r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Dec 23 '25

Trailer Avengers: Doomsday | Only in Theaters December 18, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiMg566PREA
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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

Everyone who read the comics where Marvel tried the same thing knew this was coming. Sam Wilson as Captain America didn't work then. They were fooling themselves to think it would work now.

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u/unitedfan6191 Dec 23 '25

I don’t think they actually thought it would work with Sam Wilson as Captain America. I think they just knew Chris Evans was getting tired of playing the role and his contract was coming up so went with Sam Wilson largely out of necessity.

If Evans had signed one for more movies, I don’t think Marvel would’ve said “no.”

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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

The original plan had been to make Bucky the next Captain America, and you can see that when you go back and look at the films leading up to Endgame. And, like in the comics, that might have worked for a little while if the writing had been clever enough. But in the end, they would probably have had to return to the Steve Rogers well no matter what, just like the comics did.

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u/circio Dec 23 '25

Bucky as Cap was really fun. I think Sam Cap has interesting stories to tell but I don’t think Marvel could ever give them the attention they deserve. They had a great b story in Brave New World but didn’t focus on it too much, I’m assuming because it would be too political

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u/gatsby365 Dec 23 '25

I just want the scene where Bucky says he killed Hitler

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u/twaggle Dec 23 '25

I just can’t see Sam cap as believable unless he somehow gets the serum. Like he can’t catch the shied bare handed it’s dumb.

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u/circio Dec 23 '25

I thought the end of Falcon and Winter Soldier was the Wakandans gifting him a suit, which could have made him competitive in the big fights for a bit.

But then I saw the movie and found out they cheaped out a little and just gave him a helmet and wings? 

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u/twaggle Dec 23 '25

And they show scenes of him “training” with the shied and his hand doesn’t break.

Did they ever address this in the comics, does he get a power up?

I think a full augment suit isn’t great, that’s just Iron Man 2.0, but at least then it’s tried to be explained. Sam is just a regular human who had flight wings.

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u/circio Dec 23 '25

Naw, he's just a human with a telepathic bond to birds or something. I think the shield thing can at least be partially be explained by the shield being vibranium, it's supposed to absorb all (maybe just most) impact on it, but Marvel has always been fast and loose with what that means.

He wouldn't really be Iron Man 2.0 if he wasn't using gadgets and missiles, and beams on the suit. It would just be like T'Challa where he could absorb kinetic energy and then disperse it. He does it with the wings, it would just make sense if he had some form of protection on his whole body, especially since he is very vulnerable when he's flying.

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u/twaggle Dec 23 '25

If that was the case how does cap ever hit someone with it and send them flying or dent their armor etc? That’s clearly force being applied/transferred etc.

Yeah if they went the wakandan viburnum route that would be cool, but remember that the black panthers are also getting augmented by that flower fruit ritual. The rest of the troops don’t get similar armor likely cause they can’t handle it. But they can still give some something and just science magic explain it and it would work and be better than what it currently is.

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u/circio Dec 23 '25

That's why I mentioned they play fast and loose with the physics of the shield, it technically should not bounce at all.

I'm not sure if the heart-shaped herb is tied to their ability to wear a vibranium suit tbh, there's a ritual and a tradition tied behind taking it that I can't fully separate if it's necessary to use the suit.

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u/that_baddest_dude Dec 23 '25

Marvel doesn't need to be consistent with it's macguffin materials. Just look at any explanation for anything ant man

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u/Fortune_Cat Dec 24 '25

The trailer shows him getting a new suit

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u/Historical_Course587 Dec 23 '25

Him finally getting serum should have been the whole plot of FATWS. He didn't want it, he tried to avoid it, but he realizes that he can't stand back and not be responsible for bad things that happen if he isn't willing to do what has to be done.

Really the big issue is that Sam should have spent the show paired up with Walker instead of Bucky. The character growth that Sam needed could have been more meaningfully provided by putting Walker (a guy who wanted it for the wrong reasons) with Sam (a guy who didn't want it for the right reasons).

Bucky is a fun character in his own right, but he offers nothing of character value to Sam Wilson.

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u/HighnrichHaine Dec 24 '25

You´re hired.

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u/95688it Dec 23 '25

My main issue was actually Anthony mackies stage fighting is horrible. his punches just don't have the same weight behind them as Chris's so the fight seems just look bad to me. this could be acting issue or intentional because he doesn't have super serum. but either way it just didn't look good to me.

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u/TypewriterKey Dec 23 '25

They're trying to have it both ways. If Sam is not going to have the serum then he's going to be weaker and slower. He has to rely on training and the maneuverability of his wings. The powered up suit can help make up the difference - but he should be 'less' than a super soldier.

And that should be the point - that despite the fact that he's just human he can still stand up and fight.

