Turns out, they’re great! Early test screening reactions to Avengers: Doomsday are reportedly extremely positive, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom being compared to Thanos and James Marsden’s Cyclops emerging as one of the movie’s biggest surprises.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios recently held a screening of the upcoming Avengers sequel, and the current cut reportedly runs about two hours and 50 minutes, just shy of Avengers: Endgame’s three-hour runtime.
The biggest takeaway appears to be Downey’s return to the MCU.
Ever since Marvel revealed that the former Iron Man star would return as Victor Von Doom, fans have questioned whether audiences could accept one of the franchise’s most recognizable faces playing a completely different character.
If the reported reactions are any indication, Marvel may have pulled it off.
Doctor Doom is reportedly being praised as one of the MCU’s strongest villains, with comparisons already being made to Josh Brolin’s Thanos.
That is a high bar.
REELated:
Marvel drops first ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ trailer
Another reported standout is James Marsden’s Cyclops.
Marsden, who was fairly overlooked for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in the Foxmen universe, returns as Scott Summers. While Cyclops was frequently pushed to the sidelines in those films, Doomsday is reportedly giving the character considerably more to do.
For fans who have spent decades arguing that Cyclops never got his due on the big screen, that may be some of the most encouraging news yet.
The current version of the film is also said to contain one major post-credits scene, presumably setting up Avengers: Secret Wars, which follows next year.
Whether Marvel adds another stinger before release remains to be seen.
Avengers: Doomsday brings together characters from across multiple corners of the Marvel universe, including returning Avengers, the Fantastic Four and several members of the original X-Men cast.
Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd and Robert Downey Jr. are among the returning MCU veterans, while Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach represent The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Marsden are also returning from the X-Men franchise, alongside Channing Tatum following his appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Joe and Anthony Russo return to direct from a screenplay by longtime collaborator Stephen McFeely, with additional story work from Michael Waldron, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
The film arrives at a particularly important moment for Marvel Studios after several years of uneven reactions to the Multiverse Saga.
If these early reports hold up, Doomsday may be exactly the reset Marvel has been hoping for.
So yes, the Avengers: Doomsday test reactions are not good. They’re apparently much better than that.
Like, great.
Can. Not. Wait.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
