Marvel has shown its hand for the World Series. A promo for Avengers: Doomsday aired during Game 1 on Fox on Friday, as IGN reports, with Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) throwing a ceremonial first pitch at Ebbets Field while five real MLB players watch from the dugout. It follows the teaser we flagged in our earlier World Series preview post, and it’s a proper scene rather than a trailer cut.
The spot is set on Earth-828, the Fantastic Four’s world, which means it sits in the same retro-futuristic 1960s period as The Fantastic Four: First Steps. IGN says Reed wears a Brooklyn Dodgers cap and uses his stretchy arm for the pitch, while The Thing hypes up the crowd. Ebbets Field was demolished in 1960 on our Earth, but here the New York Giants are visible in the background. According to MLB.com, the video includes a sneak peek at a brand-new scene from the film, with the players cut in for the World Series version.
Those players are Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski, Phillies first baseman/outfielder Bryce Harper and Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. Misiorowski was also Milwaukee’s Game 1 starter, and MLB.com quotes him joking that “These ceremonial first pitches are getting bigger and bigger.” The mood changes when Doctor Doom attacks from the sky, with clips from the film cut through the promo. In a post on X, MLB described it as an exclusive preview that “assembles” the five players.
Disney Entertainment Studios Head of Marketing Martha Morrison said in a statement shared by MLB.com that “there’s no bigger stage in baseball than the World Series”. IGN notes that live sport is one of the few kinds of programming that still reliably draws a tuned-in audience, which is why studios keep returning to the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and World Series for reveals.
The clips also tie into the film’s bigger threads. IGN says one references Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, who returns in Avengers: Doomsday, while Robert Downey Jr. swaps Iron Man’s mask for Doctor Doom’s and appears to be abducting heroes. We covered the first look at Doom and Rogers in the CinemaCon trailer report, and the studio is still guarding the plot. IGN says even some of the cast don’t know what happens, which has already fuelled speculation like the David Harbour comments on Tony Stark.
According to MLB’s post, Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theatres on December 18. The real players are cut into the promo, and MLB.com describes them as part of this special World Series piece, so don’t expect them in the final film.
Is the World Series promo a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday?
No. It’s an exclusive preview built around a new Fantastic Four scene, with MLB players edited in for the broadcast, plus clips from the film. It isn’t a full trailer.
Will the MLB players appear in the movie?
MLB.com says the players were cut into the scene for this special World Series promo. Nothing in the coverage we’ve read says they appear in the theatrical release.
When can I see Avengers: Doomsday?
Marvel’s date is December 18, and MLB’s post says “in theaters everywhere”. Check your local UAE, Saudi or Egyptian cinema listings closer to release for showtimes.
