Avengers Doomsday and Avengers Secret Wars release postponed; why Disney has delayed Robert Downey Jr's Marvel return
The release of Marvel Cinematic Universe's next two Avengers films - Doomsday and Secret Wars - have been pushed back by months, Disney informed.
Fans will have to wait a little longer for a full glimpse of Robert Downey Jr. as the Marvel villain Doctor Doom. Disney has postponed the Iron Man star's much-awaited return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The studio announced on Thursday that the release of the next two Avengers films has been delayed. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan to join Marvel Cinematic Universe for superhero film? Here's what we know about his Hollywood debut)
Acengers Doomsday and Secret Wars postponed
According to information shared by Disney, which is now the parent company of Marvel Studios, Avengers: Doomsday, which marks RDJ's return, will now come out on December 18, 2026, about seven months later than its previous date of May 1. The film is currently in production. Filming began earlier this year after a grand cast announcement from Marvel.
Disney also moved Avengers: Secret Wars to December 17, 2027 from May 2, 2027.
According to Reuters, the new schedule was chosen to give the filmmakers more time to complete the superhero movies, which are among the biggest Disney has ever made, a source familiar with the matter said. Doomsday is already in production.
About the two upcoming Avengers films
Both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are part of Phase VI of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and will be directed by the Russo Brothers. Previously, the Russos have given MCU its biggest hits, including Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War, the only two MCU films to gross over $2 billion each worldwide.
Avengers: Endgame, released in 2019, is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion in global ticket sales, behind Avatar with $2.9 billion. Given the scale of Doomsday and Secret Wars, Marvel is hoping the films would touch these lofty benchmarks again. MCU is the most lucrative film franchise in cinema history.
