Marvel Studios Concludes Principal Photography on ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ with Record Budget

Marvel Studios has officially wrapped principal photography on ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, marking the end of a grueling 135-day shoot primarily based at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. The production, which began in late June 2025, is reportedly the most expensive project in the studio’s history, with internal ledgers suggesting a final production budget exceeding $410 million before marketing costs. The wrap was confirmed late Saturday night when co-director Anthony Russo shared an image of the soundstage wrap party on social media, signaling the transition into an intensive post-production phase ahead of the film’s scheduled release on May 1, 2026.

The logistical scale of the production required the exclusive use of 14 distinct soundstages at Shepperton, limiting availability for other major UK-based productions throughout the summer and autumn. Sources close to the production indicate that the budget ballooned due to complex location shoots in the Italian Dolomites and the extensive use of practical sets to depict the kingdom of Latveria. This physical-first approach represents a strategic pivot for the studio, which has faced criticism in recent years for over-reliance on Volume technology and blue-screen environments.

Robert Downey Jr.’s highly publicized return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom necessitated unprecedented security measures on set. Local reports from Surrey detailed a perimeter security team of over 60 personnel and the use of drone-jamming technology to prevent leaks of the actor’s new armor design. Despite these efforts, the shoot involved coordinating schedules for over 30 legacy cast members, including the newly introduced Fantastic Four quartet—Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach—who reportedly joined the London unit immediately following the wrap of their own standalone film in August.

The completion of filming arrives at a pivotal moment for Disney, as the studio seeks to reassert dominance following a mixed box office performance in early 2025. “The investment in ‘Doomsday’ is not just financial, it is reputational,” explained James Clyne, a production analyst at Variety Insight. “By wrapping six months before release, the Russo Brothers have secured a longer post-production runway than any Avengers title since ‘Endgame’. This is a direct response to the visual effects crunch that plagued the industry during the Phase 5 rollout.”

With the camera negative now in the hands of editors, industry attention turns to the marketing machine. Disney is expected to debut the first teaser trailer during the Super Bowl in February 2026, following a strategy similar to ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. In the interim, visual effects houses including ILM, Wētā FX, and Framestore have begun the monumental task of rendering the film’s confirmed 3,200 VFX shots, a workload that will require 24-hour operational cycles across studios in London, Montreal, and San Francisco to meet the May deadline.