Avengers: Secret Wars Confirmed for Major Advantage Over Doomsday (and LOTR)

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The new Avengers: Doomsday movie is incredibly important for Marvel Studios. After some ups and downs with recent films in the Multiverse Saga, Marvel is hoping this movie will be a big success with both critics and audiences, helping to revitalize the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Doomsday is still expected to do well in theaters, its potential has been slightly reduced. Dune: Part Three has secured exclusive access to IMAX screens, meaning Doomsday won’t be shown in that premium format when it comes out this December. Luckily, this appears to be a one-time situation, as Avengers: Secret Wars will have access to IMAX when it’s released next year.

IMAX recently revealed (according to CBR) that Avengers: Secret Wars will premiere in their cinemas next December. This release date is expected to give the film a better chance at box office success compared to the previous Avengers movie, and it also positions Disney favorably against a competing major film scheduled for the same holiday season.

Disney Gets the IMAX Advantage Over Warner Bros. in 2027

Disney making arrangements for Secret Wars to be shown in IMAX theaters so far in advance – over a year and a half before the movie comes out – is a big deal. These days, people are really seeking out special movie experiences like IMAX and other premium formats because they offer something you just can’t get at home. We saw this earlier this year with Project Hail Mary, where 54% of ticket sales in the US came from these premium options, with IMAX making up 22% of that total. That’s why movie studios are so quick to reserve these premium screens as soon as they can.

Disney needed to secure the rights to Secret Wars quickly to avoid losing valuable IMAX and large-format theater space to Warner Bros. again. Warner Bros.’ upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum promises to be a visually impressive film, and with the original Lord of the Rings trilogy being such a huge success, WB would have likely prioritized booking those premium screens. Now that Disney has the deal, 2027 is shaping up to be the opposite of the situation with Dune, where IMAX was largely dominated by one film.

It will be interesting to see how this affects Warner Bros.’ plans for The Hunt for Gollum. The studio might decide to release the film earlier in December, as the first half of the month is currently open. Moving The Hunt for Gollum up by a week or two would allow it to show in IMAX theaters during its opening weekend before Secret Wars comes out. While it wouldn’t have the same three-week IMAX run as Dune: Part Three, it would still benefit from at least a short time in that premium format.

If Warner Bros. wants to release The Hunt for Gollum in theaters, the usual approach would be to find a release date quickly, before all the good dates are taken. However, they might not need to rush. Because both Secret Wars and The Hunt for Gollum are planned for next December, it’s unlikely another studio will schedule a major blockbuster around the same time. This gives Warner Bros. some breathing room to wait and see how audiences react to Avengers: Doomsday. If Doomsday doesn’t perform well and dampens excitement for Secret Wars, Warner Bros. might decide to stick with that mid-December timeframe for The Hunt for Gollum.

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2026-05-01 23:41