Avengers Delayed! 'DOOMSDAY' and 'SECRET WARS' Officially Postponed to the End of the Year

Kapanlagi.com - Citing The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios officially announced the delay of their two most anticipated films, AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY and AVENGERS: SECRET WARS. DOOMSDAY, which was previously scheduled for release on May 1, 2026, will now premiere on December 18, 2026. Meanwhile, SECRET WARS, originally planned for May 7, 2027, has also been pushed to December 17, 2027. According to DEADLINE, this announcement was made by Disney on Thursday afternoon as part of a massive overhaul of their film release calendar, including several titles from Marvel and 20th Century Studios.

Despite losing two major films in the summer, Disney will not leave the slot empty. They filled the May 1, 2026 schedule with the surprising sequel THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, while in March, specifically on March 27, 2026, THE DOG STARS, a post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Ridley Scott, will be released. On the other hand, the dates previously allocated for untitled Marvel projects have been removed or changed to "Untitled Disney," indicating a shift in strategy regarding their superhero project development.

The delay of these two Avengers films aligns with the statement from Disney CEO Bob Iger, who mentioned that Marvel Studios had 'lost focus' due to releasing too many projects in close succession, including series on Disney+. By reducing the number of releases and focusing on the quality of feature films, Disney hopes to restore the high standards of Marvel as seen during the early glory days of the MCU. Furthermore, the new December schedule is considered strategic, given the huge success of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, which also released in the same month and grossed up to $1.9 billion globally.

1. X-Men and Fantastic Four Officially Join in 'AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY'

One of the most exciting aspects of AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY is the inclusion of characters from the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises into the MCU universe officially. In a live stream held by Marvel Studios at the end of March, it was revealed that actors like Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and Ian McKellen (Magneto) will reprise their iconic roles. Additionally, the cast from the film THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is also confirmed to be involved in this film.

This merging of universes is a significant step in uniting various iconic Marvel characters that were previously separated by distribution rights. DOOMSDAY is positioned not only as a continuation of the previous Avengers story but also as a major meeting point of various superhero worlds, opening up opportunities for unprecedented large-scale conflicts and collaborations in the MCU.

2. MCU Faces a Long Gap in 2026

(credit: x.com/MCU_Direct)

This delay creates a fairly long gap in the MCU film release schedule. After THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is scheduled for release on July 25, 2025, there are no other Marvel films until SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, which will premiere on July 31, 2026. This will be the longest release gap in MCU history since the hiatus caused by the pandemic between SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019) and BLACK WIDOW (2021).

While this gives fans a long break, from the studio's perspective, it could be an important time to reevaluate the story direction and production quality. With pressure from the public and critics regarding the recent films that have been seen as inconsistent, this hiatus could be a moment to fix and strategize for the next phase of the MCU.

3. 'THE DOG STARS': New Apocalyptic Thriller from Ridley Scott

Filling the early 2026 schedule gap, Disney introduces THE DOG STARS, a post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Ridley Scott, set to be released on March 27, 2026. The film stars Jacob Elordi as a pilot living in isolation with his beloved dog at a remote airstrip in Colorado, nine years after a flu pandemic has wiped out almost all of humanity.

The story is adapted from a novel by Peter Heller and follows the journey of the pilot who is compelled to leave his shelter after picking up a mysterious radio signal. In his journey through the devastated world, he searches for hope, new connections, and reasons to keep living. Supported by a lineup of renowned actors including Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong, this film is poised to be a serious contender amid the competition from other blockbuster films.

(kpl/ute)