Dune 3 just seized the one advantage Avengers: Doomsday didn’t anticipate
Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday are barreling toward a December 18, 2026 showdown that could be this year’s Barbenheimer—but Dune 3 is already edging ahead in a key race. The spice may be flowing early, and Marvel didn’t see this one coming.
It looks like we’re heading for another properly massive December at the multiplex – and, to be clear, there’s no shortage of drama in this race. Both 'Dune: Part Three' and 'Avengers: Doomsday' are charging down the same 18 December 2026 release date, so anyone hoping for a quiet end to the year is bang out of luck.
The stage is practically set for a rerun of that Barbenheimer chaos, only this time the combatants are a sandblasted sci-fi epic and another super-sized Marvel punch-up. But here’s where it gets interesting: while everyone expects Marvel to bulldoze the box office, it's the 'Dune' crowd that's winning on the hype front – and by a bit of a distance, honestly.
How the Numbers Stack Up
First things first, let’s look at the box office. No one’s pretending 'Avengers: Doomsday' is going to flop. When Marvel comes knocking, history says people turn up in their droves: 'Endgame' made $2.8 billion, 'Infinity War' wasn’t far behind with $2.1 billion. Frankly, a billion-dollar haul is considered the bare minimum – most reckon 'Doomsday' will clear about $1.5 billion, easy.
'Dune', by contrast, is coming off a more humble foundation. The first film pulled in $410 million, though that one basically had to arm wrestle HBO Max at launch. Everything changed with the sequel: full theatrical rollout, no streaming shenanigans, and suddenly it landed $714 million worldwide. So if 'Dune: Part Three' hits anywhere near that, Warner Bros. will be laughing – a billion would be a jaw-dropper.
The Hype Gap Keeps Growing
Here’s the bit that’s got pundits leaning in: 'Dune 3' is generating frankly wild excitement. Warner Bros. are hammering home that this is Denis Villeneuve’s final chapter, the big one, tying up his trilogy in as epic a fashion as possible. It’s not a stretch to say the hype smells a fair bit like it did for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' – people aren’t just keen, they’re rooting for it to stick the landing.
"Can 'Dune 3' pull a 'Return of the King' and really clean up at the Oscars?"
That’s the chatter, anyway. 'Return of the King' swept the Academy Awards, so there’s talk – pure speculation at this point, but still – that 'Dune 3' could go on a similar run. For a sci-fi blockbuster, that’s rarefied air.
The numbers on social media are reinforcing the point. The first teaser for 'Dune 3' has notched up 41 million views on YouTube, which is nothing to sniff at. More impressively, the latest trailer pulled 10 million views in just under a day – people are watching, sharing, getting properly fired up. It’s everywhere.
Over at Marvel HQ, things are a bit… well, reserved. Yes, 'Doomsday' had four teasers out at the start of the year, and collectively those racked up more than 80 million views. But the key detail? Those trailers dropped five months ago, and there’s been dead silence since. Not a peep, not a new shot, not a cryptic voiceover. Marvel’s clearly shifted its marketing nerds over to 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', which opens in July.
Odds are they’ll fire up the engines on 'Doomsday' right after Spidey’s had his swing, but this is classic Marvel: keep everything under wraps, show as little as possible, and let the internet run wild speculating. The thing is – can you build proper FOMO vibes when people haven’t got anything new to react to?
What We Know, at a Glance
- Both films release: 18 December 2026
- 'Avengers: Doomsday' expected box office: at least $1.5 billion
- 'Dune: Part Three' last outing: $714 million ('Part Two')
- Oscar discussions: 'Dune 3' being likened to 'Return of the King'
- 'Dune 3' trailers: First teaser at 41m views, most recent at 10m in 20 hours
- 'Doomsday' teasers: 4 trailers, 80m+ views – but all five months old, nothing new since
- Marvel's focus: Currently on 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (out 31 July 2026), 'Doomsday' promo likely after
Right now, if you’re anywhere near a social feed, it’s 'Dune 3' that’s impossible to ignore – and Marvel, oddly, feels a step behind for once.