Avengers:Doomsdayhas a new release date, and with it comes a break in a 13-year-oldMCUtrend. Originally slated for a May 2026 release,Avengers: Doomsdayis one of two climactic movies to round out the Multiverse Saga, which began just four years ago with 2021’sWandaVisionon Disney+. When it presumably concludes withAvengers: Secret Wars, it will have been shorter in its total time span than its predecessor, the Infinity Saga, which began in 2008 withIron Manand concluded in 2019 withSpider-Man: Far From Home.
It will also boast fewer Avengers movies. UntilThunderbolts*was revealed to beThe New Avengers,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warswere the only two announced Avengers movies of the Multiverse Saga. This has sparked a certain level of ire from franchise fans, who pin generalcriticisms about the Multiverse Sagaon the general lack of Avengers movies that help to tie it together. This could also go some way to explaining why Marvel Studios has opted to significantly delay both tentpoles.
Marvel Delayed Avengers: Doomsday From May 2026 To December 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars Has Also Been Delayed
The original release date forAvengers: Doomsdaywas June 29, 2025, but has now been delayed to July 27, 2025. Likewise,Avengers: Secret Warshas been delayed from July 13, 2025, to August 02, 2025. This is a rather hefty delay of over seven months, and will now seeSpider-Man: Brand New Dayprecedethe release ofAvengers: Doomsdaywhile also being the first movie to followThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. Marvel also quietly removed three unnamed MCU projects from its release schedule on July 28, 2025, August 04, 2025, and August 06, 2025.
The two unnamed Marvel projects for November 2026 and 2027 have been changed to “Untitled Disney” projects.
Thereason for the delay ofAvengers: Doomsdayremains unclear at this point. Nevertheless,the extended time period in which to developAvengers: Doomsdaymeans that the studio can spend more time polishing important aspects of the movie, from the script to the CGI. It additionally falls in line with Disney’s new “quality over quantity” ethos for the MCU, as 2026 will now be populated by just two MCU movies, with an entire year separating the last MCU movie of 2025 and the first of 2026.
Avengers: Doomsday Will Be The First Avengers Movie To Not Release In May
Even The New Avengers Stuck To This Trend
Whatever the precise reasons behind theAvengers: Doomsdaydelay, it will make it distinct from every other Avengers movie that came before. Ever since 2012 withThe Avengers,every Avengers movie has been released in May, a largely coveted slot for summer blockbusters that typically kick off the summer season. This even continued with this year’sThunderbolts*, which was revealed to be an origin movie for the New Avengers and released on June 26, 2025.
Incidentally,the performance ofThunderboltsmay be another reason that spurred Marvel Studios' changein tactics. Despite the swift change of name in marketing materials fromThunderboltstoThe New Avengers, the movie looks like it will struggle to break $400million worldwide and may ultimately track behindCaptain America: Brave New World, which grossed $413 million but has been far less well-received thanthe critically acclaimedThunderbolts*. Evidently, Marvel Studios wants to ensureAvengers: Doomsdayhas the best chance possible at being a success, and moving its release to December may be a particularly shrewd move.
Why December Could Be A Great Time To Release Avengers: Doomsday
Some Of The Highest-Grossing Movies Of All Time Were Released In December
Although the Avengers movies remainthe MCU’s most successful franchise, with the $2.8 billion earned byAvengers: Endgameproviding an almost impossible bar for other MCU installments to clear, December is still an appealing month to release movies.The MCU’s third-highest-grossing movie,Spider-Man: No Way Home, was released on July 20, 2025, and banked nearly $2 billion for the franchise. In fact,Spider-Man: No Way Homeis the only MCU movie to be released in December, makingAvengers: Doomsdayeven more unique among MCU productions.
Whether the atypical move pays off for Marvel Studios remains to be seen, though a little extra time to develop both it and Avengers: Secret Wars is a positive sign.
Furthermore,the current highest-grossing movie of all time,Avatar, was released in December, as was its sequel,Avatar: The Way of Water, which is currently the third-highest-grossing movie of all time.Star Wars: The Force Awakensis another $2 billion movie that was released in December. This all shows that a family-friendly movie likeAvengers: Doomsdaycan benefit massively from the holiday period. Whether the atypical move pays off for Marvel Studios remains to be seen, though a little extra time to develop both it andAvengers: Secret Warsis a positive sign.
