Is Warner Bros. calling Disney’s bluff? Yet another cinematic double feature may be on the horizon as Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday hold the same release date.
“Barbenheimer” was a truly lightning-in-a-bottle event. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer shared a release date. But instead of cannibalizing each other, the meme of two tonally dissonant movies being sisters in arms managed to send both projects into the atmosphere of the box office. It’s a high studios have been chasing ever since.
And it seems that craze may repeat itself once more with “Dunesday”. The term, coined by Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu, is in reference to the fact that both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 are sharing a release date. While some may see this as another chance at collaboration, it’s more than likely the executives at Warner Bros. are playing chicken with Disney.
Prepare for DUNESDAY
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 24, 2025
Warner Bros. Secret Plan For Dunesday
It’s no secret that the MCU has been struggling in recent years. Avengers: Doomsday, to put things bluntly, NEEDS to be a bit. By keeping Dune 3 on the same release date as Avengers: Doomsday, Warner Bros. is cutting off any leg up they may have with being the only blockbuster of the holiday season. This not to mention that, if Dune 3 opens higher than Avengers: Doomsday, all the trades will be decrying the “death” of Marvel Studios.
But it’s not like Disney can just move the release date of Avengers: Doomsday. If they flinch in this game of chicken, it reads as conceding that their billion dollar franchise is scared of the box office potential that Warner Bros. has with Dune 3. This would not only increase the box office performance of Dune 3, put potentially make some hesitant to see Avengers: Doomsday if even Disney isn’t confident in the project.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters in December 2026. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
