Chairs. March 26th of the year 2025 will stand in history as the day we stared at chairs. For five and a half hours, we watched a livestream that moved at a glacial pace to reveal the full cast of Avengers: Doomsday. Up to today – besides the creative overhaul that ousted Jonathan Majors and brought in Robert Downey Jr. – we knew little about the fifth installment in the mega-team franchise. Out of the blue, Marvel Studios decided to pull a somewhat annoying PR stunt that only proves they still have the upper hand on audience expectations. But if Marvel has lost its mojo, why did millions of people tune in to watch a livestream solely focusing on chairs with actor names?
Marvel Fans are Eager to Watch MCU Films and Series Until the Very End

Custom Image by Jefferson Chacon

A tweet was published at 10 a.m. CST simply saying “ANNOUNCEMENT.” It included a livestream focusing on a chair with Chris Hemsworth’s name in it, implying there would be some sort of – ahem – announcement to be made, with Thor’s seat serving as a prologue. Minutes later, when the camera angle shifted to Vanessa Kirby’s chair, it became clear the chairs would be the ones tasked to make said announcement. By Anthony Mackie’s chair, we’d come to the conclusion that they’d be 15 minutes apart. But that couldn’t be right, could it? It’d take hours to get through the full cast.
Well, by 3:30 p.m. CST, the livestream ended. What at first started in the modest thousands, turned into up to ten million people watching through Instagram and Twitter/X. Surprising and welcome revelations that included Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, and almost the whole cast of Thunderbolts*, kept us there the entire time. But, considering the state that MCU productions are in, this might seem astonishing. The Marvels’ box office fell more than 80% lower than its predecessor. Secret Invasion’s appalling adaptation of the iconic comics crossover was panned by critics and audiences alike. Other hate campaigns have focused on the diversity and humor portrayed in shows like Ms. Marvel or She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

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Avengers, disassemble.

Still, the answer as to why so many people watched the Avengers: Doomsday chairs is not that complicated. Marvel Studios can still afford to make a move like this. No matter how many people keep on hating the current state of the MCU, more than enough fans keep loving the franchise. Whether it’s through high-budget sequels like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or target-specific material, like WandaVision or Agatha All Along, the franchise has been supported by a diverse fanbase. It’s either that, or they simply keep having faith in the MCU and its future.
Marvel Studios is Taking Full Advantage of the Multiverse This Time

The famed announcement did have some aces up its sleeve that brought increased viewer numbers towards its last minutes. As the chair names progressed, one name veered the attention towards a beloved 2000s franchise – the X-Men. Kelsey Grammer’s chair surprised everyone, but made sense considering he had already appeared in the post-credits scene of The Marvels. But when Patrick Stewart’s name appeared, followed by Ian McKellen’s, the mutant roster blew our minds.
To cap off the mutant line-up, Avengers: Doomsday will also see the return of James Marsden, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn as Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Mystique, respectively. And, with Channing Tatum coming directly from Deadpool & Wolverine as Gambit, the chair announcement sustained the elevated expectations all the way to the end, as it revealed a fully-formed X-Men team for the film.
Everything indicates that Marvel Studios will fully exploit nostalgia and fan service for both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While the end product remains to be seen and judged, today’s livestream stands as a testament that Marvel is and will continue to be as relevant as ever. The MCU has been built brick by brick since 2008 and, although the universe has become so scattered – with an apparent lack of continuity – it still connects with the wider audience. Fans still hope for a proper conclusion to the characters we’ve come to love (and sometimes hate), as these two films could probably be the last time someone cries “Avengers Assemble!”
Avengers: Doomsday comes to theaters on May 1, 2026.

Avengers: Doomsday

Release Date

May 1, 2026

Writers

Stephen McFeely

Sue Storm / Invisible Woman

Joseph Quinn

Johnny Storm / Human Torch

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Ben Grimm / The Thing

Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic