Marvel Launches Weekly ‘Countdown To Avengers: Doomsday’ Podcast Ahead Of MCU Epic

Marvel Studios is increasing anticipation for Avengers: Doomsday with a new weekly podcast series set to debut later this month.

The next major chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga arrives this December with Avengers: Doomsday. The film, which will become the MCU’s 39th movie, is expected to fully introduce Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom following his appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doom’s plans will bring together the Avengers, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, the original X-Men and other major Marvel characters. Ahead of the film’s release, Marvel is giving fans another way to revisit the franchise’s biggest moments.

Marvel has announced that Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan, will co-host the Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast alongside Frank Alvarez. The series will premiere on Thursday, August 27, with new weekly episodes looking back at some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most memorable moments. Fans will be able to watch the podcast on Disney+ and Marvel’s YouTube channel, while audio versions will also be available through select platforms.

Vellani first appeared as Kamala Khan in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel in 2022. She returned to the character the following year in The Marvels, starring alongside Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris. She also provided the voice for an alternate version of Kamala in the animated series Marvel Zombies, released in 2025. Beyond acting, Vellani has expanded her involvement with Marvel by co-writing the limited comic series Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant and other stories featuring the comic-book version of her character. Alvarez, meanwhile, is recognized for hosting the comedy podcast The Basement Yard.

The upcoming Avengers film has undergone a major change since it was first announced. The project was originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with Jonathan Majors expected to portray Kang the Conqueror and his various variants after appearing in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Marvel had reportedly considered changing its plans for Kang even before Quantumania was released. Those plans shifted definitively after Marvel Studios fired Majors in December 2023 following his conviction on two misdemeanor counts involving harassment and assault.

In the summer that followed, Marvel announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU in the role of Doctor Doom. The casting marked Downey’s return to the franchise after Tony Stark’s death in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Fans later received their first major look at Downey’s version of Doom through the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, although Marvel has continued to keep many details surrounding the villain’s storyline under wraps. Before Downey, Doctor Doom had been portrayed in live-action by Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell.

Vellani is not currently expected to appear as Kamala Khan in Avengers: Doomsday, and Marvel has not confirmed when her version of Ms. Marvel will return to the MCU. However, her role as co-host of the new podcast gives her another opportunity to remain connected to the franchise while revisiting some of its most important moments from the past 18 years.

Outside of Marvel, Vellani is also set to appear in the upcoming films Shiver and Mouse. She has additionally worked as a writer on Image Comics’ limited series Chachu.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027. Marvel has also created a 15-title MCU watchlist for fans who want to revisit key projects before Doomsday arrives.