After several delays and rearrangements to the future slate of Avengers films, Marvel Studios backtracked once more, adding another event to the 2026 schedule. Avengers: Doomsday is set to be one of, if not the biggest, films of next year, with a major shift in strategy for Marvel, as the studio releases its tentpole film just before the Christmas holiday.
Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday hitting theaters on December 18, 2026, Marvel Studios made it official: 2019's Avengers: Endgame will be re-released on September 25, 2026. This confirms that two Avengers films will now be released in theaters next year, a big shake-up to help build hype for Avengers 5.
Having two Avengers films in theaters the same year was previously Marvel Studios' plan. When Avengers 5 and 6 were first announced, The Kang Dynasty (now Doomsday) and Secret Wars were slated for release on May 2, 2025, and November 7, 2025.
Much has changed since those initial plans, including a top-to-bottom makeover for Avengers 5, which will bring back Robert Downey Jr. (now playing Doctor Doom) and the Russo Brothers to direct. The direct sequel, still titled Secret Wars, is scheduled for release one year later, opening on December 17, 2027.
The pressure has mounted for the Avengers franchise even more after Disney scrapped its untitled July 2027 Marvel film. Marvel Studios confirmed that Doomsday and Secret Wars will be separated by a full year with no MCU theatrical releases in between, a first for the franchise.
Marvel Studios' approach to theatrical re-releases has noticeably changed as it heads toward Avengers: Doomsday. Before Avengers: Endgame premiered in 2019, every MCU film was brought back to theaters through the Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Film Festival. That eight-day run in August 2018 showcased all 20 movies in IMAX, some for the first time, and even a chronological rollout starting with Iron Man. It was a full-scale celebration designed to remind audiences of the MCU's evolution and emotionally prime them for the culmination of the Infinity Saga. This time, Marvel seems to be taking a restrained approach.
There are several reasons this strategy makes sense in 2026. For one, Endgame remains the MCU's widest-reaching film, arguably the last installment seen by the casual moviegoer before the COVID-19 pandemic (a close second would be Spider-Man: No Way Home).
With the Multiverse Saga producing mixed-to-poor theatrical results and many recent films underperforming, re-releasing a long lineup of titles would likely yield diminishing returns. Yet Endgame is directly relevant to Avengers: Doomsday, not only because it was the last major Avengers event but because its ending is rumored to drive the core conflict of the upcoming movie.
Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) decision to stay in the past with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) reportedly has massive ramifications for the Multiverse, triggering incursion-like instability that draws Doctor Doom's attention.
Because Doomsday is functioning as a true sequel to Endgame, Marvel may see little value in re-releasing anything else. Also, over seven years after watching the culmination of the Infinity Saga, fans may already feel nostalgic as they relive one of the generation's favorite theatrical memories.
Can Endgame Save the Multiverse Saga?
Bringing back the Russos and Downey Jr. was already a sign that Marvel President Kevin Feige wanted to rewind the clock and get back to box office glory in 2026.
Making Endgame a key part of the Doomsday story is actually a stroke of genius. From a commercial standpoint, fans can argue if it's the right story move. That said, getting Evans and Downey Jr. back on screen, especially with Hemsworth already confirmed, feels like the best era of Marvel is coming back.
From a narrative standpoint, it's hard to argue the importance of some recent MCU projects, namely Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Loki. Even with the multiverse appeal of bringing back old heroes like the X-Men or even Steve Rogers, the narrative is deeply tied to these new teams and story threads.
In Thunderbolts*, the New Avengers were born, featuring a line-up of characters who mainly debuted post-Endgame. Similarly, Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) character is holding the multiverse together, a significant jump from the God of Mischief stealing the Tesseract in Endgame. The Fantastic Four, including Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards' (Pedro Pascal) son Franklin, will be at the heart of the Doomsday tale.
Appealing to die-hard fans who have watched every second of the Multiverse Saga while drawing in 2010s MCU viewers is the balancing act Marvel needs to master in 2026.
