‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Comic Ties Explained, and What To Read Before the Movie

Marvel fans have been digging through decades of back issues trying to figure out exactly which comic run inspired ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and the search has led straight to one of the most acclaimed sagas in the publisher’s history. With Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the role of Doctor Doom, speculation has swirled for months about how closely the film will mirror its source material, and now there is real clarity on the matter.

The short answer is that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is not a direct panel-for-panel adaptation of a single issue, but it does draw heavily from a specific and beloved comic arc that longtime readers will recognize instantly.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Comic Inspiration

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed that the film pulls from Jonathan Hickman’s run on ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers,’ specifically the arc known as Time Runs Out. Feige told Entertainment Weekly that the story of ‘Doomsday’ is inspired by a famous comic run in which universes collide and different timelines encounter one another, which allows the film to bring in different casts from different franchises.

Time Runs Out ran through the pages of ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers’ under Hickman and centered on the final days of the Marvel Universe as it began experiencing incursions, which are multiversal events where two parallel Earths occupy the same space. That premise lines up directly with the multiversal scale that ‘Doomsday’ is expected to bring to the screen.

In the comics, the Illuminati, a group led by Iron Man and Mister Fantastic, try to stop the incursions but eventually clash with the Avengers squad led by Captain America, along with a Cabal of warriors led by the Atlantean king Namor. That web of alliances and betrayals is exactly the kind of sprawling ensemble dynamic that early looks at ‘Doomsday’ have teased among its massive cast.

What to Read Before Seeing the Film

For readers wanting a head start, the most direct entry point is Hickman’s Time Runs Out storyline itself, which unfolds across the main ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers’ titles. Many comic book fans have been waiting years for Time Runs Out, alongside the 2015 version of Secret Wars, to make it to the screen, since Hickman delivered a story that felt equal parts apocalyptic and personal.

Beyond Hickman’s run, another title has been floated as connective tissue for Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as the villain. Emperor Doom, written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bob Hall, is seen by some fans and critics as a book that sets the stage for Doom’s eventual multiversal power play, even though the Infamous Iron Man storyline by Brian Michael Bendis initially drew comparisons because of Downey’s casting. Emperor Doom, part of the Marvel Graphic Novel line, follows Doctor Doom as he enslaves the world by harnessing the power of the villain Purple Man.

There has also been chatter online that the film might be leaning on Secret Wars in a more literal sense than expected. A report citing a leaker who claimed to have seen the film described its plot as essentially Hickman’s New Avengers and Secret Wars run woven together with the MCU’s own mainline story. In that framing, the Illuminati lineup of Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Beast, and Namor were the group who originally came together to deal with the incursions tearing apart the Multiverse.

It is worth noting that not every outlet agrees a single book or run should be treated as mandatory reading. Some analysts have pointed out that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is not based on one single comic and that Marvel tends to adapt the vibes of a story rather than its literal panels, with the original 1984 Secret Wars often cited as foundational groundwork worth revisiting for context.

Why the Comic Connection Matters For Fans

The reason this particular comic run resonates so strongly with the upcoming film comes down to structure. Time Runs Out began after the first arc of New Avengers, when Steve Rogers objected to the Illuminati’s extreme measures and the group erased his memory of their actions, including the existence of the incursions, prompting Tony Stark to team with Steve to launch a massive, world spanning version of the Avengers.

Looking at the ensemble Marvel has assembled for ‘Doomsday,’ it becomes easier to see the comic’s fingerprints all over the casting choices. Fans looking at the cast list have noted that the heroes of the MCU appear to be building their own version of that massive, planet spanning Avengers lineup from the comics.

For readers who just want the confirmed baseline before walking into theaters, the film’s official production details give a broader framing of where the story sits within Marvel’s comic history. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is based on the Avengers, the Marvel Comics superhero team created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and is intended to serve as the sequel to ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

‘Secret Wars’ Sets Up the Bigger Picture

Since ‘Doomsday’ is really the first half of a two part story, understanding where things are headed also means understanding the comic that caps off Hickman’s saga. Many longtime readers have waited years for both Time Runs Out and the 2015 version of Secret Wars to finally reach the screen, since together they form one of the most emotionally devastating epics in Marvel Comics history.

That two part structure mirrors how Marvel Studios has openly framed the connection between this film and its 2027 follow up. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ are both being produced by Marvel Studios and AGBO and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures as they continue the Avengers superhero team’s story on screen.

So while there is no single issue you need to track down before opening night, reading Jonathan Hickman’s Time Runs Out arc across ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers’ will give you the clearest possible roadmap for where ‘Doomsday’ is headed, especially once Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom starts making his move.

What comic connection are you most hoping to see show up on screen when ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ finally arrives this December.