New Avengers: Doomsday Footage From Comic-Con Reveals Doctor Doom's 'Stolen Lives' Betrayal

Another Avengers: Doomsday trailer has surfaced, and this one was not officially released. What is out there is a pretty decent cell phone recording taken from Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, and it is a Doctor Doom focused trailer. I want to walk through it scene by scene, explain what was said, and show how several shots line up with images that leaked months ago.

Sue's Opening Narration Reveals a History Between Victor and the Fantastic Four

The trailer opens with narration from Sue Storm, set in the Fantastic Four's apartment after Doom has already betrayed the Avengers and the X-Men. She says, "Victor was always the smartest guy in every room. He used to be different. He was kind, caring." That line stands out because Reed Richards is generally considered the smartest man alive on any Earth he exists on, so hearing Sue describe Victor that way suggests a history between them, and possibly even a comic accurate rivalry between Reed and Victor going back to their college days.

After a shot of Doom's throne and the Marvel Studios logo, we return to Sue in the Baxter Building apartment, where Magneto, Gambit, and other heroes are seen listening to her talk about Victor. This Comic-Con footage also confirms the legitimacy of an AI enhanced image that had been circulating online, along with other images that had leaked months earlier and are now shown to be real.

The Steve Rogers Window Shot May Be From His Life in the Fantastic Four Universe

The trailer cuts to Steve sitting by a window, edited to look like he is in the room listening to Sue, but I think this is actually pulled from a separate scene. One possibility is that this is the moment Loki visits Steve in the past to offer moving him and his family to the Fantastic Four universe so they can live in peace without creating a branching timeline. The official trailer released the week before showed that same Loki by the window shot, with Steve holding a TVA card and wearing a wedding ring.

However, in this Comic-Con shot, Steve has long hair and a beard, which does not match the clean cut, short haired look from the "Steve Rogers will return" character trailer. That makes me think this shot is actually Steve years later, living his life in the Fantastic Four universe, now being visited by Doom and the Fantastic Four at his home and recruited to return to Universe 616 because an incursion is happening and they need him.

The Tapestry in Doom's Throne Room Points to His Mother, Not a Dead Wife and Son

Sue continues, "Everything he loved was taken from him," over a shot of Doom in his throne room looking at a tapestry on the wall. That tapestry matches the one seen on the poster released alongside the official trailer, and it also matches an AI enhanced leaked image that circulated long before that poster came out, confirming those earlier leaks were real.

The tapestry shows a woman and a young boy. My take is that this is Doom and his mother, though some have theorized it depicts his dead wife and son instead. I do still think his wife and son are dead and that this is part of what broke him, but I believe the tapestry itself is old, a kind of family prophecy foretelling his destiny. In the comics he is obsessed with saving his mother from hell, and hell is mentioned later in this trailer.

The Heroes Convene at the Baxter Building After Doom's Betrayal

Another shot shows what looks like Shang-Chi or Ant-Man, it is hard to tell which, along with Shuri and M'Baku, all still listening to Sue. As I understand the setup, Shuri, M'Baku, John Walker, Bucky, Ghost, and Sue stay in Universe 616 and travel to Talokan and Wakanda, while Reed and others head to the X-Men universe, with everyone eventually converging.

After Doom's betrayal, I think the heroes from both 616 and the X-Men universe travel to Universe 828, where Doom has taken Steve, and they all meet at the Baxter Building to figure out what is happening. A shot of Thor sitting in the apartment with his head down also appears to come from this same post-betrayal meeting.

Reed Confronts Doom in Latveria

Sue's narration continues, "I knew he was lost, but not broken," over a foggy shot of the hills of Latveria and Doom's castle. The trailer then cuts to Reed confronting Doom face to face and asking, "Victor, did you do this?" This is followed by a close up shot of Doom's eyes that matches another AI enhanced image that had leaked months earlier.

Cassie's Farewell Kiss and a Mysterious Explosion Point Toward the Multiverse Collapse

The trailer includes the shot already seen in the main trailer of Ant-Man kissing his daughter Cassie on the head, which I think is setting up Cassie escaping into the Quantum Realm with the other young Avengers before the multiverse collapses, leading into Secret Wars. There is also a shot of what appears to be Sue and possibly Johnny with a large explosion or bright light behind them, similar to the shot of Johnny holding Franklin in the main trailer. I am not certain whether this comes from the end of the film, with the characters accepting they are about to die.

Doctor Doom Accuses the Heroes of Living 'Stolen Lives'

Doom responds to Reed by saying, "All of you have lived stolen lives," over a montage showing Xavier looking out a window, Magneto in his helmet, Steve holding his son, Thor with his daughter Love, Loki by the window at Steve's house, Shuri and Ghost, and Cyclops. The idea, as I read it, is that all of these characters are living lives they were not supposed to get to live.

Steve is living a life that was not meant to happen, the X-Men have tampered with time, and characters like Cyclops, Xavier, Magneto, and Beast are all supposed to be dead, while Gambit should not exist at all. Love is also supposed to be dead, and it is worth noting that when Gorr wished for Eternity to bring her back, that could have caused a rift in the multiverse. The Loki variant who dethroned Kang and allowed all of this to happen could also count as someone who is not supposed to exist.

All of that chaos is, from Doom's point of view, something that now needs correcting, and he could be blaming these heroes for everything that has been taken from him. Doom follows the "stolen lives" line by saying they now have to give them back, which is immediately followed by an epic villain landing preceded by a leap.

Doom Activates the Sentinels and Delivers His 'Hell Answers to Me' Line

Reed yells at Doom again, "Did you do this? What is this?" as he appears to realize that Doom is responsible for setting the three worlds on a collision course in an effort to destroy the multiverse and rebuild it as he sees fit. Doom then begins activating the Sentinels, which confirms that the previously leaked Sentinel footage was genuine. I still believe that footage was leaked by Marvel on purpose rather than something they were unaware was going out.

Thor then approaches Doom, insisting Doom will be begging for help before Thor grants it, threatening to go after him. This is a Thor who has likely just discovered that Doom has been lying to him, may have killed his brother again, and is responsible for his dying daughter Love and the collapsing multiverse. Doom blocks the swing with two fingers and responds, "Hell answers to me, for I am Doom," which I think is one of the most impressive lines I have heard. The trailer then ends with the title card.

Overall, I think this trailer is better than the one Marvel officially released, and I expect it will be released publicly at some point.

What do you make of Doctor Doom's plan and that closing line?