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Why Avengers Doomsday is Doomed

by Shawn Goretsky (8th)

If you’ve been keeping up with Marvel, you’ve probably heard about their next major movie, Avengers: Doomsday. They’ve pulled together an incredible cast — Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor, plus Lewis Pullman and Pedro Pascal joining after Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four. They’re even bringing back the original X-Men. On paper, it sounds amazing — so why do I think it’s doomed to fail?

The Budget Problem

First off, the budget is out of control. Reports say Marvel is spending around $400 million on special effects alone. Add in a massive cast — the original X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Thor, Shang-Chi, and more — and the costs skyrocket.

Robert Downey Jr. alone is reportedly earning $150 million for his return. Altogether, Avengers: Doomsday is expected to cost around $1 billion, which would make it the most expensive movie ever made. For comparison, The Rise of Skywalker cost about $490 million — not even half of that.

To make a profit, Doomsday would need to earn over $3 billion at the box office. That’s a nearly impossible goal, considering the highest-grossing movie in history, Avatar, made about $2.9 billion.

The Fan Problem

The second big issue is fan interest — or lack of it. Many Marvel fans have checked out since Endgame. YouTube polls (yes, not the most scientific source, but still telling) show that a large portion of fans think recent Marvel movies have been disappointing.

Here’s a look at a few examples:

  • Eternals: Average rating of 3.3 stars, with only 47% of critics giving it a positive review. Fans found the characters dull and the plot uneven.

  • The Marvels: Average rating of 2.5 stars — the lowest yet. Many reviews complained about weak dialogue, no character development, and a boring story.

  • Thunderbolts: Fared better with 4.2 stars. Some critics thought it was “too dark” for the MCU, but overall it wasn’t a bad movie. The problem was low expectations — a lot of people just didn’t bother seeing it.

To make matters worse, online polls show that fans are more excited for Spider-Man: Brand New Day than Avengers: Doomsday. That’s bad news when Marvel is spending so much more money on Doomsday.

Conclusion

Marvel might be aiming too high this time. The cast looks incredible, and I’m personally excited to see it — but between the sky-high budget and a shrinking fan base, Avengers: Doomsday could end up being Marvel’s biggest flop yet.

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