The Avengers are back, and so is the buzz. After racking up 503 million views in 24 hours, the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is now the second most-viewed trailer launch in history, landing behind fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) outing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which collected 719 million views within the same time frame.

The latter would later spin another milestone, becoming the first film trailer to surpass the 1.1 billion mark in four days. 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine was the previous record holder and currently sits in third place, with its Super Bowl teaser scoring 365 million views. In comparison, the trailer for Avengers: Endgame amassed 289 million views in one day, and the almost-double views bodes well for the directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s first lead MCU feature since 2019. The pair is directing from a script by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, and will helm its 2027 sequel, Secret Wars.

The marketing for Avengers: Doomsday can be traced back to last December with the rollout of four teaser clips, culminating in the official trailer that assembles the entire MCU, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Thunderbolts (aka the New Avengers). Naturally, the list of returning cast is extensive, and all of the stars will reprise their respective roles, from Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi to Channing Tatum’s Gambit from Deadpool & Wolverine. Robert Downey Jr. is also back, this time as primary antagonist Doctor Doom, and the reappearance of Chris Evans’ Captain America has sparked speculation about his true identity (Hydra Cap from an alternate universe, perhaps?).

The 39th instalment in the MCU is set for theatrical release on 18 December, the same day as Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part III and a few months after Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Both comic book movies are expected to be among the year’s biggest releases, before Secret Wars steps in to conclude Phase Six of the MCU on 17 December 2027.