Robert Downey Jr. And Some Of The Avengers: Doomsday Cast Took A Field Trip To See Thunderbolts*, And I’m So Ready For All The Crossovers

Another Marvel movie has arrived to the 2025 movies schedule, as Thunderbolts* is now available for the public to see. While I won’t be sharing any spoilers for the latest MCU tale here, what isn’t a spoiler is that it was officially announced last month that many of Thunderbolts*’s starring characters will be back for next year’s Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr. and Simu Liu are among the many co-stars these folks will have in the upcoming Marvel movie, and after both men shared pictures of themselves and other Doomsday cast members going to see Thunderbolts*, I’m ready for the crossovers to commence.

Let’s start with Simu Liu, who debuted as the title character of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in fall 2021. Check out him alongside Winston Duke, Robert Downey Jr., Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Mackie at their Thunderbolts* screening in the below Instagram post:

Hi, yes, could I go to see movies with this group of guys, too? This is quite the collection of actors who play superheroes in the MCU… or in Downey’s case, I should say former superhero. Because following the death of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, Downey has returned to the franchise to play Doctor Doom, the big bad of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. As for Simu Liu, although Doomsday will mark his cinematic return as Shang-Chi, he did voice an alternate version of the character last year in What If… ? Season 3, which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.

Now let’s look at the photos Robert Downey Jr. shared on his own Instagram account, which include some other attendees not seen in Liu’s photo:

Alongside the aforementioned actors, Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss-Bachrach from The Fantastic Four: First Steps were also in attendance. We’ll meet their versions of Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Ben Grimm/The Thing this summer, and then they’ll be back for Avengers: Doomsday alongside Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Between Avengers, Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four and even some of the Fox-era X-Men characters, Doomsday is shaping up to be one hell of an event.

Needless to say that Avengers: Doomsday plot details are being kept a closely-guarded secret, though we at least know it’ll involve Doctor Doom wreaking havoc on the multiverse. Originally it was going to be Kang the Conqueror doing this, but after Marvel Studios fired Jonathan Majors at the end of 2023, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom was brought in to fill the big bad position. Both Doomsday and Secret Wars are being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Doomsday one year from today, on May 1, 2026. In the meantime, be sure to read our Thunderbolts* review and start getting yourself prepared for The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ release on July 25.