Marvel Studios is reportedly contemplating moving the release date of Avengers: Doomsday from December 18 to December 11, 2026, to avoid a conflict with Dune: Part Three and to get an exclusive week with IMAX screens before Warner Bros. takes over those screens.
Why Marvel may move ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ up one week
Currently, both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three have been scheduled to be released on December 18, 2026. This has led to the fanbase nicknaming this date ‘Dunesday.’ However, this is not good news for Marvel Studios. This is because Warner Bros. reportedly acquired an exclusive three-week IMAX and premium screen window for Dune: Part Three all the way back in 2024. This means that if Marvel Studios does not move the release date of their film, then Avengers: Doomsday will not have access to any IMAX screens in North America during their opening week.
Recently, Sony moved Jumanji 4 from December 11 to Christmas Day. This means that this date is now up for grabs. According to industry insider John Campea, discussions have already been made regarding moving the release date of Avengers: Doomsday to December 11.
The move has not been officially announced, but it is speculated that it could add between $15 million and $20 million to the film’s opening weekend based on premium ticket prices. Despite this, the film is still anticipated to gross over $1 billion worldwide without access to IMAX screens.
Aside from the film’s release date, some new information has also surfaced regarding the film. For instance, it has been reported that Robert Downey Jr. has wrapped up his scenes as Doctor Doom, who will apparently play the role of a twisted multiverse version of Tony Stark. In addition, the new Fantastic Four cast, comprising Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, will apparently play the film’s opening act’s emotional core.
Marvel Studios is also anticipated to finally bring classic X-Men characters into an Avengers film. For instance, it has been reported that James Marsden and Sir Ian McKellen have wrapped up major supporting roles as Cyclops and Magneto. In addition, Mark Ruffalo has also confirmed that Hulk will not appear in Doomsday because the character will instead appear in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
