The MCU may not be the massive money-spinner it once was, but a movie like Avengers: Doomsday was always going to be a huge hit, and Box Office Theory believes that the first part of Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga finale could "challenge the biggest global opening weekends in box-office history."
Doomsday's ticket sales in major European markets have already outperformed Avengers: Endgame during comparable early sales periods in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, and pre-sales have now overtaken the entire box office run of DC Studios' Supergirl.
According to Forbes, Doomsday has made over $125 million in pre-sales alone since tickets went on sale back on August 14. This puts the MCU epic on the cusp of surpassing the entire global box office run of the recent DCU movie, which topped out at $126,466,532 (it's been two days since that $125 million figure was reported).
Is a $1B opening weekend possible? It might be a long shot in the current box office climate, but it would be foolish to discount the possibility completely.
As for Supergirl, DC Studios will be hoping the costly flop will be a one-off as the DCU moves forward. Clayface, which reportedly had a relatively modest $44 million production budget, has now taken in $83 million worldwide, and is around $30M away from breaking even.
Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars were hit with significant delays last year, with Doomsday now set to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, and Secret Wars positioned for December 17, 2027.
Both movies will be directed by the Russo brothers, who also make their MCU return after helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
"Universes collide and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and ultimately face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
Doomsday will star:
Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent
Along with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and, of course, Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.