Marvel Studios is holding firm on the release date of Avengers: Doomsday, even as a major box office showdown looms. The Endgame sequel is currently slated to open on December 18, 2026, the same day as Warner Bros.' highly anticipated Dune 3, positioning the two as the year's biggest theatrical rivals. While it's expected that one studio will blink and shift dates, neither has done so. Marvel's latest move suggests it has no intention of backing down, leaving Warner Bros. to decide whether to move Dune 3 or challenge Doctor Doom head-on.
Avengers: Doomsday has further solidified its December 18, 2026, release date by officially locking in the film's release in Japan, an unusually early move for an international market. Disney confirmed that the next Avengers installment will debut day-and-date with the US in Japan, a full year in advance, planting its flag on that date with confidence.
Securing an overseas release this far in advance is rare for Marvel and strongly suggests the studio has no plans to shift the film's release schedule.
Taken together, the decision all but confirms that Avengers: Doomsday is staying put, even with Dune 3 slated to open on the exact same day. Now the question is whether Warner Bros. will adjust its plans in light of Denis Villeneuve's conclusion to his Dune trilogy.
There's an argument to be made that Dune 3, starring Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh, could stay the course and hope to cause a "Dunesday" theater-going craze around the holiday season in 2026. This seems unlikely, primarily due to the competition over premium large-format screens, such as IMAX and Dolby.
Dune 3 began filming in July 2025, shooting on film across various locations, including Budapest, Abu Dhabi, and Liwa Oasis, before wrapping up production in November.
Instead of Dune 3 being delayed, moving it up in the release calendar would make more sense, especially considering the awards season. Dune: Part Two was notably pushed back to early 2024, and some of its awards buzz dwindled throughout the year.
Adjusting up one month to November could be wise for Warner Bros., if that's possible within Villeneuve's timeline. Warner Bros. is releasing an animated film, The Cat in the Hat, on November 6, 2026, so not only does that rule out an option for Dune 3, but the studio likely won't want those releases too close.
On November 20, 2026, Dune 3 could plant its flag and take on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, then wait to see if Lionsgate adjusts its plan. Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew then opens in IMAX screens on November 26. Netflix is distributing the new Narnia film, which will have an IMAX-exclusive release, but in terms of a wide release, it's not a major competitor.
No options are obvious for Warner Bros., but going head-to-head with Doomsday could be a death sentence at the box office.
Avengers: Dunesday Explained
From a pure box office perspective, Avengers: Doomsday would be positioned to dominate December 2026 if Dune 3 ultimately moves off its current date. Marvel Studios' fifth Avengers film, as projected by The Direct, is expected to carry a global haul of $1.6 billion, giving Disney a clear path to owning the holiday corridor uncontested.
With Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige reuniting the Russo Brothers, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Evans, Doomsday has the highest ceiling of any release on the 2026 calendar, even amid the fatigue surrounding Marvel and superheroes.
A true head-to-head would be exceptional: two of Disney's and Warner Bros.' biggest releases of the year opening on the same day, both targeting premium formats and the same global audience.
In that scenario, Dune 3 would likely face a steeper uphill battle, where Avengers: Doomsday would command the bulk of demand. Still, Warner Bros. could choose to hold firm, turning December 18 into an all-out "Avengers: Dunesday" showdown rather than blinking first.
One fun wrinkle in the matchup is Florence Pugh, who stars in both films, making her a shared presence in what could become one of the most unusual box office clashes in recent memory.
