Sorry, MCU fans -- it looks like there won't be a new Avengers movie coming out in May next year after all. But it turns out this might be a good thing.
According to Deadline, while Avengers: Doomsday was originally expected to release on May 1, 2026, it now has an expected December release the same year, on the 18th. Similarly, Avengers: Secret Wars -- originally slated for May 7, 2027 -- now has an anticipated release date of December 17, 2027.
There isn't an official reason for Disney/Marvel deciding to shift these release dates, though some have suggested the success of movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home -- also released in the month of December -- could have something to do with it.
Some Star Wars fans have pointed out that moving Doomsday out of the May 2026 lineup frees the movie from having to compete with The Mandalorian & Grogu, expected to release later that same month. The film will be the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, and is based on the extremely popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Two mega-franchise movies have released in the same month before, but perhaps it's not the worst idea to separate these things ... for purely business reasons, of course.
Ultimately, though, the most positive aspect of these so-called "delays" is the extra time it should ideally allow for production to take as long as it needs to. Plenty has come out over the last few years about Marvel's VFX artists being grossly overworked, and it doesn't seem like the company has recovered completely from its nearly constant flow of production prior to its slow-down in 2024. Sure, we're getting fewer movies and shows a year, but is the quality really any better as a result? Perhaps only time will tell.
I consider myself a casual Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan. I've watched most of what's come out over the last five years in particular, and have mostly enjoyed a good portion of it. But I don't need more than two or even one movie a year. Especially not released within months of each other. Thunderbolts* was great. I want to sit with that for a while. If we don't get another Avengers movie for another year and a half, fine. Good. I hope that means it's going to be as good as Endgame was. Though, if we're being honest, when it comes to so-called finales, will anything like it ever be?
Many fans miss when a new MCU movie felt like more of an event and less like just another superhero movie. Perhaps I'm one of them. Give me fewer MCU movies, and make every single one the best there's ever been. Within reason. I know the industry doesn't work like that, and more equals more money. But hey, a girl can dream.