Marvel Year in Review: The Best of 2025

And that’s a wrap on 2025! This year, Marvel Studios released 3 movies in theaters, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation took over Disney+ with 5 shows, Marvel Comics published hundreds of issues, and Marvel Games dominated internet conversations with new and existing titles. Revisit all the biggest Marvel moments from the past year below and get ready for what’s sure to be an eventful 2026!

The Countdown to Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday Begins

Who knew a bunch of chairs could break the internet? In March, Marvel Studios announced that production had begun on Avengers: Doomsday, unveiling the names of 27 cast members set to star in the upcoming film. The medium of delivery? A global livestream event that stretched more than five hours, slowly revealing each actor’s name on the back of a black director’s chair. Racking up 275 million digital views and 3.1 million social mentions, the massive cast announcement had fans buzzing all across the internet. Now, with Doomsday on the horizon, we’re counting down the days until it hits theaters on December 18, 2026.  —Devan Coggan

Doctor Doom Dominated, Imperial Reshaped the Cosmos, and More in Marvel Comics

In Marvel Comics, 2025 belonged to Doctor Doom. After replacing Doctor Strange as Sorcerer Supreme, Doom took over the world in ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #1 by Ryan North and R.B. Silva. When the heroes finally defeated the monarch, chaos erupted in Latveria while the Scarlet Witch succeeded Doom as Sorcerer Supreme.

Meanwhile, in space, Jonathan Hickman, Iban Coello, and Federico Vicentini reshaped the cosmos in IMPERIAL (2025). The assassination of several cosmic leaders sent Star-Lord, Black Panther, Hulk, Nova, Shuri, and She-Hulk to the front lines of an all-out intergalactic war.

Throughout the year, the Marvel Universe also crossed over with other worlds. Godzilla faced off against the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men in a year that also saw Marvel's heroes encounter iconic characters from the worlds of Alien, Predator, Gargoyles, and the DC Universe with DEADPOOL VS. BATMAN #1! —Tim Webber

Captain America: Brave New World Took Flight

This February, Sam Wilson soared to new heights with his first theatrical adventure as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World. The film saw our high-flying hero clash with Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford, over an international conspiracy that made the newly elected President see red. It was a showdown between Captain America and the Red Hulk – but everything was not as it seemed. With the world on the brink of war, Sam raced to unmask the real mastermind behind the monstrous plot. Now tasked with assembling a new team of Avengers, Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez will return as Captain America and Falcon in Avengers: Doomsday. —Brittany Matter

Daredevil: Born Again Pits Matt Murdock Against Wilson Fisk Once More

Matt Murdock finally returned to Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil: Born Again, packed with the brutal action and mature storytelling fans know and love. After trying to put his crime-fighting past behind him, Matt reclaimed the mantle of Daredevil to take on the fearsome killer Muse, all while Wilson Fisk was elected Mayor of New York City. As Matt reunited with old friends and enemies, an all-out battle for the fate of New York City brewed. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reprised their roles as Daredevil and Kingpin, and will return for Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again in 2026 on Disney+. —Sam Stone

Marvel Games Launched Several Exciting New Titles

Marvel Games released several major titles throughout the year, starting with MARVEL Mystic Mayhem. A team-based tactical RPG, the mobile game brings together the magical heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe in an all-new adventure by NetEase Games, the developers behind Marvel Rivals (more on that game later).

Marvel’s Deadpool VR for Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest S3 by Oculus Studios also delighted fans this year, putting players in the Merc with the Mouth’s shoes… literally. The VR experience brings all the irreverent humor and wacky action Deadpool is known for, with Neil Patrick Harris voicing the iconic character.

Finally, the year closed out with the release of MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, a side-scrolling beat’ em-up that features an extensive roster of playable characters, from Spider-Man to Silver Surfer. The game offers a fresh take on the arcade-style games that dominated pop culture in the ‘90s. —Sam Stone

Hellgate Punched Spider-Man Into Space and the Symbiotes Found New Hosts

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2025) #1 by Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz, and John Romita Jr. ushered in a new era for Spidey, stranding Peter Parker on the other side of the universe. With help from Rocket Raccoon, Spider-Man must find his way home, equipped with a new alien costume, the Technarachnid suit! Meanwhile, a heroic Norman Osborn and not-so-heroic Ben Reilly have taken over Peter’s old life back on Earth.