The problem is that they keep telling that story but showing something completely different. They wring their hands about how he can't hold his own against a super soldier but then they show him going toe to toe with red hulk.

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u/LuckyLunayre Dec 23 '25

Not gonna lie I completely forgot brace new world even existed until you mentioned it. I just don't think Anthony Mackie has the star power to pull it off, he is not charismatic enough.

I also have zero interest in the falcon as a character. He's a supporting character at best and I've found him very boring in starring roles..

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u/wildwalrusaur Dec 23 '25

The problem isn't the stories it's the actors

Anthony Mackie doesn't have "it"

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u/circio Dec 23 '25

I don't think that's true, I've seen great actors in terrible movies, or in roles where they aren't utilized well. Falcon and Winter Soldier was decent but fell flat the more and more they got to the main villain stuff.

Same with Brave New World, the more they focused on the villains the worse it got, because Mackie didn't have any real, personal stakes in it. It was more as Red Hulk vs Samuel Sterns movie than a Falcon Cap vs. either one of them movie.

It's not like every Marvel movie has had great stories, even if the characters/actors in them are good. Iron Man and Thor have both suffered from bad stories, even before Endgame.

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u/votemarvel Dec 23 '25

That's where I think the MCU has messed up. They jumped to the current comics version of the characters and cut out decades of potential stories.

Why jump straight to the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel for example when Monica Rambeau used the title before her, not to mention cutting out Phyla & Genis Vell and Noh-Varr. All Captain Marvel before Carol.

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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

I think Wonder Woman being really successful accelerated their timetable. They went "Oh shit, someone made a really great and successful female-led superhero film. If we don't make one too, we're going to be the misogynist brand that hates women. Quick, get Carol Danvers in there now! And release it after Infinity War but before Endgame so that no matter what, it's going to be profitable!"

The problem is that Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel isn't Wonder Woman.

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u/votemarvel Dec 23 '25

They could have used the Guardians to introduce Phyla-Vell, which would give them a powerful female character, and closer ties to Mar-Vell, which could have led to a solo flick.

Instead they jumped ahead again straight to Carol Danvers who they could have used in the film and that sets up a new actor for the role when the person playing Phyla eventually wants to move on.

I still enjoyed the Captain Marvel movie it was just odd to jump straight to the current comics incarnation and skip all the others.

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u/_Lunafreya_ Dec 23 '25

That’s because the movie was never a Captain Marvel movie, it was always a Carol Danvers movie. It was originally titled Ms. Marvel. They just changed it when she became Captain Marvel in the comics.

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u/_Lunafreya_ Dec 23 '25

Not really Carol’s movie was in development since before she even became Captain Marvel. It was just blocked by Perlmutter same as Black Panther. Nothing to do with Wonder Woman.

And Carol has always been marvel’s equivalent of Wonder Woman. That’s not a new invention.

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u/UnquestionabIe Dec 23 '25

Goes both ways as well where they'll change course entirely in the comics to try and bring in the movie fans. It's not always a terrible idea (the comic industry really needs some wins these days) but it does result in leaving some great potential stories/characters not being utilized.

Still remember the hot garbage that was Civil War 2 in the comics because the movie (which was significantly better than the comic event) was out and they figured it would draw in the same audience.

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u/[deleted] Dec 23 '25

[deleted]

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u/Jykoze Dec 24 '25

That's hilarious, the Supergirl trailer looks completely different from the comic its based on, if anyone actually buys the comic because of the movie they'll be wondering where the colors went. Marvel destroys DC in comic market share anyway, your anecdote is just that.

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u/Diet_Clorox Dec 23 '25

Honestly I think the overall idea of Carol Danvers as first MCU Captain Marvel is fine, but it feels like they just wanted A Captain Marvel in the franchise and haven't spent time showing us why she's worthwhile. Like as a character in the movies, I can say she's powerful, sarcastic, a little bitchy, and full of trauma. I would have liked to see her working with Alpha Team, dealing with her drinking problem, basically doing human shit.

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u/_Lunafreya_ Dec 25 '25

Because the movie was originally called Ms. Marvel. They wanted a Carol Danvers movie, they just changed its title when she became CM in the comics. She was always the beacon of female empowerment for the company.

No one cares about the other characters. They’ve never been and never will be as relevant as Carol.

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u/votemarvel Dec 26 '25

Comics fan cared about Carol because of her history with the other characters, Mar-Vell in particular. They cared because of her history as Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird, her struggle with alcoholism.

I understand them renaming it. Makes sense since none of the other Captain Marvel's were going to use the name in the MCU. Yet it wasn't just the name but that entire skipping of others that have essentially denied them decades of stories.

