The first official Avengers: Doomsday teaser is here, and the 12-month countdown is on

Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo have sidestepped the swarm of social media leaks with their own official teaser for the Marvel crossover event, complete with a fitting secret message.

The Russos posted a short clip to their Instagram account, marking exactly one year until the release of Avengers: Doomsday. From there, a clock starts ticking down, with a 'glitch' revealing the message DOOMSDAY.

This all comes in the wake of recent Avengers: Doomsday leaks, largely thanks to the first in a series of four trailers seemingly being released early in some cinemas. Worse still for Marvel was a Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer that was quickly removed from the internet.

The Avengers: Doomsday teaser, which was set to be attached to screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash this week, appears to show Chris Evans' Steve Rogers returning home to Peggy Carter and cradling his child. A message is then shown: Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday. The remaining three trailers purportedly focus on Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, and the movie itself.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on December 18, 2026. As shown by March's ultra-long livestream, the full cast is stacked. It includes legacy MCU actors, post-Endgame heroes, plus X-Men, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four actors.

The Thunderbolts post-credits scene even set up Avengers: Doomsday with its reveal that the Fantastic Four ship had entered Earth-616's reality for reasons unknown. Doctor Doom also appeared in the Fantastic Four post-credits scene next to Franklin Richards, though his face wasn't shown.

For more, check out our guides to Marvel Phase 6 and upcoming Marvel movies. Then dive back into the MCU's past with a complete look at how to watch the Marvel movies in order.