Marvel Studios Slapped With Fine Of $160K Over “Avengers: Doomsday” Comic-Con Installation on Gaslamp Sign
A company hired by Marvel was fined $160,000 by the city of San Diego, California, for displaying a sign promoting “Avengers: Doomsday” during last month’s Comic-Con over the Gaslamp Quarter. The film, which is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026, features a huge cast, an interconnected storyline, and immense expectations for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward after “Avengers: Endgame.”
Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” Installation Timeline
Elevue had the fines issued to them between July 21 and July 26. The company was told by the city that they weren’t allowed to use the Gaslamp sign to install anything weeks in advance before the Comic-Con event. The company was again told that the sign was not allowed because they began working on the installation. The city said in a statement obtained by 10 News San Diego, “They continued construction despite several additional reminders. The contractor knowingly created a safety risk and refused to address it, and was cited and fined accordingly.”
The first fine consisted of $10,000 on Tuesday, July 21, before Comic-Con officially started. Then the fines increased from there each day. The fine was another $10,000 again on Wednesday, July 22 $20,000 on Thursday, July 23, $30,000 on Friday, July 24, $40,000 on July 25, the day of Comic-Con, and then $50,000 on Sunday, July 26. All the fines from each day brought the total to $160,000.
Along with Elevue, there were other companies fined by the city during Comic-Con weekend. Due to illegal building wraps, the city’s BLUE (Building and Land Use Enforcement Division) hit 11 downtown properties with citations, totaling fines of $48,500. The companies include The Collection, Pendry, Hilton Gaslamp, Hard Rock, Manana, Harbor Club Towers, Ebenezer, Bagles, Lou & Mickey’s, Huntress, Spill The Beans, and Omni.
Individual fines ranged from around $500 up to $7,000. Fine violations were raised from $1,000 per violation to as much as $10,000 per day by the San Diego Municipal Code. The recent measure went into effect on July 15, the week before Comic-Con took place. With the success of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” anticipation for “Avengers: Doomsday” continues to build in the Marvel fandom. The studio’s next big bad villain is Victor Von Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr., who played Iron Man in the previous phases of the MCU.
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Marvel’s Hall H Presentation of “Avengers: Doomsday” At Comic-Con
“Avengers: Doomsday” (2026) photo courtesy of Photo by Marvel/Marvel – © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
Marvel’s Hall H presentation gave audiences a much closer look at Dr. Doom. Several cast members of the film were present for the event. In addition, Hayley Atwell was officially confirmed to reprise her role as Peggy Carter in “Doomsday,” and there was a touch of comedy when Ryan Reynolds made a surprise appearance in a grey Deadpool costume. Although not officially confirmed or denied, it has been speculated that Reynolds will return as Deadpool in “Doomsday.”
The film features an ensemble lineup of characters from across the Marvel universe. Characters from the MCU and the ex-Fox X-Men Universe will be in the movie. Some of the major characters include Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, James Marsden’s Cyclops, Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Sim Liu’s Shang-Chi, and several other returning characters. The presentation of “Doomsday” came after the official announcement that Ghost Rider will join the MCU and be played by Ryan Gosling. In addition, the presentation revealed that “The Long Walk” star David Jonsson will helm the role of T’Challa II in “Black Panther 3.” Both projects will be released in 2028.
In speaking with Entertainment Weekly on what convinced to return as Steve Rogers, Evans revealed that Robert Downey Jr. was the reason. He said to Entertainment Weekly, “I got a phone call from my team saying there’s a rumor [Robert Downey Jr. is] talking to Marvel, and I was like, ‘Uh, oh. What does this mean?'” “And all of a sudden it felt right. [Doomsday co-director Joe Russo] gave me the pitch, and Downey was [back]. It just all of a sudden… it was like, ‘This is it.'” “Avengers: Doomsday” is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026, and the fact that Marvel went ahead with the sign despite facing fines shows the studio’s commitment to marketing the film.
