The Marvel studio will have a lot to do with its new episodes of the Avengers saga. Doomsday will have to face Dune 3, while Secret Wars will measure up to one of the most anticipated titles of the next year.
Marvel Studios will release two of its biggest projects back to back. Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18, 2026, followed a year later, on December 17, 2027, by Avengers: Secret Wars. Not long ago, no film would have dared to compete with these two blockbusters. However, now both episodes will have to face fierce competition.
Titans clash at the movies for 2 years
Also, unless there is a last-minute turnaround, Avengers 5 will release on the same day as Dune 3, the latest installment of the sci-fi saga directed by Denis Villeneuve. Avengers 6, on the other hand, will release on the same day as the return of one of the greatest fantasy sagas of all time: The Lord of the Rings. On the program? It’s The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis who will reprise his role, which will be released in American theaters on December 17.
A brutal face-off showing the decline of the Marvel cinematic universe, despite being one of the most important franchises in cinema history. Just a few years ago, competing with Marvel was almost shooting oneself in the foot, as each episode was a guaranteed success.
Marvel will need to reunite iconic figures like Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, and Robert Downey Jr. as the villain Doctor Doom to potentially come out victorious in the box office. A showdown with Dune and the Lord of the Rings reveals the fierce competition in the movie world.
However, the situation changed after the pandemic and the release of Avengers: Endgame (2019), which marked a turning point in the saga. In 2025, none of its films made it into the top ten highest-grossing films of the year, a situation unprecedented since 2011, when Thor (2011) ranked fifteenth.
This is probably why, for Doomsday, Marvel decided to bring together its iconic figures: Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, and Robert Downey Jr., who will portray the villain Doctor Doom instead of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Will this be enough to triumph at the box office? Time will tell.
Dune and The Lord of the Rings against Marvel
Dune achieved the impressive feat of surpassing $1 billion in revenue in just two installments. Dune (2021) grossed $410.6 million worldwide during a cinema recovery year after the COVID-19 crisis, which seemed like a miracle. Subsequently, Dune 2 (2024) added $714.8 million, proving the public’s love for the universe.
As for The Lord of the Rings, it is simply the second most lucrative fantasy franchise of all time, second only to Harry Potter. Film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work have generated nearly $6 billion worldwide.
This figure includes the original trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy, and the animated film The War of the Rohirrim (2024). The Hunt for Gollum will also mark the return of some of the most iconic actors in the saga, like Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen, reprising their roles as Frodo and Gandalf. The audience will be torn between the different offerings in theaters.
Dune 3 and The Hunt for Gollum are both produced by Warner Bros., a studio that is showing no fear in facing off against a giant like Marvel/Disney at the box office. And they are not alone.
Lionsgate is also ready to take on the challenge with Sydney Sweeney, the producer and actress of The Maid (2025), a huge popular success in recent months ($397.9 million worldwide on a $35 million budget). She will return for a sequel on December 17, 2027, at least in the United States. Although with little chance of rivalling Marvel and The Lord of the Rings, this sequel will offer a very pleasing alternative.
