Disney wasted little time reminding fans just how much firepower it has in the vault. Thousands of fans descended on Anaheim Friday for the opening of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where an expanded convention floor at the Anaheim Convention Center gave way to the night’s main attraction: the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the Honda Center.
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro opened the sold-out presentation by emphasizing the unusually deep relationship the company has built with audiences across generations, platforms and continents.
“Disney has something no other brand on Earth can claim,” D’Amaro told the crowd, describing a connection that extends from theme parks and cruise ships to theaters, streaming and Broadway.
He put the scale at more than four billion fans worldwide – rughly half the world’s population.
Then Marvel Studios brought out the heavy artillery.
Kevin Feige was joined onstage by Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell to debut a special look at Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios’ next major ensemble event, opening Dec. 18.
Downey returns to the MCU in a dramatically different role as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom, while Evans returns as Steve Rogers and Atwell reprises Peggy Carter.
Marvel also unveiled a new poster, with tickets now on sale.
Three universes collide
According to Marvel, Avengers: Doomsday will bring heroes from three distinct universes together on what the studio describes as a deadly collision course as they confront an existential threat unlike anything they’ve faced before. Watch below:
REELated:
Ranking every Tom Holland Spider-Man appearance in the MCU
Anthony and Joe Russo return to direct, with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Jonathan Schwartz producing.
The cast reads like Marvel opened every toy box at once.
Downey, Evans and Atwell are joined by Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer, Kathryn Newton, Danny Ramirez, Winston Duke, Alan Cumming, Hannah John-Kamen, Rebecca Romijn, Mabel Cadena and Tenoch Huerta Mejia.
The lineup brings together characters from across the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men corners of Marvel’s multiverse.
And the presence of Downey, Evans and Atwell together on the D23 stage gave fans their clearest indication yet that Marvel is leaning heavily into its history while building toward its next phase.
Disney flexes the fandom
The Doomsday reveal was also an effective demonstration of D’Amaro’s larger point.
D23 has grown into far more than a convention announcement weekend. It is Disney’s opportunity to put its entire ecosystem – films, television, parks, consumer products and fandom – into one place and let each part amplify the others.
The Anaheim Convention Center is hosting immersive experiences, fan programming, exclusive merchandise and expanded show-floor attractions throughout the weekend, while the Honda Center showcases serve as the company’s biggest stage for upcoming entertainment.
Friday night made clear that Marvel remains one of the strongest cards Disney can play.
And bringing Robert Downey Jr. back to D23, this time not as Tony Stark but as Doctor Doom, is one hell of a way to start the weekend.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters Dec. 18, 2026.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
