Avengers Doomsday Trailer Review: Epic Or Overstuffed?

The Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer has dropped, revealing an ambitious, potentially overcrowded multiverse saga featuring Doctor Doom, returning heroes, and universe-colliding stakes that could define the MCU's future.

In one of the post-credit scenes of the first Doctor Strange movie, Baron Mordo attacks an ex-sorcerer by declaring, 'There are too many sorcerers.'

Replace 'sorcerers' with 'superheroes', and that's exactly how I felt while watching the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday.

Just going by that trailer, the sheer number of characters and cast members in the film felt both exciting and overwhelming.

You want to be enthusiastic about the movie, about all the crossovers, about finally seeing characters you've known for years interacting for the first time. You also know that, beyond the revealed cast, Marvel is still hiding several major surprises.

Think Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

And yet, you are also afraid Marvel could end up bungling it.

Marvel Cinematic Universe's Need For Redemption

It's not an unjustified fear.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been going through a rough phase, with too many projects making too little impact. Unlike the first three phases, which felt like they had a clear roadmap, the next three have often seemed as though Marvel was making things up as it went along, constantly course-correcting while steadily losing much of its old charm.

And when stars and directors who had previously exited after a glorious run decide to return, it feels less like a triumphant comeback and more like desperation.

So Avengers: Doomsday not only brings back Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, but also the Russo brothers, who themselves have been in a creative slump since Avengers: Endgame.

Nothing about that automatically inspires confidence. A huge sign of that was Marvel revealing Chris Evans' return, despite him not even being mentioned in the original cast announcement video, through one of the early character teasers.

The reason I am being so sceptical is because I actually like this trailer. Yet, it also sends the signals of a movie that feels overcrowded and is rushing headlong into a massive event without properly earning its way there.

The new trailer gives us glimpses of nearly every actor revealed during the cast announcement, while adding Chris Evans and Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang) to the mix.

The teaser also seems to confirm the plotline that has been circulating online for months: universes are colliding, forcing the heroes of different worlds to fight one another for survival.

We also get our first proper look at Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr), though still hidden behind his iconic mask, with only his eyes visible during one of the trailer's coolest shots.

WATCH: Teaser Trailer Of Avengers: Doomsday

The trailer opens with the X-Mansion seemingly lying in a dilapidated state, while Professor X, aka Charles Xavier, gazes nervously out of a window. We then witness what appears to be an Incursion, the catastrophic collision between universes. Note that the yellowish tone caused supposedly by the Incursion is also present in most other scenes which means the Incursion is happening elsewhere as well. 

Next, comes a glimpse of Doctor Doom as his ominous voice declares, 'Before this day is done, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision.'

From there, we move to Earth-616, the MCU's primary universe, where a gathering of heroes has seemingly been brought together by Thor (Chris Hemsworth). He speaks about warriors who have sacrificed themselves battling impossible odds, but warns that the enemy awaiting them is unlike anything they have faced before.

A few moments later, we find out why.

Don't Mess With Doctor Doom

In what feels like a clever callback to Thor nearly killing Thanos with his Stormbreaker in the climax of Avengers: Infinity War, Thor attempts the same move against Doom amid what looks like a devastated battlefield.

Only this time, Doom casually stops Stormbreaker with two fingers. That's when we get the only visible part of Robert Downey Jr's face in the trailer: His eyes.

So if you want to establish just how terrifying a Marvel villain is, simply have them humiliate Thor. Hela and Thanos would agree.

I suspect this moment comes near the film's climax because from everything I've read, Doctor Doom's mission is to become a God-like being, which he seemingly achieves going by that scene. Very similar to Thanos in Infinity War.

The difference is that while Thanos merely wanted to wipe out half the universe before retiring peacefully to a lonely planet, Doom appears determined to reshape reality itself. Going by the title of the next Avengers film, Secret Wars, he likely wants to create his own world, Battleworld in the comics, and rule over it.

I'm fully expecting that to be where this movie ends.

