Get ready for a potentially busy time at theaters next year: both Dune: Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday are coming December 18, 2026.
While the dates for these two films aren’t new, what is is that Dune, at least, is currently sticking to this date. According to reporter Jeff Sneider on a recent “Hot Mic” episode, Warner Bros. currently has no intention of delaying the film, and reporter Matt Belloni separately mentioned recently on his own podcast “The Town” that “neither of them” are budging on the date. Now that Doomsday has put out one of its four teasers for the general public, it’s looking like we’ll be getting another Barbenheimer-type phenomenon in “Dunesday“, as Marvel actor Simu Liu recently declared.
Avoiding whether Dunesday is another Barbenheimer in the making—it’s not, they’re two sides of the same coin where Barbie and Oppenheimer were on different ends of the blockbuster spectrum—the big question is whether the two films will keep the same date or if one of them will budge. Admittedly, WB was the first studio to pin down a date for Dune: Part 3, and it’s certainly a gutsy move to put its young sci-fi franchise against the more established MCU. But as Sneider noted, first dibs on the release calendar may as well not matter in the court of public opinion—Avengers: Doomsday has teasers to hype up its incoming release, complete with a countdown timer, and Dune doesn’t even have a poster or anything to tease.
On the other hand, Disney’s had no problems moving around release dates for several Marvel movies, Doomsday included. Back when it was still subtitled Kang Dynasty, it was meant to come out this past May, and even after the retitling, it was kicked back to May 2026 before being pushed again to the current December slot. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if it had to be moved around once more, even if it’s weeks before Dune to steal some of its thunder. There’s a good chance either could move up, actually: aside from Spider-Man: No Way Home, MCU movies tend to stop at early November, while the Dune films have landed (or tried to) in September or October of their respective years.
At time of writing, Dune: Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18, 2026. Let us know which one you plan to see, if not both, or whichever one you think will get out of the other’s way.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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