Move Over Barbenheimer: WB Locks Dune 3 Release Date to Face Avengers: Doomsday Head-On

Well, this just got spicy. December 18, 2026 now has the makings of another two-movie showdown weekend: Marvel just planted its flag with Avengers: Doomsday, and Warner Bros. is keeping Dune: Part Three right there on the same date. If you survived the Barbie/Oppenheimer summer, you know exactly the kind of chaos this can create.

The setup: two heavyweights, one weekend

Marvel fired the opening salvo by dropping the first teaser for Avengers: Doomsday, stamping the release date and confirming Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has Denis Villeneuve’s third Dune movie locked on that exact Friday and, by all accounts, has zero interest in flinching. Fans have already turned the hype dial to 11 and dubbed the collision, of course, Dunesday.

• Dune: Part Three — Director: Denis Villeneuve; Studio: Warner Bros.; Release date: December 18, 2026
• Avengers: Doomsday — Directors: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo; Studio: Marvel Studios; Release date: December 18, 2026

Why WB isn’t budging

Both titles are crown-jewel projects for their studios, but Dune has graduated from risky sci-fi to prestige franchise. On The Hot Mic, Jeff Sneider said Warner Bros. isn’t moving the date. Matt Belloni backed that up on The Town, adding that WB picked the weekend first and it lines up with Villeneuve’s bigger plan and the franchise’s production rhythm.

Shifting now would scramble a ton of machinery: long-lead marketing beats, IMAX screen commitments, awards-season positioning, and international distribution plans. The movie is also already deep into post, where VFX, sound, and color take ages; a date shuffle doesn’t speed that up and can actually make it pricier. Translation: WB’s plan is to hold the line and see if Marvel blinks.

If nobody moves: what the numbers could look like

On opening weekend, advantage Marvel. Avengers movies are built on urgency, spoilers, and fear of missing out. Add the Chris Evans factor and you’ve got a must-see-now event.

Dune: Part Three plays a different game that weirdly works in these situations: towering IMAX presentation, big-screen word of mouth, adult audience turnout, and awards buzz. Think less sugar rush, more slow-burn legs. We saw a version of this in 2023 when one flashy studio comedy and one three-hour historical drama both feasted for weeks. A split crowd can be very good business.

'Dunesday is going to be legendary'

My read

If both stick the date, Doomsday grabs the early headlines, Dune settles in for the marathon. Different lanes, different wins. Theaters won’t complain either way.

Which one are you seeing first? Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are both set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.