Avengers: Doomsday Already Set A Major Box Office Record For Marvel Months Before Release

One of the biggest cinematic events of the 2020s is nearly upon us. Hitting theaters in December, "Avengers: Doomsday" will see Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom declare war on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Any time an "Avengers" movie arrives, it's a big deal. This is the first one in seven years, and given that the man who used to play Iron Man, the MCU's biggest hero, is now playing one of the most notorious comic book villains ever, it's going to be huge — in fact, the movie is already setting records at the box office months before its release.

According to Global Box Office, Marvel Studios and Disney's "Avengers: Doomsday" has already surpassed $40 million in pre-sales 100 days ahead of its release. It's the first movie in history to accomplish that feat. Disney first made pre-sale tickets available several weeks ago for premium formats, with standard tickets going on sale more recently.

Because "Dune: Part Three" has most of the world's IMAX screenings locked up in December, Disney launched a new IMAX competitor called Infinity Vision, which raises serious questions. Be that as it may, the lack of the world's most desired premium format screens doesn't seem to be hurting Marvel's latest big-budget team-up one bit in the early going. The question now is, just how high will "Doomsday" fly when it finally arrives?

Unlike other "Avengers" movies, this one will have some serious competition. Dubbed "Dunesday," both "Doomsday" and "Dune 3" both hit theaters on December 18. Historically speaking, Earth's Mightiest Heroes haven't had to deal with direct blockbuster competition.

To what degree that competition impacts this film's bottom line remains to be seen. We've seen time and time again that multiple blockbusters serving different audiences can co-exist in the pandemic era. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" did it with "Barbenheimer." "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" did it in the lesser-discussed "Glicked" showdown. Marvel die-hards and "Dune" heads can co-exist.

The other key thing to consider is the late December release date. 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" took the MCU to record-shattering heights, making $2.79 billion at the box office en route to briefly becoming the biggest movie of all time. That was with a late April release date, much like the $2 billion-grossing "Avengers: Infinity War" in 2018. The difference is that December releases can be especially leggy, performing well beyond opening weekend into January and February.

James Cameron's "Avatar" became the biggest movie of all time (twice) with more than $2.9 billion to its name thanks to a December release. The latest "Avengers" adventure could very well benefit from a lack of blockbuster competition in January as the biggest game in town for a good while, even with "Dune 3" presumably legging out beside it.

$40 million in pre-sales this far out suggests a massive opening for "Doomsday." Just how high? It's far too hard to say, but "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" ruled the box office a record $360 million opening recently en route to more than $2.4 billion worldwide. Is Spider-Man on his own bigger than the Avengers? That's a big question.

The floor for success is at least matching what other "Avengers" movies have done in the past. 2012's "The Avengers" redefined blockbuster filmmaking with a $1.51 billion global haul. "Age of Ultron" did $1.4 billion. Anything less than that would assuredly be viewed as a major disappointment, for a variety of reasons.

For one, Joe and Anthony Russo are returning as directors after helming both "Infinity War" and "Endgame." Disney also spent an untold fortune making this movie, hoping that it can end the uneven Multiverse Saga on a high note. Marvel's 2025 box office proved the MCU has fallen from grace, with "Captain America: Brave New World" ($415.1 million) and "Thunderbolts" ($382.4 million) falling well short of expectations. Marvel needs "The Avengers" to deliver in a big, bad way.

There is a lot riding on this movie. "Avengers: Secret Wars" is the only Marvel movie premiering in 2027, and it's being set up by "Doomsday." The hope is that this can emulate the "Infinity War"/"Endgame" hype. The big X factor in all of this is reception. "Doomsday" needs to be "2010s Marvel" great. It can't be met with a so-so reception. A massive opening weekend is all but assured, but this movie needs to leg out and generate interest in "Secret Wars" to help conclude this current saga on a high note, while teeing up what comes next. No pressure.

"Avengers: Doomsday" hits theaters on December 18, 2026.