Marvel Studios brought Avengers: Doomsday to Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, October 23, promising an “exclusive preview” of its next massive crossover. What arrived was exactly 60 seconds long: part new scene, part recycled trailer and part MLB commercial.
To be fair, Marvel and MLB never officially promised a full trailer. But anticipation grew far beyond the careful “special look” language, with fans waiting through the game and YouTube channels holding live coverage for what many expected would be a substantial new glimpse at the film. Instead, the preview repeatedly begins to build momentum, only to cut back to real baseball players commenting on the action.
That does not make the footage bad. Most of the genuinely new material is charming. There simply is not enough of it to support the event that formed around its release.
A note on spoilers: Alleged plot leaks have circulated online, and some fans appeared to know about the baseball sequence before the preview aired. HolaHello has deliberately avoided reading those leaks—we want to experience Avengers: Doomsday without knowing what happens, too. This article discusses only footage officially released by Marvel.
The World Series preview opens at Ebbets Field on Earth-828. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Reed Richards takes the mound
The preview opens on Earth-828, the retrofuturistic home of the Fantastic Four, where Reed Richards is preparing to throw a ceremonial first pitch at Ebbets Field. Reed greets the crowd, while Ben Grimm—the Thing—waves to excited children.
Reed Richards and Ben Grimm greet the crowd at Ebbets Field. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
The scene is interrupted by MLB stars Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Jacob Misiorowski, Junior Caminero and Randy Arozarena, who have been inserted into the dugout for the World Series promotion. “This is different,” they observe before wondering whether the Avengers might take the mound next.
Reed eventually delivers the pitch by extending his arm across the field, prompting another baseball joke about never having seen “this kind of stretch.” It is an obvious line, but it fits the crossover.
MLB players were inserted into the new Earth-828 sequence for the World Series promotion. Courtesy of Marvel Studios and MLB.
The more intriguing moment comes immediately afterward. Reed looks upward as though he has noticed something alarming. The preview then cuts to previously released images of Doctor Doom emerging through a window, landing amid destruction and stopping Thor’s attack with Stormbreaker. The editing implies a connection without confirming that Reed and Doom occupy the same scene—or revealing what Reed actually sees.
Reed notices something after throwing the ceremonial pitch, but the preview cuts away before revealing what he sees. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Steve, Thor and the problem of having two Caps
The best new material has little to do with baseball. Holding Mjolnir, Steve Rogers asks Thor, “This doesn’t bother you, does it?” Thor answers, “You know it does,” and Steve responds with a satisfied smile. The moment revives the easy friendship and competitiveness the two Avengers developed before Steve left the team.
Steve Rogers teases Thor while holding Mjolnir. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
The preview’s most debated moment is also its most harmless. Scott Lang instinctively looks toward Steve and says, “Right, Cap?” He then notices Sam Wilson standing beside him in the Captain America suit and awkwardly corrects himself: “I mean Steve. Right, Steve?”
Some viewers have treated the joke as proof that Steve remains the only “real” Captain America. Others argue that it shows Sam still is not receiving the respect he deserves. The scene itself supports neither extreme. Steve was the Captain America Scott knew and admired; Sam holds the title now. Scott’s correction acknowledges both histories, while his discomfort gives the reunion a sweet, funny beat.
Scott Lang struggles with what to call Steve Rogers when Sam Wilson—the current Captain America—is standing beside him. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Three new images inside a recycled montage
The closing montage moves quickly enough to appear more revealing than it is. Professor Xavier at the window, Ant-Man with Cassie, contemplative shots of Thor and Steve, Doom surrounded by Sentinels and Cyclops firing his optic blast all appear to come from material Marvel has already released.
The only clearly new flashes appear to be Magneto fighting back tears, Gambit striking the floor with his glowing staff and Shuri standing before Wakandan warriors. Together, they occupy only a few seconds.
The closing montage offers brief new looks at Shuri, Gambit and Magneto. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
A final cut to a baseball player eating popcorn—“I’m not missing this”—leads into the title and release date.
As a World Series commercial, the concept makes sense. Live sports remain one of the few places where studios can place a promotion in front of a huge audience watching at the same time, and the Fantastic Four baseball scene gives Marvel an organic way into the game. But as the highly anticipated new look at Avengers: Doomsday, the spot feels chopped into pieces. Every time the footage begins to establish a rhythm, another player appears to explain the joke.
Had Marvel released the same minute without the trailer-sized expectations surrounding it, the reaction might have been warmer. Reed’s first pitch is playful, Steve and Thor still have chemistry, and Scott’s Captain America confusion is funnier than the online argument it inspired.
The anticipation was blockbuster-sized. The reveal was commercial-sized.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters December 18, 2026.