's rerelease with new footage
New here? Start with this
Ms. Marvel is the superhero identity of Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey who first appeared in Marvel comics in 2013. In the Marvel films and TV series, she is played by Iman Vellani and has appeared in Ms. Marvel and The Marvels.
Avengers: Doomsday is an upcoming film in Marvel’s Avengers series, which brings together characters from across its superhero films. Kamala’s last major film appearance was in The Marvels, released in 2023; her role in Doomsday has not been confirmed.
Marvel films are part of a connected story world, so promotional events and watchlists often revisit earlier films and characters. The attention around Kamala matters to fans following how her story may fit into future films, including the planned Avengers: Secret Wars.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Kamala Khan is an established MCU character whom audiences have invested in, and her continued absence from major ensemble films like Doomsday represents squandered narrative opportunity. Reassigning her to podcast hosting rather than actual filmmaking suggests Marvel is sidelining a hero of colour from its flagship team-up, particularly after The Marvels' reception, which undermines the franchise's commitment to developing diverse characters within the core mythology.
The case against
Doomsday's already massive ensemble cast demands disciplined focus, and forcing in every established character merely dilutes storytelling impact. Ms Marvel's absence—paired with meaningful presence across podcasts, games, and comics—creates space for narrative reimagining whilst maintaining audience engagement; a stronger, better-prepared return through Secret Wars or X-Men projects will matter far more than a brief appearance in an overcrowded ensemble film where she'd struggle for meaningful screen time.