Marvel Studios is reshuffling its release calendar in a major way. The next two Avengers tentpoles — both to be helmed by the Russo Brothers — are getting pushed out of summer and into the holiday corridor.
“Avengers: Doomsday,” originally slated for May 1, 2026, will now hit theaters on December 18 of that year. Its follow-up, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” moves from May 7, 2027, to December 17, 2027.
Sources close to the productions say the delays aren’t about trouble behind the scenes, but rather reflect the sheer scale of what Marvel is trying to pull off. Both films are said to be among the most ambitious ever attempted by the studio.
The December pivot isn’t without precedent — Marvel’s had serious success in that window before — “Spider-Man: No Way Home” being the prime example. Production on ‘Doomsday’ is already underway.
Although shooting has indeed begun, the script and cast are still a work in progress, because apparently locking that down before shooting is optional now. Marvel still trying to wrangle all the stars they want into ‘Doomsday’ — the script depends on who’s actually willing to show up.
It should be noted that ‘Doomsday’ is now set for release on the same day as “Dune: Messiah.” There’s almost zero chance that’ll happen — one of them is moving out of that 12.18.25 slot.