Avengers: Doomsday Breaks MCU Tradition With Rare December Release

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For the first time since 2021, a Marvel Studios film is set to hit theaters in December, specifically on the 18th of 2026. This movie, initially scheduled for May 2025, was postponed to May 2026 due to the Writers Guild of America strike in 2023. A recent adjustment has been made to allow additional time for production, making it the second Marvel Cinematic Universe film to premiere during the holiday season, following the blockbuster hit Spider-Man: No Way Home.

This event stands out not just due to its rarity with Marvel productions, but also because December typically poses a high-stakes scenario for blockbuster films – it’s a time of potentially great rewards. The right film, at the perfect cultural moment, has thrived in December. For example, Spider-Man: No Way Home earned an impressive $1.9B globally. However, the holiday season also brings more travel, family visits, and potential decreased cinema attendance. Additionally, there may be increased competition at the box office when audiences are more discerning. It’s likely that if a family goes to the movies during this season, they’ll only choose one. Yet, Marvel has triumphed in such high-risk situations before. Could Avengers: Doomsday be another victory for the studio?

The MCU Trades Summer for Winter

Potentially Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater

Generally speaking, apart from “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which is scheduled for a December premiere, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has traditionally had its major film releases in May, July, and November. In fact, no less than eleven Marvel films, including both Avengers movies, have graced our screens in May.

10 movies were launched in July, 6 in November, while the remaining ones were distributed during spring or summer, with the exception of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which came out in September 2021. Marvel seems to follow an approach that can be summed up as “if it works, don’t change it,” given their successful release strategy.

In the vast majority of their 36 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has reaped significant box office success. Accumulatively, these films have grossed close to $32 billion, placing the MCU as the highest-grossing film franchise ever. However, it’s only been in recent years that the MCU has faced challenges in drawing audiences to theaters.

The outcome of such situations has led to movies such as “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” experiencing lower-than-expected performances at the box office, along with films like “Eternals,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and “The Marvels” completely failing to meet expectations. The reasons behind these recent underperformances remain elusive, but it’s understandable that Marvel is now considering a shift in their strategy, given the success they’ve had with this approach as recently as 2021.

Avengers: Doomsday Faces Some Serious Competition

Will DunesDay Be the Second Coming of Barbenheimer?

Historically, the month of December has been challenging for movie releases. For instance, in December 2010, the film “Tron: Legacy,” a sequel that carried the iconic soundtrack by Daft Punk, failed to meet expectations.

Although December isn’t known as a “slow month” like January, a period when films typically don’t make a significant amount of money regardless, it was still considered less profitable compared to the summer movie season. However, recent films released in December have been successful, with blockbusters like the Avatar movies and the Star Wars sequel trilogy each earning over $1 billion globally.

  • Avatar was released on December 18, 2009, and earned $2.9 billion worldwide.
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released on December 18, 2015, and earned $2.07 billion worldwide.
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released on December 15, 2017, and earned $1.3 billion worldwide.
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released on December 20, 2019, and earned $1.07 billion worldwide.
  • Avatar: The Way of Water was released on December 16, 2022, and earned $2.3 billion worldwide.

The success of Avatar was fueled by James Cameron’s well-known reputation, his history of delivering quality films, and groundbreaking new technology. Similarly, the latest Star Wars movies capitalized on an established intellectual property with a devoted fanbase that eagerly awaited their release. Despite facing challenges during the holiday season, these movies demonstrated that when a film captures audiences’ genuine excitement for cinema, it can indeed triumph over obstacles, not just earn profits at the box office but also establish new record-breaking milestones.

In the path of Doomsday’s December release, a significant hurdle remains: formidable competition. On December 18, 2026, Dune: Messiah is slated for release as well. This may lead audiences to flock to the cinemas on the opening day to watch both movies. However, what sets this situation apart is that Barbie and Oppenheimer were initially planned for a simultaneous release on the same day, aiming to counterbalance each other’s impact.

The original concept suggested minimal rivalry among films due to distinct target audiences. However, it turned out that theory was flawed as viewers enjoyed watching two drastically different blockbusters on the same day. Interestingly, despite their differences, both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Messiah may attract a similar audience demographic. This might lead to an even split of box office revenue between these two popular franchises. For the amusement of a lengthy movie marathon, here’s to hoping for a “DunesDay” scenario!

Spider-Man: No Way Home Broke The Mold

The MCU Will Try to Find Success in December

In the year 2021, the release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” generated tremendous anticipation among viewers, leading them to flock to cinemas. Not only did it triumph in December, but it also became the top-earning film of the entire year.

The success of “No Way Home” can be attributed to it being the third installment of a popular series, and the buzz surrounding the potential return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire reprising their roles as Spider-Man. Similar to “Avengers: Doomsday,” it benefits from being part of a large franchise and featuring familiar faces. Yet, unlike other big franchise movies, “No Way Home” did not have to contend with direct competition.

To achieve success, all necessary elements are in place. However, they must contend with stiff competition, inspire families to visit cinemas during vacations, and overcome their recent streak of letdowns. Moreover, the film itself should prove worthy of appreciation.

The final installment of The Multiverse Saga, titled Avengers: Doomsday, should serve as a fitting conclusion. This movie needs to demonstrate Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as something more than just a publicity move. To achieve this, the film’s quality must impress audiences, leading to positive word of mouth and sustained box office success, ultimately resulting in increased revenues over time.

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2025-06-05 06:36