In ALL-NEW VENOM (2024), Mary Jane Watson became the latest host of the Venom symbiote, while Eddie Brock bonded with Carnage. These symbiote heroes and Spider-Man are on a collision course set for next year’s DEATH SPIRAL crossover. Elsewhere in the cosmos, Hela stole Knull’s symbiote throne after taking the King in Black captive. The QUEEN IN BLACK rises in 2026. —Tim Webber

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* Assembled the New Avengers

Who are the Thunderbolts, anyway? Why, they’re the MCU’s unconventional and dysfunctional anti-heroes, who got their day in the sun when Valentina Allegra de Fontaine sent them into a death trap! Enter Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster. And then there’s Bob (played by Lewis Pullman). Forced to fight for their lives, they became an unlikely team tasked with saving the day from the Void. Directed by Jake Schreier, Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* surprised audiences when the asterisk in the film's title was revealed as *The New Avengers. The Thunderbolts New Avengerz (and Bob) will return in Avengers: Doomsday. —Brittany Matter

Riri Williams Went Back to Chicago in Ironheart

Ryan Coogler, director of Marvel Studios' Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, returned to the MCU as the executive producer for Marvel Television’s Ironheart. Following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, genius inventor and college student Riri Williams was expelled from MIT after building a new iron suit. Riri’s ambitions led her to inventive pursuits as she joined Parker Robbin’s crew, managing the perils of the criminal underworld and engaging in some mystical mayhem. With the story mixing science and magic, one particularly demonic character made his long-anticipated MCU debut. Starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams and Anthony Ramos as The Hood, Ironheart is now streaming on Disney+. —Brittany Matter

Marvel Rivals Celebrated an Explosive First Year

Marvel Rivals wrapped its first full year in 2025, kicking things off with a story that saw vampires swarming every map. This first season also introduced the Fantastic Four to the game’s ever-growing roster. Over the course of the year, Marvel Rivals issued five seasonal updates, each adding new playable characters and stages to the game, as well as alternate costumes and other goodies.

One of the biggest additions to Marvel Rivals was the in-game Marvel Zombies event, where players formed small teams to clear waves of zombies, culminating in a confrontation with none other than the Queen of the Dead herself, Wanda Maximoff. The game closed out the year with Gambit and Rogue tying the knot, ahead of what’s sure to be a very busy 2026. —Sam Stone

The X-Men Must Survive the Age of Revelation

After becoming the Heir of Apocalypse, Revelation, the mutant formerly known as Cypher, emerged as a leader for mutantkind in X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION (2025) #0 by Jed MacKay and Humberto Ramos. In AGE OF REVELATION’s dark alternate future, a Gene Bomb released the X-Virus, turning human survivors into mutants. As Revelation transformed half of North America into the Revelation Territories, small groups of X-Men rebelled against his ruthless rule.

2025 also marked the 50th anniversary of iconic mutant heroes such as Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and more. GIANT-SIZE X-MEN (2025) celebrated the occasion by sending Ms. Marvel on an adventure throughout mutant history. —Tim Webber

Meet Marvel’s First Family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduced Marvel’s First Family to the MCU and expanded the Multiverse with the retro-futuristic world of Earth-828. Four years after they got their powers, Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben faced a threat of gigantic proportions: the god-like Galactus. With their world’s fate hanging in the balance, the Fantastic Four traveled across the cosmos to try and save their planet. With Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, the Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday next year. —Brittany Matter

Marvel Animation Stole the Show

Marvel Animation had a busy 2025, launching three new animated series with distinct styles throughout the year. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man kicked things off, highlighting Peter Parker’s early days as Spider-Man in a timeline where Norman Osborn served as his mentor instead of Tony Stark.

