Massive fan speculation has erupted following a viral piece of promotional material for *Avengers: Doomsday*, suggesting a potential return of Thanos, only for him to be dramatically defeated by Marvel’s newest overarching villain, Doctor Doom. This intriguing possibility stems from a recent light show presented at Disney’s official Marketing Expo in Shanghai, China.

During the *Avengers: Doomsday* light show, which highlighted Robert Downey Jr.'s anticipated debut as Victor von Doom, audiences were treated to a shocking visual. Approximately one minute and fifteen seconds into the spectacle, an image appeared showing Doctor Doom triumphantly holding a skeleton. Comic book enthusiasts immediately recognized this as a direct callback to Jonathan Hickman and Alex Ross’ *Secret Wars* (2015) storyline, where Doctor Doom brutally obliterates Thanos by tearing the Mad Titan’s spine from his body. The Shanghai light show appeared to replicate this iconic panel, hinting at its potential adaptation for the big screen.

While Josh Brolin’s version of Thanos has been canonically dead since *Avengers: Endgame*, the Marvel Cinematic Universe frequently revisits characters, especially with the multiverse expected to play a significant role in *Avengers: Doomsday*. The most likely scenario, should this comic moment be adapted, is that a Variant of Thanos would appear, only to be swiftly dispatched by Doom. This swift defeat would serve to instantly establish Doctor Doom's formidable power and dominance as the new ultimate threat to the Avengers.

Fans should not necessarily expect the full level of gore depicted in the comic source material, but the visual of Doom dismantling the Infinity Saga’s previous big bad would be more than enough to cement him as the most terrifying adversary the Avengers have ever encountered. This hardcore visual has already achieved its goal, generating significant excitement and setting the stage for Doctor Doom to be crowned the MCU's ultimate villain.

*Avengers: Doomsday*, set to be the 39th film in the MCU, promises to feature the largest cast of Marvel heroes yet, with 27 confirmed Marvel Studios stars and legacy actors slated to face Doom’s wrath. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026.