Avengers Delay Madness: Marvel Studios’ Shaky Timeline Just Got Even Shakier
Well… here we go again.
Marvel Studios just hit the snooze button on both of its big Avengers films. And not just by a month or two. We're talking full-blown, holiday-season reshuffling.
Avengers: Doomsday, which was supposed to be Marvel’s big May 2026 tentpole? Now arriving December 18, 2026.
Avengers: Secret Wars? Pushed from May 2027 to December 17, 2027.
That's right Marvel Studios, once the gold standard of release date precision, now seems to be throwing darts at a calendar like it's 2020 again. But let’s not pretend this is surprising. Anyone who’s been paying attention could see this coming a mile away.
The Shrinking MCU Slate
With this move, we’re looking at a very light couple of years for the core MCU. Between Fantastic Four: First Steps (hitting this July) and Avengers: Doomsday, there’s just one MCU-connected film dropping and it's not even from Marvel Studios proper. That honor belongs to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, coming from Sony in July 2026.
Yes. One film. One.
This would be the longest gap between major MCU world-building since... ever?
But Wait — December? Really?
Here’s where things get messy.
Marvel now has Avengers: Doomsday squaring off with Dune: Messiah on the exact same day December 18, 2026. That’s Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi juggernaut, which has quietly become Warner Bros.' prestige tentpole franchise. Oh, and don’t forget the next Ice Age movie is also dropping that day, hoovering up families and younger audiences.
This is a recipe for disaster. Or at the very least, box office cannibalization.
I’m calling it now: there is a 0% chance Avengers: Doomsday actually releases in December 2026. None. Nada. Zilch.
The Safer Bet? A Spring 2027 Pivot
If I had to wager, I’d bet on Marvel bumping Doomsday into a late April or early May 2027 release. Why? Because that window is wide open right now, and it feels way more on-brand for an Avengers style global event.
So why didn’t they just move it there now? Simple: optics.
Moving it by an entire year all at once sets off fan alarms and headline panic. But delaying it in two strategic steps while padding the blow with an announcement like Doctor Strange 3 or something equally hype worthy buys them time and eases the blow.
Classic sleight of hand. Delay it. Announce something else. Reframe the timeline.
You soften the outrage and keep the hype train running.
Secret Wars? Don’t Get Too Comfortable Either
As for Avengers: Secret Wars, that new December 2027 date is... optimistic at best. Especially when you realize it’s up against:
Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum
An untitled Star Wars film (which let’s be honest, is probably vaporware at this point)
If Doomsday gets bumped, guess what’s next in line to shift? That’s right Secret Wars.
And frankly? I wouldn’t be shocked if it slips to Spring 2028. That’s not doom and gloom it’s just math.
But if Marvel wants to keep fans engaged in the meantime? Announce a Deadpool 4. Miraculously resuscitate Blade. Throw us something shiny while the bigger pieces fall into place.
Let’s call it like it is: this entire MCU roadmap feels like it’s being written on a whiteboard… in pencil… during an earthquake.
Marvel is clearly in restructuring mode, trying to re-center the narrative, avoid another VFX crunch disaster, and rebuild fan goodwill after a rocky few years. But these delays and the ones still to come suggest a company playing catchup, not leading the charge.
The real multiversal saga here? Marvel vs. the calendar.
And right now? The calendar’s winning.
What are your thoughts?
