Which Marvel Comics You Should Read Before Watching ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Marvel fans searching for the comic book source material behind the studio’s next big crossover event are running into a common misconception. ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ is an MCU title rather than a direct adaptation of a single comic storyline, since Marvel Studios tends to use evocative names to signal tone, scale, and villain focus instead of pointing to one specific issue. That said, the film’s connections to Marvel’s printed history run deep, and understanding them can genuinely change how the movie plays for longtime readers.
The clearest guidance so far comes directly from the studio. Kevin Feige has said the story of Doomsday is inspired by a famous comic run in which universes collide, earths encounter one another, and different timelines intersect, which in movie terms lets Marvel bring together casts from different franchises. That framing points toward a specific corner of Marvel’s library, and it is worth knowing before buying a ticket.
The Comic Book Storyline Behind ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
The most direct comic influence appears to be a run known as ‘Time Runs Out,’ which played out in the pages of ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers’ under writer Jonathan Hickman. That storyline focused on the final days of the Marvel Universe as it began encountering a series of catastrophic events, and it has been described as one of the most epic and emotionally devastating arcs in Marvel Comics history.
The film’s marketing has leaned into that connection rather than shying away from it. The first official trailer showed Thor urging the other heroes to unite while Doctor Doom delivers an ominous warning that an unthinkable decision is coming, language that mirrors the stakes of the comic arc it draws from. For readers who want the emotional throughline before the credits roll, ‘Time Runs Out’ is the starting point.
It also helps to know how this material has already touched the MCU without fanfare. Elements of ‘New Avengers’ surfaced earlier through the Illuminati appearing in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ and Samuel Sterns’s warning to Sam Wilson at the end of ‘Captain America Brave New World’ echoed a ‘New Avengers’ plotline in which a more villainous Illuminati begins attacking other realities. Those breadcrumbs suggest the studio has been building toward this arc for years.
There is one more wrinkle worth flagging for readers going in cold. In the comic, when Steve Rogers objects to the Illuminati’s extreme measures, the group erases his memory of their actions, and out of guilt Tony Stark teams with Steve to launch a massively expanded version of the Avengers. That guilt driven partnership is central to understanding why the source material carries so much weight.
Jonathan Hickman’s ‘Time Runs Out’ Explained
Hickman’s fingerprints are all over this corner of Marvel continuity, and that matters because his work has shaped the MCU’s broader multiverse arc. His run has already influenced key aspects of the cinematic universe, which is part of why ‘Time Runs Out’ keeps coming up in discussions of where ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ pulls its ideas from.
Franklin Richards, the young son of Reed and Sue Richards, is another thread tying the comics to the movie. In the comics Franklin is depicted as one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, making him central to Hickman’s 2015 ‘Secret Wars’ storyline, and he is expected to play a significant role in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers Secret Wars.’
Readers who track the Earth 838 timeline will also want to know about a familiar cosmic threat. Galactus, the ancient world devouring being introduced in that alternate reality, is described as one of the most important characters connected to this corner of the story. That detail suggests the film is pulling from more than one thread of Hickman’s larger tapestry.
Do you think 'Doomsday' will faithfully adapt the comics?
For anyone trying to sort fact from speculation, it is worth noting that some casting details remain unconfirmed publicly. Marvel Studios has not publicly verified any storyline involving Doctor Doom or Loki beyond what has been officially released, and no official statements confirm every rumored plot beat circulating online.
Why ‘Secret Wars 2015’ Matters For The Film
The 2015 ‘Secret Wars’ event is the other pillar holding up this story, and its scale is hard to overstate. Written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Esad Ribić, the storyline picked up directly where ‘Time Runs Out’ left off in ‘The Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers.’
Director Joe Russo has been blunt about how highly the creative team regards this material. He has called the 2015 ‘Secret Wars’ storyline the biggest story Marvel Comics ever told, a comic in which the main Marvel universe collided with countless alternate realities to form a post apocalyptic planet called Battleworld, ruled over by Doctor Doom.
The premise itself is straightforward but its consequences are not. All indications point to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and the films that follow drawing from the 2015 version of ‘Secret Wars,’ which centers on the end of the multiverse and features Doctor Doom using cosmic power to remake reality in his own image.
That premise also explains the title choice for Marvel’s sixth Avengers film. The comic version of that power grab is not identical to how the MCU has reimagined the character, which gives the films room to chart their own course while still honoring the source material.
The Best Reading Order Before Watching
For readers who want a manageable starting point rather than a decade of back issues, the trade collections built around this era are designed for exactly that. The ‘Time Runs Out’ trades collect issues from both ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers,’ and readers following a fast track order are generally advised to use the full Hickman ‘Avengers’ reading list for proper issue by issue sequencing.
Beyond the single issues, there are broader collected editions built specifically for newcomers. A ‘Secret Wars’ omnibus collects ‘Avengers’ issues 35 through 44, ‘New Avengers’ issues 24 through 33, and the full nine issue ‘Secret Wars’ miniseries alongside Free Comic Book Day tie in material, giving readers a single volume path through the entire event.
Knowing the release calendar also helps readers pace their reading before the movie arrives. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was moved from its original May 2026 date to December 18, 2026, giving directors Joe and Anthony Russo additional time to complete the film in production. The sequel, ‘Avengers Secret Wars,’ shifted from May 7, 2027, to December 17, 2027, and both films were shot at Pinewood Studios in England.
The ensemble assembling for this story is also a strong incentive to catch up on the comics first. Doomsday is set fourteen months after the events of ‘Thunderbolts,’ bringing together members of the original Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Wakandans, and the original X-Men to battle Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.
Between the multiversal stakes, the returning Fantastic Four cast, and a version of Doctor Doom drawn from one of Marvel’s most ambitious comic events, there is a lot riding on this film living up to its source material, so what part of the ‘Secret Wars’ or ‘Time Runs Out’ comics are you most hoping to see make it to the screen intact.
