Despite Disney’s initial proud and now-confirmed over-ambitious declarations, Avengers will be assembling a bit later than anticipated. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios‘ biggest team-up features since the 2018 and 2019 Infinity War and Endgame fever dream, have been officially pushed back by months.
Marking Robert Downey Jr‘s grand comeback to the Disney flagship outings, Doomsday is now slated to hit theatre screens on December 18, 2026, moving up from its original May 1, 2026, premiere. As a result, its follow-up Russo Brothers directorial is set to come out a year later on December 17, 2027, postponing its May 7, 2027, plans.
Avengers Doomsday new release date: Devil Wears Prada swoops in
The latest pre-holiday December Avengers shake-up was announced as part of Disney’s overarching theatrical slate update on Thursday afternoon. As Doomsday has been pushed further, its OG date hasn’t been left vacant either. The Devil Wears Prada slipped in quick, stealing the May 1, 2026, theatrical release date, marking a two-decade gap between the awaited follow-up and the 2006 comedy starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.
News of the beloved movie’s return broke in July 2024. Subsequently, it was reported that Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt were on board to reprise their roles. However, no official confirmation has rolled out yet.
Doomsday and Dune 3 same release date?
While The Devil Wears Prada appears to have one-upped Avengers Doomsday, this cinematic fate has unlocked the possibility of a new Barbenheimer era in the making.
Back in June 2024, Warner Bros announced that filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s next “event film” will open in theatres on December 18, 2026. The film is one again backed by Legendary Entertainment, the banner behind all the new Dune movies. Although the reputed director previously asserted that the sci-fi franchise’s third installment would not be his next cinematic outing, sources have argued that he may as well switch courses back to Dune: Part Three.
in the potential case that none of the move their release day then this might be an actual worthy successor of barbenheimer pic.twitter.com/xVHLpgWNQA
— leo ✮ (@quaketano) May 22, 2025
If indeed the upcoming Villeneuve masterpiece is Dune 3, aka Dune: Messiah, the major calendar clash may end up causing box office tremors of Barbenheimer-magnitude as both these films currently share the December 18, 2026, reservation. A theatrical match-up of this grand scale was last witnessed in 2023 when Margot Robbie-starrer Barbie and Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer debuted on the big screen on July 21.
While there were several such attempts to conjure up the Barbenheimer-esque movie magic, including the Wicked-Gladiator II duel on November 22, 2024, nothing has matched the grandeur of the original event, until possibly now.
florence having her own barbenheimer, iconic really😭. https://t.co/EHX5YWunwj
— e ⛈️ *boblena pr manager* (@barxspel) May 22, 2025
Barbenheimer 2.0 finally in the making? Netizens react
Ever since the news of the revised Doomsday release date came out, Marvelites and Dune enthusiasts have banded together to push Barbenheimer 2.0 clash of the titans with its refurbished packaging as “DunesDay.” Comments like “Goodbye Barbenheimer. Hello DUNESDAY” and many more have taken over X.
“All attempts to start another Barbenheimer have been futile, but the prospects of a Dunesday…,” a user quipped online. Meanwhile, many others pointed out the grave chances of Dune 3’s premiere being revised in the near future as well, while attempting to flush down fans’ excitement.
“Don’t move either one, please let us have this. DUNESDAY is a portmanteau we will see once in this lifetime,” another user pleaded. On the other side, some remained sceptic and frowned upon the potential ‘Dunesday,’ not wanting to do anything with the so-called movie event.
“Bots pushing dunesday in the qrts need to give it up, barbenheimer was organic and audience-driven you will never force it. it’s never happening again,” someone fed the anti-agenda more fodder. “Just remembered warner bros (allegedly) releasing barbie on the same date as oppenheimer as revenge for nolan cutting ties with them and it ended up making his movie outperform.. you just can’t replicate that,” they added in a follow-up tweet.
Another user countered with: “I have a feeling one of them is going to move … but Dunesday is RIGHT THERE. Keep the date and give us the next Barbenheimer you cowards.”
I have a feeling one of them is going to move … but Dunesday is RIGHT THERE. Keep the date and give us the next Barbenheimer you cowards. pic.twitter.com/UCpQfHJ8W7
— Taylor Blunden (@finelytaylored) May 23, 2025
Dunesday aka Florence Pugh Day
The side on board with the Dunesday ambition noted that somehow both these big-scale film events had Florence Pugh in common. The beloved Yelena Belova from Marvel is not only poised to return for Avengers: Doomsday, but is also Princess Irulan in the Dune universe. And, in case you forgot, she was Cillian Murphy’s short-lived love interest, Jean Tatlock, in Oppenheimer.
“Dunesday means we’re getting double dose of Florence Pugh on the same day btw that alone is a win,” a netizen wrote. Some even cancelled ‘Dunesday’, dubbing it ‘the Florence Pugh double feature day’ instead. “Florence Pugh fans, we rise at dawn (in a year and a half) dunesday is upon us,” tweeted another.
A third ‘MC(P)U’ enthusiast added, “This is my barbenheimer and somehow Florence Pugh always at the scene of the crime.”
florence pugh DUNESDAY double feature let’s go https://t.co/r7AuAiVyJO
— sophia (@hellopugh) May 22, 2025