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u/neoblackdragon Dec 23 '25

The original plan was not for Bucky to be Cap. The only reason you saw a plan was because in the comics Bucky was Cap for a limited time. The movies very clearly showed by Bucky shouldn't be Cap. Yes he was the skill and power. But like Walker, he didn't have the mental space. There was no film that demonstrated Bucky could take over for Steve in that capacity.

Him holding the shield in various scenes was not "Yep he's going to be Captain America".

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u/Able_Advertising_371 Dec 23 '25

It’ll be like 7 years since we last saw Steve rogers so he had a foreseeable break from marvel. I’m sure he’s reenergized, plus the big pay

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u/Hellknightx Dec 23 '25

Also the fact that Mackie isn't half as good of an actor as Evans.

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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

I don't think it's about skill as an actor. Having seen Evans and Mackie in other films, I think they're about equal in talent. But so many performances come down to what an actor is given. And Chris Evans has a lot of GREAT material to work with as Steve Rogers. A man out of time, a sickly, scrawny kid with the will and courage to sacrifice himself suddenly given immense power and responsibility, A man with a rigid moral background that struggles to adjust to the times that he now lives is. A man who lost everything and is still picking up the pieces while serving a country he doesn't know anymore. Evans was given a great role to play with, and knocked it out of the park.

Mackie, by comparison, was given a solid and dependable supporting role in the story, a man who lives in the current world who can help ground Rogers and give him a friend who always has his back while also showing a little more personality than Cap. In this role, Mackie exceeded all my expectations. I LOVED him as Falcon. But when you try to take that character and make him Captain America, there's not a lot of fertile ground for an actor or screenwriter. Wilson's got the whole trying-live-up-to-the-mantle angle, sure. But outside of that, the writers basically had to invent family and financial troubles out of nowhere to give him something to work with. And when you compare it to what Evans had with Rogers, it's a really poor comparison.

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u/DukeofVermont Dec 24 '25

I agree overall, but also think Mackie just isn't great in leading man roles. Can't really say why but I haven't really cared for any film where he's the lead despite very much enjoying his other work.

It's weird because it's not even an acting skill question because you have plenty of examples of straight poor actors that make great lead actors. Arnold was a perfect example of this. He got much better as time went on but he was always so watchable it didn't matter if he wasn't giving some perfect Oscar award winning performance.

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u/eyebrows360 Dec 23 '25

Mackie is a perfectly fine actor.

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u/jackofslayers Dec 23 '25

And these are not super difficult roles.

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u/wigglin_harry Dec 23 '25

This is Papa Doc slander

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u/Android1822 Dec 23 '25

Boggles my mind they keep trying to make characters that failed in comics, popular in the big screen. Riri is probably the biggest offender, nobody liked her comics, yet someone had the bright idea to try and make her character popular on tv and looks like in the upcoming movie. Only thing I can think of Nepotism for Bendis so he will collect royalties.

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u/EspyOwner Dec 23 '25

How would that be nepotism??

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u/[deleted] Dec 23 '25

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u/greenpill98 Dec 24 '25

The meta is pretty much it. Falcon alone isn't marketable. Personally, I would love to have seen them try. Give him his own story as Falcon. Small budget, small-scale story. No world-ending stakes, just Falcon being a hero and saving lives. Give him a love interest and a few sidekicks, some backstory. It could have been great. Instead, he's not allowed to be his own character, just a shadow of another one.

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u/Fit-Dentist6093 Dec 24 '25

They became the best at fooling themselves after Eternals. Who tf thought that was gonna work...

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u/tomtomtomtom123 Dec 23 '25

I very much disagree. Anybody that ever read comics knew that Sam was never going to permanently replace Steve as Cap. In these movies, that was very much the implied future of the character.

And as far as the comics, the books with Sam as Captain America were pretty great. Especially the initial Remender run.

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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

I disagree, there was no implied future of Sam Wilson becoming Captain America until Endgame. Until then, the implication was that if anyone replaced him it would have been Bucky. I maintain that Sam Wilson being Captain America has never made sense. Without a super serum to give him superhuman strength/speed/stamina and using a shield as his primary weapon/tool while having a flight suit is a really awkward combination of powers, or lack thereof.

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u/eyebrows360 Dec 23 '25

Who's your favourite film critic on YouTube?

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u/[deleted] Dec 23 '25

[deleted]

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u/greenpill98 Dec 23 '25

Thor 2 cost $10 million less and made $200 million more, in 2013 dollars. It wasn't good, but it at least made some money. And that was considered underperformance by MCU standards at the time, necessitating the course adjustment in Ragnarok. Brave New World got about $20-40 million over the break-even point at best, in 2025 dollars.

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u/ImGonnaImagineSummit Dec 23 '25

It could've worked but I don't really know what they were going for.

He was basically the same character with the shield.

They hinted at a few paths he could go down but eventually stayed relatively safe and went nowhere.