"Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, New Arrival Dates Announced"

In an unexpected twist, the two Marvel movies that fans have been eagerly awaiting, "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Avengers: Secret Wars", aren't going to grace theater screens as quickly as we hoped. Disney has pushed back the premiere dates for these blockbuster team-up flicks, leaving superhero aficionados in a bit of a bind.

Originally, "Doomsday" aimed for a May 1, 2026 premiere. However, it now gears up to dominate theaters starting December 18, 2026, seven months later than initially planned. Not to be left behind, "Avengers: Secret Wars" also jumps from its May 7, 2027 release to December 17, 2027, following in its predecessor's footsteps.

The announcement of these superhero shifts happened on Thursday afternoon as Disney began a reorganization of its upcoming theatrical calendar. The changes didn't stop with the Avengers squad, though. A range of as-yet-unannounced Marvel titles were quietly brushed off the calendar. The slot that mysteriously promised an 'Untitled Marvel' feature on February 13, 2026? Poof, it's gone. As for those dates on November 6, 2026, and November 5, 2027, previously reserved for two more 'Untitled Marvel' movies? They've now been reassigned to shadowy 'Untitled Disney' films.

These calendar changes mean that "Avengers: Doomsday", along with Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", are now the lone standard-bearers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2026. What’s interesting is the new December pre-holiday slot picked by both upcoming "Avengers" resolves is the very same slot that worked incredibly well for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in 2021. Remember, that film raked in a whopping $1.9 billion around the globe!

However, this reshuffle leaves a considerable gap in Marvel's movie schedule. After "The Fantastic 4: First Steps" hits the silver screen on July 25, we won't see Tom Holland as Spider-Man again until July 31, 2026-a gap greater than a year! This is the most extended period without a new Marvel feature since the COVID-induced breather between 2019’s "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and 2021’s "Black Widow."

Disney keeps everyone guessing by leaving date markers on 2028 for 'Untitled Marvel' features on Feb. 18, May 5, and Nov. 10. Concurrently, Marvel Studios has tantalizingly dropped titles like "Armor Wars” and "Blade,” even though they don't officially have release dates yet. Disney CEO Bob Iger's recent comments about wanting to increase the focus on Marvel movies and reducing the overload of various Disney+ series lends understanding to this notable reduction of Marvel features immediately visible on the calendar.

“Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” are not just another pair in the Marvel movie lineup. They're gigantic undertakings, carrying a vast roster that includes Robert Downey Jr.'s triumphant MCU return, this time as the villainous Doctor Doom, along with superhero teams from the “Thunderbolts”, “Fantastic 4: First Steps” movies, and reprisals from the “X-Men” franchise, like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. With Downey recently sharing pictures of himself and fellow cast members supporting their Marvel mates at the 'Thunderbolts" viewing, the hype for "Doomsday" is already building.

*Contributions to this report made by Adam B. Vary.