Heroic Gatherings

Returning to our heroes, we see Thor meeting the Fantastic Four alongside the Thunderbolts and Sam Wilson's (Anthony Mackie) Avengers inside Avengers Tower. Although, from what we see, that Sam Wilson's Avengers team mostly consists of only Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Where exactly is the new Falcon, Joaquín Torres (Danny Ramirez)? He is spotted later in another gathering, though.

Despite all the talk of passing the mantle and ushering in a new generation, it still feels as though the old guard is leading the charge. Thor, in particular, commands the room.

As his speech continues, we see the Wakandans, including Shuri (Letitia Wright), the new Black Panther, and M'Baku (Winston Duke), locked in a tense standoff with Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and the Talokans.

Multiverse Clashes

Later, several Earth-616 heroes somehow make their way to the X-Mansion of the Fox universe, where Cyclops (James Marsden) charges into battle while various heroes clash. Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) fights Gambit (Channing Tatum), with both seemingly earning each other's respect mid-fight.

We later also see Yelena (Florence Pugh) battle Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), who shape-shifts into Yelena, leading to two Yelenas fighting one another.

In between, we get a brief glimpse of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), while someone's hand, which I believe belongs to Steve Rogers, flips over a TVA card.

The last time we saw the God of Mischief, in the finale of Loki Season 2, he was seated upon his throne, holding together every timeline and sacrificing his own freedom to preserve the multiverse. So either this scene takes place before that ending, or something truly catastrophic has forced Loki to abandon his post.

A Call for Unity

As Thor warns everyone that they must stand together, we see the Fantastic Four and the Avengers meeting the Wakandans in what appears to be an ocean literally split apart to create a path between them. Presumably, the Talokans and Wakandans have agreed to a temporary truce.

When Thor talks about returning as brothers and sisters after the conflict, we get three short emotional sequences: Old friends/rivals Charles Xavier and Magneto (Ian McKellen) sharing a moment of comfort, siblings Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) embracing, and Scott Lang with his daughter Cassie. We also get a respectful moment of acknowledgement between Sue and Shuri.

The trailer then gives several heroes a chance to show off their powers. Gambit leaps into the air before smashing the ground with his kinetic energy, Sue deploys her force fields, Namor flies through the battlefield and Cyclops unleashes his devastating optic blasts.

Then comes the moment where Thor attacks Doctor Doom, only for Doom to show his mettle. Thor admits they need a miracle, and that's when the trailer delivers its money shot.

Captain America's Return

We first hear Steve Rogers calling out, 'Hey, pal!' off screen. Thor can barely believe Captain America has become young again, but naturally he has the perfect way to confirm it. He loosens his grip on Mjolnir, allowing Steve to summon the hammer once again and prove he is still worthy. And we see him properly for the first time here.

While still a nice moment, can't deny that it could have had a bigger impact had they not revealed the Steve Rogers teaser before.

It's also worth noting that Steve sports the same bearded look he had as Nomad in Avengers: Infinity War, despite appearing clean-shaven in the earlier Avengers: Doomsday teaser.

Yes, it still feels wonderful hearing the Avengers theme swelling afterwards. Ironically, that's also what makes me nervous.

Avengers: Doomsday is Marvel's biggest gamble yet, and this trailer makes that abundantly clear. It's thrilling to watch these characters come together and interact in ways that would make any comic-book geek squeal with excitement.

Yet, it also exposes how little emotional investment audiences have in many of the newer heroes, forcing Marvel to once again lean on Thor, the X-Men and Steve Rogers to carry the event.

It shows us how frightening Doctor Doom can be, while once again making Thor the measuring stick for a villain's power.

Avengers: Doomsday could become the franchise's greatest redemption story (and also for the Russo brothers). Or it could end up living up to its title. Either way, I am seated!

PS: Avengers: Doomsday promoting its own 'Infinity Vision' premium format as a counter to Dune 3 hogging IMAX screens might just be the funniest punchline in the entire trailer.

Avengers: Doomsday releases in theatres on December 18.

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Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff