Marvel fans are excitedly awaiting the release of the franchise’s biggest film since Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday, which sees the return of Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU. But if you were already planning to see the spectacle on the biggest screen possible, you might have a problem. Because Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three land in theaters on the same day, a clash big enough to earn its own nickname (Dunesday), one of them has to bow out of the IMAX screenings. That’s right, unfortunately, Avengers: Doomsday is not showing at the IMAX for the first 3 weeks it’s at movie theaters.
Dune: Part Three locked that December date first and, more importantly, Warner Bros. locked IMAX before Disney and Marvel did. According to Empire City Box Office, Denis Villeneuve’s sequel has secured all IMAX screens for three full weeks. That leaves Avengers: Doomsday opening without access to the premium format on its first weekend.
For a Marvel event movie this big, it means a huge dent in its earnings. IMAX tickets cost more, sell faster, and boost opening numbers.
And, of course, Warner Bros. isn’t budging. Part of the stance comes down to timing. The studio says it reserved the date first. The other reason sits squarely with Villeneuve’s relationship with IMAX. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond confirmed last July that Dune: Part Three was mostly shot with IMAX cameras. The studio wants audiences to see it the way it was made, and moving the film would mean renegotiating another rare three-week IMAX hold.
Avengers: Doomsday, on the other hand, shifted its release date to this time. In July 2022, it was announced for May 2, 2025, as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Then plans changed. In June 2023, the film was delayed to May 1, 2026. Then, in May 2025, it was further delayed to December 18, 2026.
The rivalry has a playful side, at least on stage. During a Q&A moderated by Robert Downey Jr. for Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme, the two leaned into the chaos. “We both have films opening on December 18, and we decided to coin it — we’re thinking Dunesday,” Downey told the audience. “We’ll see if we’re still friends by then.”
Downey, 60, returns to Marvel as Victor Von Doom, facing off in the first Avengers movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The cast list reads like a fan forum wishlist, from Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth to Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Chalamet, 30, continues Paul Atreides’ story alongside Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, and others.
This kind of IMAX squeeze isn’t new, of course. In May 2025, fans noticed Jurassic World: Rebirth skipped IMAX entirely despite the franchise’s billion-dollar history.
On Dunesday, one movie gets the biggest board. You’ll still have a choice. Just maybe not the screen you wanted.
RELATED: Disney’s 2026 Slate Is Loaded: Every Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar & Disney+ Release You Need to Know