Then, in August, the world of Black Panther expanded in Eyes of Wakanda, declassifying some of the Hatut Zeraze’s missions at key points in human history, going as far back as ancient Greece.

Landing on Disney+ just in time for Halloween, Marvel Zombies presented viewers with a frightening timeline overrun by the super-powered undead. Marvel Zombies spun out of Marvel Animation’s What If… Zombies?! episode, delighting fans with even more overwhelming horror.  —Sam Stone

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Entered Production

This August, cameras started rolling on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. News of the motion picture entering production broke with a teaser video revealing Spider-Man’s new suit in the upcoming film. Excitement for the next Spidey movie reached a fever pitch, with some fans even catching Spider-Man in costume while filming on location in Glasgow. While plot details for the highly anticipated sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home are being kept tightly under wraps, the film will mark Tom Holland’s return as Spider-Man to the big screen. From director Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters in July 2026.  —William Shammah

Marvel Unlimited Told Sharp Stories and Shared Shark Shenanigans

Marvel Unlimited had a banner 2025, with the launch of new Infinity Comics like MARVEL RIVALS: UNLEASHED and the MARVEL/DC THOR/SHAZAM! crossover. The excellent AVENGERS ACADEMY: MARVEL'S VOICES by Anthony Oliveira, Carola Borelli, Pablo Collar, and Bailie Rosenlund (a personal favorite amongst the Marvel.com staff) also concluded this year. Throughout its 60-issue run, the charming coming-of-age story followed the next generation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they navigate reality-bending magic, villainous battles, and the awkwardness of young love.

But we couldn’t end the year without giving a shoutout to our favorite four-legged friend: Jeff the Land Shark. From his breakout role in Marvel Rivals to the launch of his new JEFF WEEK INFINITY COMIC by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru, 2025 really was the year of Jeff. —Devan Coggan

Marvel Television Took Over NYCC '25

For the first time ever, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation held a panel at New York Comic Con, delighting fans with sneak peeks into upcoming shows along with a slew of surprise guests. Head of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation Brad Winderbaum was joined on stage by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley to launch the official first trailer for Wonder Man, releasing on January 27, 2026. Paul Bettany then surprised fans with the announcement of VisionQuest, the final installment in the trilogy that started with 2021's WandaVision.

Exclusive trailers for the second seasons of Daredevil: Born Again, X-Men ‘97, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man were also shown to fans in attendance, along with appearances from Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, and Eric and Julia Lewald, the original writers on X-Men: The Animated Series. Brace yourselves, all these titles and more are coming to Disney+ in 2026! —William Shammah

Marvel Comics Announced the End of the Ultimate Universe

In 2025, the Ultimate Universe made big strides. ULTIMATE WOLVERINE (2025) introduced the mutant assassin known as the Winter Soldier, while ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: INCURSION (2025) saw worlds collide when Miles Morales teamed up with the Ultimate Universe’s heroes. But now, the countdown to the end of the Ultimate Universe begins. After spending years in exile, the evil Reed Richards variant known as the Maker will return to face the revolutionary heroes who stepped up to fight the twisted universe he created. The battle for the fate of the Ultimate Universe kicks off in ULTIMATE ENDGAME #1 by Deniz Camp, Jonas Scharf, and Terry Dodson on December 31, 2025.  —Tim Webber

Marvel Games Set the Stage for 2026

Throughout the year, Marvel Games unveiled first looks at their 2026 slate of games. First up, the frenetic fighting game MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls for PlayStation 5 and PC! Marvel Games teamed up with Arc System Works and Sony Interactive Entertainment to deliver anime-inspired designs for some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest icons in a fast-paced game packed with 4v4 action.

In collaboration with Marvel Games, Insomniac Games has been hard at work on next year’s Marvel’s Wolverine. The studio behind the universally acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man series unveiled the first-ever gameplay trailer for the eagerly anticipated title, introducing their take on Wolverine in jaw-dropping action. Marvel’s Wolverine is set for release on PlayStation 5 in Fall 2026. —Sam Stone

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for all the movies, TV, comics, and games news coming to you in 2026!