The Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers” franchise (2012-) is set to return to the silver screen after more than seven years.

Marvel Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, released the first trailer for the series’ fifth installment, “Avengers: Doomsday” (2026), on its YouTube channel on Tuesday.

The 80-second trailer drew attention by revealing the return of Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, portrayed by actor Chris Evans.

Steve last appeared in “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), in which he completed a time-travel mission before reemerging as an elderly man, handing his iconic shield to fellow Avenger Sam Wilson, played by actor Anthony Mackie, and stepping away from the spotlight.

In the newly released trailer, however, Steve appears once again in his younger form, riding a motorcycle down a road before entering a rural farmhouse. Scenes follow of Captain America’s suit being placed into a box and Steve holding a baby in his arms as he looks down tenderly. No other Avengers appear in the trailer aside from Rogers.

The trailer then cuts to a black screen bearing the words, “Steve Rogers Will Return In Avengers: Doomsday,” followed by a countdown clock and the film’s scheduled release date of Dec. 18, 2026.

A premiere date for Korean theaters has not been revealed.

According to the U.S. movie database IMDb, the film will also feature returning cast members from previous installments, including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Robert Downey Jr., who is being introduced as a new character, Doctor Doom.

If the film is released as planned next December, it will mark the franchise’s return approximately seven years and eight months after the April 2019 release of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Brother directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed the “Avengers” series, shared the trailer on their joint Instagram account, writing, “The character that changed our lives. The story that brought us all here together. It was always going to come back to this.”

Marvel previously announced plans in July last year at the 2024 Comic-Con International event in San Diego, California, to produce “Avengers: Doomsday” and its sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars” (2027).
At the event, Downey appeared in person and surprised fans by revealing his new role as the villain Doctor Doom.

After meeting a heroic end as Iron Man in “Avengers: Endgame,” Downey said of his return to the franchise in a villainous role, “New mask, same task. What can I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters.”

Doctor Doom is one of Marvel Comics’ most formidable villains, possessing powers rivaling those of Thanos.

The “Avengers” franchise has been particularly successful in Korea, with three of its four installments surpassing 10 million admissions. “Avengers: Endgame” remains the country’s highest-grossing foreign film of all time, drawing a cumulative audience of 13.97 million. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) also generated major buzz among local fans after filming large-scale location scenes around Gangnam Station in southern Seoul and Sangam-dong in Mapo District, western Seoul.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]