Marvel Comics’ Jonathan Hickman weighs in on Avengers: Doomsday before release
Avengers: Doomsday lands a comic-book connection that raises fresh questions about how Marvel’s iconic storylines might shape the film.
In a new interview published October 21, 2026, comics mastermind Jonathan Hickman said he’s been inside the room on Marvel ’s next team-up epic, reading drafts and consulting as Avengers: Doomsday takes shape. Hickman, whose storytelling has steered some of Marvel’s most ambitious comic arcs, described a behind-the-scenes process that’s been evolving as the studio resets its big-screen roadmap.
"I don't know that it 's common knowledge, but I consult for studios and read almost all the movies that they're making while they're in development… It has been fascinating watching that change over the past two and a half years since I've been reading scripts for it,"
He pointed to a momentum shift when Anthony and Joe Russo returned to direct with screenwriter Stephen McFeely back in the fold — and when Robert Downey Jr. signed on to rejoin the MCU as Doctor Doom. Hickman called the creative team “very, very nice” to him and said he’s energized by what they’re building.
"Those guys are very, very nice to me and take care of me; I'm very excited about what they're working on."
Why Hickman matters
Hickman’s stamp on Marvel lore is hard to miss. His runs on Fantastic Four and Avengers culminated in 2015’s Secret Wars, a multiverse-shattering saga that destroyed entire realities and stitched the survivors into Battleworld under Doom’s iron fist. The movies aren’t confirmed to follow those beats, but Hickman’s experience mapping massive crossovers makes his perspective unusually relevant to where the MCU is headed.
What’s locked in so far
- Robert Downey Jr. — returning to the franchise as Doctor Doom
- Directors — Anthony and Joe Russo
- Screenwriter — Stephen McFeely
- Release — Theatrical, December 18, 2026
Meanwhile, chatter around the follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars (due in 2027 ), is heating up. A report relayed by ComicBookMovie cites industry scooper MyTimeToShineHello claiming Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen could reprise Professor X and Magneto. That casting talk is unconfirmed by Marvel Studios.
For now, Marvel’s next big swing arrives first: Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters December 18, 2026.