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Marvel has used a baseball broadcast to joke about one of its own storylines. During Game 1 of the World Series, a promotional video for Avengers: Doomsday, made with Major League Baseball, showed Paul Rudd's Ant-Man struggling to work out who holds the title of Captain America.
The clip was shown at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where the Brewers hosted the Tampa Bay Rays, and to fans watching at home. A new trailer for the film played alongside it, offering fresh glimpses of characters ahead of the December release.
In the video, Ant-Man appears confused after the return of Steve Rogers. He notes that Chris Evans' character once held the Captain America mantle, while Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson currently carries the shield. The exchange pokes fun at how the role has changed hands, and it reminds viewers how layered the franchise's history has become. Rogers, the original Captain America, appears in the video back in his element.
Borrowing baseball's ritual
The video is built around the ceremonial first pitch. Pedro Pascal, who plays Mister Fantastic, throws it from the mound, and Joseph Quinn's Human Torch catches it. MLB had already teased the collaboration on social media with a short clip showing the Avengers logo glowing in a green-tinted sky above the ballpark.
A familiar face as the villain
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the franchise, but not as Iron Man. He plays the main antagonist, Victor von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom.
Two universes meet
The film brings together characters from the Fantastic Four and X-Men universes. Patrick Stewart reprises Professor X and Ian McKellen returns as Magneto. Alan Cumming plays Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn plays Mystique. James Marsden is set to appear as Cyclops, and Channing Tatum returns as Gambit.
Returning Marvel heroes include Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mackie as Captain America, Rudd as Ant-Man, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta as Namor and Winston Duke as M'Baku. Hayley Atwell is also expected back.
One role still hidden
Not every part has been revealed. Sandra Hüller is reported to have a secret cameo, but details of her role have not been made public.
Release dates
Avengers: Doomsday opens in Indian theatres on December 17, 2026, a day before its United States release on December 18. The tie-up gave Marvel a way to reach sports fans and superhero followers at the same time, using one of America's biggest sporting events to build interest in a film that is shaping up as one of the studio's largest ensemble releases.
English (US) ·