With Avengers: Doomsday just two months away, Marvel fans are hungry for any scrap of information about the upcoming blockbuster. While the plot remains tightly under wraps, star Hayley Atwell has just dropped a tantalizing hint about the film's creative process, confirming that the Russo Brothers shot multiple storylines—some of which ultimately didn't make the final cut.
Atwell, who reprises her role as Peggy Carter in the multiverse-spanning epic, recently spoke with The Playlist about the ambitious production. She described the film as "so epic" and "extraordinary" in scope, revealing that the team experimented with different narrative paths during filming. "We tried different things, we shot different things, there were different storylines, some picked up, some developed, some dropped away," she said. The goal, she explained, was to find what "makes the most sense for those characters" and their roles in this new chapter of the MCU.
This isn't surprising given the sheer scale of Avengers: Doomsday. The film is set to unite heroes from across the MCU's past, present, and future—from the pre-MCU era to the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga—as they face the formidable Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. With such a massive ensemble, it's inevitable that some storylines would be left on the cutting room floor.
The film's post-credits scenes in Avengers: Endgame: Encore teased the TVA and Doctor Doom's full debut, setting the stage for what promises to be a monumental showdown. The Russo Brothers, who helmed Infinity War and Endgame, are back at the helm, and expectations are sky-high.
For fans looking to catch up before the December release, Disney+ has curated a list of "mandatory viewing" titles. This includes classics like X-Men, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Infinity War, and Endgame, as well as newer entries like Loki, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Captain America: Brave New World, Deadpool & Wolverine, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. These projects are essential for understanding the characters and plot threads that will converge in Doomsday.
While Atwell's comments confirm that not everything filmed will make it to theaters, they also highlight the care and thought going into the film. "It really is with the intention of finding the thing that makes the most sense for those characters," she said, reassuring fans that the final product will be a cohesive and satisfying experience.
As we count down to December, one thing is clear: Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious superhero films ever made. For more on the MCU's future, check out our look at Hawkeye's absence and why Infinity War remains the franchise's peak.
