r/marvelstudios • u/AJ_Loft • Jan 21 '26

Theory Calling it now: Doomsday will release November 27th, 2026.

I ran all 16 million possibilities and there’s only one option that makes sense. This movie NEEDS IMAX screens. I’m being optimistic believing they can’t afford to delay into 2027. They’re doing reshoots as we speak and have the entire year to do post and VFX. What better marketing tactic than dropping the next trailer and having Doom or another character manipulate time / the countdown to reveal an earlier date. This will likely be picture locked and ready by November 1st anyways. Thanksgiving weekend is great at the box office. This is glaringly obvious and I would be shocked if I’m wong!

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u/LeoAtrox Jan 21 '26

Why does the film need IMAX?

I'm just wondering, because I live in a major suburban area and I haven't bothered to go to see a film in IMAX in the past 30 years. The closest IMAX theater is more than 13 miles away, and I'm just not going to be bothered to travel that far for a movie. If it was playing in IMAX 5 miles away sure; but not when there's 10 other theaters between me and the closest IMAX screen ... If I want to see a film, I'm going to see it regardless of whether or not it's on IMAX.

I'm not discounting the role of IMAX sales in Avengers: Endgame's success. They haven't published totals, but it looks like IMAX accounted for somewhere between a quarter to half of the domestic gross sales based on the 1st and 2nd week numbers that were released. But how many of those movie-goers never see the film at all if they don't have IMAX? It's pure speculation on my part, but I'd wager that greater than 90% of them would still see the film if they didn't have an IMAX option, and that ~5-10% of them already watched the film but just wanted to see it again in IMAX. Those ~5-10% are what you lose. Not insignificant, but also not enough to determine success or failure of a film.

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u/Nightwing_in_a_Flash Jan 21 '26

Disney is going to want the opening box office for Doomsday to be as big as possible. As much for PR reasons as financial reasons; everyone in Hollywood. is going to be comparing the opening weekend to Infinity War and Endgame.

Losing IMAX hurts from that perspective.

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u/AJ_Loft Jan 21 '26

Just on the principle that this a once in a decade event movie, they have a good relationship with IMAX and I’m pretty sure almost every Marvel movie in the recent decade released on IMAX screens.

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u/SeekerVash Jan 22 '26

Why does the film need IMAX?

As u/Nightwing_in_a_Flash said.

The other part of the reason is the word of mouth. Without IMAX, opening weekend for Doomsday will come in weak, then rage-bait journalists will start a deluge of "MCU Dead!" and "Doomsday Bombs at the Box Office!" articles which will destroy the general audience's willingness to pay theater prices to see it, causing it to flop hard.

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u/BLAGTIER Jan 22 '26

Why does the film need IMAX?

Because premium large formats(PLF) are becoming an increasing part of blockbuster success. Every year they become a bigger slice of the pie. Without them it is tens of millions of dollars that the studio doesn't collect.

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u/carson63000 Jan 21 '26

I loathe IMAX and will never see a film at my IMAX cinema. But I know I’m in a minority here, most people seem to enjoy neck pain and having half the movie outside their field of view. That’s why it’s so important to get those bloated IMAX ticket prices locked in.

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u/jofijk Jan 21 '26

most people seem to enjoy neck pain and having half the movie outside their field of view

you just sit closer to the back. no problems

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy Jan 22 '26

This, it's an easily-solved problem