Empire’s Four Avengers: Doomsday Covers

Courtesy of Empire

Ian McKellen is doing his part for the press tour. “Empire’s world-exclusive Avengers: Doomsday issue blows open Marvel’s biggest movie,” he posted on X Thursday morning, adding that the magazine spoke to James Marsden, Letitia Wright, Anthony Mackie and him. Empire had unveiled the issue about half an hour earlier: four collectible covers, a 22-page feature, and a Nov. 19 on-sale date.

The featured image is from Empire’s cover one, with Shuri, Magneto, Cyclops and Captain America.

The Lowdown

Cover one is the multiverse pitch in a single frame. Marsden’s Cyclops and McKellen’s Magneto come from the X-Men films that started back in 2000, and here they are lined up beside the MCU’s Shuri and Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Four covers also means four reasons for collectors to buy the same magazine, which is exactly the point. With the movie about five weeks out, this is the start of the final marketing push, and Empire got the first big look.

Key Takeaways

Empire revealed its world-exclusive Avengers: Doomsday issue on Thursday, Nov. 12. All four covers hit newsstands Thursday, Nov. 19.
The 22-page feature includes Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and directors Joe and Anthony Russo, plus Robert Downey Jr., who plays Doctor Doom.
Empire lists new interviews with 16 cast members, including Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Letitia Wright and Anthony Mackie.
Cover one has Cyclops, Captain America, Magneto and Shuri. Cover four belongs to Doctor Doom alone.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters Dec. 18.

The Avengers meet their Doom.

Empire's world-exclusive Avengers: Doomsday issue blows open Marvel's biggest movie – speaking to Kevin Feige, the Russos, Robert Downey Jr, and a multiverse of heroes. Four collectible covers. On sale Nov 19.

Read more: https://t.co/Fvx5TnOsOb pic.twitter.com/TSpRtM6fOu
— Empire (@empiremagazine) November 12, 2026

The Full Story

The Four Covers

According to Empire’s announcement, written by Ben Travis, cover one puts the X-Men’s Cyclops out front with Captain America, Magneto and Shuri, who now carries the Black Panther mantle. That is the cover McKellen shared.

Cover two is led by the returning Steve Rogers, with Loki, Sue Storm, Gambit and Shang-Chi. Cover three brings back Thor alongside Reed Richards, Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes. The fourth is Victor Von Doom by himself. Empire joked that Doom insisted on his own cover.

The cover lines promise exclusive access to “the ultimate multiversal melee” under the tag “One villain. An army of heroes.” Empire says limited numbers of each variant are up for preorder on its site now.

Empire’s world-exclusive Avengers: Doomsday issue blows open Marvel’s biggest movie – speaking to James Marsden, Letitia Wright, Anthony Mackie, me, and a multiverse of heroes. Four collectible covers. On sale Nov 19.

Read more at https://t.co/38o9S2L4xF pic.twitter.com/LLHO00lHlI
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) November 12, 2026

Who Empire Talked To

Feige and the Russos talk about wrapping up the Multiverse Saga and trying to top Endgame, Empire says. The cast list for new interviews is long: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, McKellen, Florence Pugh, Mackie, Simu Liu, David Harbour, Vanessa Kirby, Sebastian Stan, Wright, Tom Hiddleston, Hannah John-Kamen, Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Winston Duke.

Downey speaks too. The magazine billed the feature around what it is like for the heroes to square off against Doom, who Empire calls the biggest villain the MCU has ever had.

What Else Is in the Issue

This is Empire’s January 2027 edition. Beyond Marvel, it covers Robert Eggers’ new horror film Werwulf and the awards-tipped drama Elsinore, and it revisits Little Shop of Horrors with a new interview with Rick Moranis, who rarely talks to the press. Empire also runs a tribute to the late Patrick Stewart.

Where Doomsday Stands

Avengers: Doomsday reaches theaters on Dec. 18. Before that, Avengers Endgame: Encore, the extended cut with new scenes that set up the film, starts streaming on Disney+ on Friday, Nov. 13, as we reported. More Marvel coverage is on our Sci-Fi & Fandom page.