The Avengers will need a few more months to assemble. Disney has delayed the release of Marvel Studios‘ upcoming team-up features “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
“Doomsday” is now set to debut on Dec. 18, 2026, moving about seven months off of its originally slated date of May 1, 2026. To match, the follow-up “Avengers: Secret Wars” is moving its release to Dec. 17, 2027, after previously being set for May 7, 2027.
Disney announced both “Avengers” delays Thursday afternoon, alongside a sweeping reorganization of its coming theatrical slate. Notably, the new calendar saw the studio remove several unannounced Marvel titles off of its calendar. The date of Feb. 13, 2026, previously slotted for an “Untitled Marvel” project, has been removed from the schedule. Meanwhile, the dates of Nov. 6, 2026 and Nov. 5, 2027 — also both previously set for “Untitled Marvel” features — have been amended to simply “Untitled Disney” films.
With those changes, “Avengers: Doomsday” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” are now the only Marvel Cinematic Universe entries slated to hit theaters in 2026. (Also of note: the new pre-holiday December frame for both “Avengers” installments is the same one that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” launched on in 2021.) Additionally, there is now no theatrical Marvel feature slated to release between “The Fantastic 4: First Steps” on July 25 and the fourth Tom Holland “Spider-Man” installment on July 31, 2026 — more than a year later.
The notable decrease in theatrical Marvel features on the immediate horizon aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recently articulated strategy for the company’s superhero features. During an investor call, Iger shared that Marvel Studios had “lost a little focus by making too much” between its tentpoles and various Disney+ series. He continued, “By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe that will result in better quality.”
“Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” are both massive productions for Marvel Studios, featuring a sprawling cast that includes the MCU return of Robert Downey Jr. — this time playing the villainous Doctor Doom — as well as superhero teams from the “Thunderbolts*,” “Fantastic 4: First Steps” and even reprisals from the “X-Men” franchise, like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. “Doomsday” production has ramped up in recent weeks, with Downey sharing a photograph of himself and other cast members rolling out to see “Thunderbolts*” to support their Marvel peers.
From Variety US
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