‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Funko Pops Are Here Early, And The Character List Is Already Turning Heads

The countdown to one of the most anticipated Marvel films in years just got a little more tangible. Merchandise always arrives before the movie, but when Funko Pop listings start going live, fans know the hype machine has officially shifted into high gear. For ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘, that moment has arrived.

The film is set to arrive in theaters on December 18, directed by the Russo Brothers from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron. It marks the return of the directing duo to the MCU for the first time since ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and the scale of the project has been matched by an equally enormous cast that brings together legacy characters from multiple corners of the Marvel universe for the first time.

Marvel Studios, via collectible retailer 1001 Hobbies, has officially listed ‘Avengers: Doomsday’s’ first Funko Pop Vinyl figures for release in November, alongside a variety of other exciting mystery releases from the beloved toy manufacturer. The preorder listings confirm a roster of nine characters, including Doctor Doom, Thor, Mr. Fantastic, Magneto, Cyclops, Gambit, Shang-Chi, Namor, and Yelena Belova.

The confirmed cast behind those characters reads like a who’s who of Marvel alumni, with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, and Florence Pugh as Yelena. The sheer range of that lineup spans the MCU’s own heroes alongside the long-awaited proper introduction of the Fox-era X-Men into the shared universe, something fans have been waiting on since Disney’s acquisition of Fox made it possible.

Thor appears to be returning to a costume similar to his look from ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, while Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic brings the Fantastic Four across from Earth-828 into Earth-616 for the first time, with the team having received updated costumes adding jackets after ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. As for the X-Men presence, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will seemingly visit a universe housing variants of the classic Fox-era mutants, including James Marsden’s Cyclops. The inclusion of Channing Tatum’s Gambit, a character famously stuck in development for over a decade before finally appearing in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, adds yet another layer of fan excitement to the wave.

Marvel Studios has placed Doctor Doom at the heart of the film’s marketing and merchandise campaign, with Robert Downey Jr.’s villain described as a super-genius powered with both magic and technology who rules over Latveria on Earth-828, believing he alone can save the multiverse from Incursions. It is worth noting that a separate leaked image of supposed Doomsday Funko Pops circulated back in January and was later confirmed to be fake by reliable Funko tracking account DisTrackers, who stated that Funko itself confirmed the image was not real. The new listings via 1001 Hobbies, however, carry the weight of an official retail source rather than a social media rumor.

With the November ship window placing the Pops in collectors’ hands roughly a month before the film opens, the merchandise rollout feels deliberately timed to build anticipation through the holiday season. Between a massive ensemble, the long-awaited arrival of mutants in the MCU proper, and Robert Downey Jr.’s villain-turn generating conversation since it was first announced, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ may be the most merch-worthy Marvel event in years.

Which character from this first Funko wave are you most excited to add to your shelf, and does seeing Gambit on that list finally make his MCU future feel real to you?