Warner Bros. is reportedly doubling down on the release date for one of its biggest movies in 2026 against Disney’s Avengers: Doomsday. The studio has consistently been in the headlines all year, from back-to-back box office success to the surprise acquisition deal with Netflix. While the latter has yet to be finalized, Warner Bros. continues to focus on its upcoming releases, including Supergirl and Mortal Kombat II.
Among the studio’s most anticipated movies is Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, which is adapting Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah. It’s currently scheduled for December 18, 2026, which is the same day that Disney will release the awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe installment, Avengers: Doomsday.
While some audiences are excited about this potential double feature and box office battle, some pundits believe that either Disney or Warner Bros. will cave and end up moving their release date to avoid this competition. It seems that Disney won’t budge, as the studio has started to drop the first set of trailers for Avengers: Doomsday, leading to speculation that Warner Bros. could be the one to push Dune: Part Three.
However, Puck’s Matthew Belloni is saying otherwise on this assumption. While speaking on a recent episode of The Town, he shared that he has been doing research on the release situation between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, and whether either studio plans to move their date. As of writing, Warner Bros. will keep the release date for the third Dune installment.
Some factors may explain why Warner Bros. is confident in releasing Dune: Part Three in December 2026 despite the threat of Disney. Villeneuve’s adaptations have already earned incredible critical acclaim, as the latest sequel currently has a 92%. It’s a huge step up from David Lynch’s version, which wasn’t as well-received, and Herbert’s books continued to have a reputation for being difficult to adapt until recently.
More importantly, Dune: Part Three, retaining its schedule, will continue a release trend for its leading star, Timothée Chalamet, who will return as Paul Atreides. Since 2023, the talented actor has dominated the December schedule with box office hits, such as Wonka and A Complete Unknown. A24’s Marty Supreme will be the latest to follow this trend, which is set for December 25, 2025.
At this point, time will tell if either Disney or Warner Bros. makes the move. Disney has started to show first looks at Avengers: Doomsday, which will continue with a new teaser weekly ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. It’s unclear when Warner Bros. plans to drop the first trailer for Dune: Part Three.
Either way, audiences are seemingly preparing for its biggest movie battle yet since 2023’s “Barbenheimer,” which also involved Warner Bros. The studio already has experience with this phenomenon, as Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer became major box office successes.
With Warner Bros. having a successful box office year, with seven back-to-back movies hitting over $40 million, it proves that it’s the one brand that has the confidence to challenge the might of Disney’s MCU franchise.
