Avengers: Doomsday is on the horizon, meaning that it's one of the most exciting times for a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan imaginable. Excitement is always at an all-time high in the lead-up to an Avengers movie, and with this one looking to reinvigorate the franchise after the Multiverse Saga had more lows than expected, it's understandable that fans are ready to see what it has to offer.
The film is currently set for a December 18 release, meaning that the festive season is going to be all about Earth's Mightiest Marvel heroes. However, a new report suggests that Marvel Studios has another plan for its release - one that might have something to do with the competition that it would face on that day.
Marvel reportedly considering moving Avengers: Doomsday release date
According to industry insider John Campea, Marvel Studios is considering moving the release date of Avengers: Doomsday a week earlier. That would place the MCU movie on December 11, 2026, instead. And yes, the reasoning behind that potential decision involves the impending clash that it will face with Dune: Part Three, but it's not the fear of competition. No, Marvel reportedly wants to capitalize on IMAX screenings to push Avengers: Doomsday to the biggest opening weekend they can get, and it can't do that while Dune 3 commandeers all of the IMAX screens on December 18.
As it stands, both films are set to release on the same date and, for a while there, it seemed as if neither one would budge. Dune 3 just released its first trailer, kickstarting its marketing campaign - with that big old December 18 release date pretty clear for the world to see. Meanwhile, Variety reported that Marvel Studios was committed to that date as well, suggesting that both films would indeed go head-to-head at the box office on that particular weekend (as well as the weekends after that).
The silver lining in the clash is the potential for overperformance from both films. Fans have crafted the event Dunesday, mimicking the Barbenheimer movement that ensured both Barbie and Oppenheimer were major success stories when they opened opposite each other by going to see both movies. Could Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 experience a similar phenomenon wit the shared date? And would any potential plan by Marvel to move the former cause an upset?
if we're being honest, Avengers: Doomsday would have probably still won the day. Yes, the MCU has been struggling throughout its Multiverse Saga but that's largely due to overexposure and questionable projects. The fans still come out for the big projects, as evidenced by the box office performances of 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine, 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. And an Avengers movie set to kick off the final chapter of the Multiverse Saga, featuring a star-studded cast (including the X-Men) and led by Robert Downey Jr. certainly counts as a big project.
That being said, moving the movie a week earlier could have potentially disastrous consequences. Yes, it means that Avengers: Doomsday would easily dominate the box office on opening weekend, but it also might run the risk of completely losing its momentum to Dune 3 the very next week. One of the MCU's more recent problems has been sustaining those box office legs after a dominant opening weekend. As a result, second weekends always see a harsh drop-off. Putting it up against Dune 3's release on its own second weekend could increase that pitfall extensively.
Of course, right now this is all just speculation and rumors. Marvel Studios could very well stay the course and release the larger-than-life movie on December 18 as planned. After all, this is the MCU we are talking about here - it's a fearless, legendary franchise that will draw audiences to movie theaters with an Avengers movie. And, honestly, an event like Dunesday could be great for both movies.
I said earlier that Avengers: Doomsday features a star-studded cast and I meant it, as it will feature 30+ Marvel stars, who are set to make their presence felt throughout the movie. MCU veterans like Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, and Anthony Mackie will lead the charge, while the casts of Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will make up the bulk of the numbers. We will also see a number of stars from the original X-Men movies return, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsters, while MCU legends Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. will be special additions to the film too - with Evans reprising his iconic role of Steve Rogers and Downey bringing new villain Doctor Doom to life.