Avengers: Doomsday Theater Merchandise Is All About Doctor Doom And The Sentinels

We'll have to wait until the week of December 18, 2026, to see which movie ultimately wins at the box office on "Dunesday," but one thing is clear at the moment: "Dune: Part Three" has already won the collectible popcorn bucket battle with "Avengers: Doomsday" in a walk.

Warner Bros. had a high bar to clear after delivering a hilariously suggestive bucket for "Dune: Part Two," but they easily met the challenge with a doubly silly sandworm receptacle for "Dune: Part Three." Some might find this design off-putting, but as a fan of body horror, I'm all for a little hot-buttered ick. As for Marvel, I hope the phoned-in quality of its "Avengers: Doomsday" multiplex merch isn't a reflection of the film's quality, because this is horribly uninspired stuff.

AMC, Regal, Odeon Ireland, and Cineworld all posted on X/Twitter today to tout the variety of "Avengers: Doomsday" products they'll be offering at their theaters. It's all pretty samey. There's a Doctor Doom bust container, a Doctor Doom throne container, a Sentinel drink vessel (to break up the monotonous green aesthetic), and a "Bottle of Doom" drink vessel. Given that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Doctor Doom in this movie, I understand why its marketing is leaning into the Doom of it all. Still, why not throw a Steve Rogers bucket in there as well (or a Mjolnir receptacle)?

We know that Marvel Studios needs a hit after the MCU had a rough go at the 2025 box office, and, judging from advance ticket sales, it appears "Avengers: Doomsday" is poised to get the House of Ideas back on track. But the movie's trailers have been terribly underwhelming and, aesthetically, something of a turn-off given the sickly green color palette. I'm also worried that the film's massive cast (which was introduced via that ludicrous chair event) is going to leave the movie with no room to breathe. Say what you will about "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," but there were genuinely effective moments in both films (with Josh Brolin's Thanos being a surprisingly nuanced standout).

Obviously, I'm not seriously pre-judging a movie based on its collectible concessions. But this is, in the slightest of ways, a reminder that the MCU has lost its swagger. Much of this was due to the studio having to scrap "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" due to star Jonathan Majors being accused and eventually convicted of assault. This forced Marvel to change course mid-stream, which occasioned a load of rewriting. So much is riding on "Avengers: Doomsday," particularly at a time when superhero fatigue appears to be a very real thing. Hopefully, the Marvel brain trust won't be crying into their Doctor Doom popcorn containers come December 18.