Marvel Studios has once again made history, this time with a record-breaking livestream that had the entire internet hooked. Taking place on Wednesday, the broadcast served as the grand unveiling of the official cast for the upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday. Unlike traditional reveals filled with flashy visuals or teaser footage, this event took a bold and unconventional approach—showing nothing but a row of empty chairs, each bearing the name of an actor set to appear in the film.
The 5-hour-27-minute livestream, shared across Marvel’s social media platforms, slowly revealed each name every 10 to 15 minutes, keeping millions of fans in suspense. It kicked off with Chris Hemsworth, confirming his return as Thor, and concluded with the most shocking revelation of all—Robert Downey Jr. will be stepping into the role of Doctor Doom, marking his return to the MCU in an entirely new avatar.
Such was the impact of the event that it amassed an unprecedented 275 million digital views, making it Marvel’s biggest livestream ever. According to Deadline, it also became the most-watched cross-platform livestream in history, with viewership steadily increasing throughout its runtime. Social media was flooded with reactions, as the announcement trended at #1 on X (formerly Twitter) for over seven hours, generating more than 55 distinct trending topics throughout the day. Meanwhile, the official Marvel YouTube livestream trended at #2, proving the sheer global scale of excitement. Even after 24 hours, conversations about the announcement continued to dominate online discussions.
However, this may not be the final word on the Avengers: Doomsday cast. While 27 actors were officially revealed, including RDJ’s much-discussed comeback, fans suspect more surprises could be on the way. Downey Jr. himself hinted at this, commenting on Instagram: “That’s what you call a deep bench of talent… actually, it’s more like a row, but an extra-long one… That must be it… right?”
Marvel Studios only added fuel to the speculation, replying cryptically: “There’s always room for more.” This has sent fans into a frenzy, particularly as some major names—Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine—were notably absent from the initial reveal. Could another announcement be on the horizon?
