Why Have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Been Delayed?

Synopsis
Disney's recent postponement of 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars' raises questions about Marvel's future. With new release dates set for 2026 and 2027, fans are eager to know what's next for the MCU. This article delves into the implications of these delays.
Key Takeaways
- ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ delayed to December 18, 2026.
- ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ pushed to December 17, 2027.
- Disney is restructuring its theatrical schedule.
- Only two Marvel films are confirmed for 2026.
- Marvel aims to enhance the quality of its films moving forward.
Los Angeles, May 23 (NationPress) Disney has officially postponed the release dates for Marvel Studios' anticipated films “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” The new release years are now set for 2026 and 2027 respectively.
The film “Doomsday” is now anticipated to premiere on December 18, 2026, having been previously scheduled for May 1, 2026. In line with this shift, the sequel “Avengers: Secret Wars” has also adjusted its debut date to December 17, 2027, moving from its former date of May 7, 2027, as reported by variety.com.
Disney announced these delays on Thursday afternoon, coinciding with a significant overhaul of its upcoming theatrical lineup.
Interestingly, the new schedule led the studio to remove several unnamed Marvel projects from its timeline. For instance, the date of February 13, 2026, which was allocated for an “Untitled Marvel” project, has been taken off the calendar.
Furthermore, the previously scheduled dates of November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2027 for other “Untitled Marvel” titles have been changed to simply “Untitled Disney” films.
With these adjustments, “Avengers: Doomsday” alongside Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” are set to be the only Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films to be released in 2026.
In addition, there are currently no theatrical Marvel films scheduled to release between “The Fantastic 4: First Steps” on July 25 and the fourth installment of Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” series on July 31, 2026, representing a significant gap of over a year.
This marks the MCU's largest hiatus between feature films since the interval between 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and 2021’s “Black Widow”.
Disney has earmarked a few dates in 2028 for “Untitled Marvel” features: February 18, May 5, and November 10. Marvel Studios has earlier announced projects like “Armor Wars” and “Blade,” but neither currently has a confirmed release date.
The noticeable reduction in upcoming theatrical Marvel films aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recently expressed strategy regarding the company’s superhero projects.
During an investor call, Iger indicated that Marvel Studios had “lost a bit of focus by producing too many” titles, spanning from major films to various Disney+ series. He stated, “By consolidating and having Marvel concentrate more on their films, we believe this will enhance quality.”