Empire’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Guide Recaps What to Know Before Doom Arrives, and Not Everything Is a Spoiler

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ less than 2 months away, the film’s marketing has shifted from teasing to preparing audiences. Marvel itself has encouraged fans to catch up on a list of 15 movies and shows through Disney+, and entertainment outlets have rushed out their own homework guides. The goal is simple: get casual viewers ready for a crossover that spans several corners of the franchise.

Empire magazine is the latest to join in, and photos of its new feature have started to circulate online with the label that it “spoiled” details about the film. A look at the visible pages suggests something more modest. The spread is headlined with a call to school up on a superhero showdown and asks readers whether they are prepared for the film, promising that the magazine is there to help.

That framing matters, because the feature appears to be a primer rather than a leak. Based on the portions visible, it pulls together what is already public, including the bonus scenes added to ‘Avengers Endgame: Encore’ and comments the filmmakers have made in recent interviews. There is no sign in the pages that it reveals new plot beats.

Empire Magazine just spoiled details about Avengers: Doomsday #avengersdoomsday https://t.co/pfushYnqTC

— Brewski (@Brewski_007) October 27, 2026

One section deals with Bruce Banner. It notes that Doom can be heard but not seen in the ‘Encore’ scene, apparently kidnapping Banner, and suggests he could be doing it to gain muscle, since fighting the Avengers could be easier with a Hulk on his side. That is Empire’s own analysis rather than a statement from the directors, though the Russos have been teasing the character’s role.

Joe Russo told Empire that Banner is “certainly involved in the story that revolves around Doom,” while declining to confirm or deny his appearance in the film. He also said Doom’s interest may extend beyond Banner. Together, those comments help explain why the magazine is paying so much attention to the scene.

The ‘Encore’ re-release added about 4 minutes of new material, including a new introduction from the Russos. One new scene shows Loki interrupting Steve and Peggy’s domestic bliss, and another shows the Time Variance Authority witnessing the multiverse’s first Incursions, with thousands taking place by the time it ends. The Russos have described that sequence as the most profound thing to ever happen in the MCU.

Anthony Russo has also hinted that Loki will have a new incarnation in ‘Doomsday’, moving from the God of Mischief to a figure holding the multiverse together. Another scene shows Doom forging his mask, reframing the famous clanging sound at the end of the original film. These details make up the bulk of what fans need to know going into the movie.

The Russos have long insisted that the film’s marketing is part of the story. Earlier this year, they told Empire that each trailer carries narrative information and that ‘Doomsday’ had already started for audiences. That attitude fits with a campaign that has revealed plot through trailers, special looks and bonus scenes rather than a single big reveal.

The film itself brings together the Avengers, the Wakandans, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers and the X-Men against Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron wrote the script. The directors have also promised more surprises, saying they have not announced every character and actor involved.

He used to be different. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc https://t.co/OUutSMZneq

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026

Empire was also the first to share that the film’s UK release date is moving up from December 18 to December 16, a change Disney later confirmed. Both ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ landed in UK cinemas a day or two before their wider rollouts. The new date also gives British moviegoers a way to space out ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’, which has preview screenings from December 15.

Elsewhere, the film opens on December 18 in the United States and Japan, while China gets it on December 16. With presales already breaking records, the pressure to prepare audiences is growing. A guide like Empire’s is part of that machinery.

For fans worried about spoilers, the reassuring takeaway is that the magazine seems to be recapping rather than revealing. For everyone else, it is a handy refresher on the most important threads. The real surprises, as always, are being saved for the theater.

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