Robert Downey Jr. Drops Doomsday Trailer—Is Tom Cruise Joining Avatar: Fire and Ash?
Marvel mania is spiking as a cinema-exclusive Avengers: Doomsday trailer reportedly plays ahead of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash; despite no official release, a wave of leaks and rapid DMCA takedowns is stoking the hype.
Quick heads-up: if you buy a ticket to James Cameron's next Avatar, you might also be buying your way into some of 2025-2026's biggest movie teases. Marvel's keeping an Avengers: Doomsday trailer locked to theaters, Tom Cruise has a new mystery film sneaking in a first look, and yes, the pre-show for this one is practically its own event.
So, what's playing before Avatar: Fire and Ash?
Marvel has a cinema-only Avengers: Doomsday trailer set to roll ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. The studio hasn't put it online, but leaks are popping up and getting DMCA-swatted almost as fast, which is only making fans more convinced there's real heat behind it.
Also attached to Avatar: Fire and Ash: a 60-second teaser for Tom Cruise's next movie, currently going by the working title 'Judy.' Not story-connected to Avatar, just smart placement. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is reportedly in the trailer block too. The actual film runs 3 hours and 17 minutes, so with all the extras you could be camped in that seat for close to four hours. Plan your beverages accordingly.
About that Cruise movie
Details are locked down. There's no official title or plot synopsis out there yet. What we do know: it's directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who's describing it as a curveball for both him and Cruise.
All I can say is it is a brutal, wild comedy of catastrophic proportions. It is insane. It is scary and funny and beautiful. I know comedy is not what people expect from me, or Tom, and making this film was terrifying for me. But I do not like to repeat myself, and every film should scare you a little. I felt Birdman was a comedy, a dark comedy, and this one was challenging like that. And Tom makes me laugh every single day. He has this total commitment, this total madness.
The supporting cast is stacked: Sandra Huller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, and Emma D'Arcy. If the pre-Avatar plan holds, that 60-second teaser will be the first real look anyone gets.
No, Avatar and 'Judy' aren't linked story-wise
This is purely a launchpad situation. Cameron's threequel is shaping up to be one of 2025's biggest theatrical draws, so studios are using that foot traffic to debut their heavy-hitter trailers. It also conveniently turns Pandora into the place to scope out multiple major projects in one sitting. Efficient, if a little punishing on your spine.
Avatar: Fire and Ash at a glance
- Director: James Cameron
- Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore
- Runtime: 3h 17m
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (current)
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 69% so far
- Release date (USA): December 19, 2025
Key dates to circle
Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters December 19, 2025 in the US. Avengers: Doomsday is set for December 18, 2026 in the US. If you want to catch those exclusive trailers the way the studios intend, you will need to be in a theater. If you want to chase leaks, good luck outrunning the takedowns.