In a new move that reshapes the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios has officially pulled the plug on the release dates for Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Originally slated as the next chapter for the Avengers in the Multiverse Saga, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was shelved following controversy surrounding actor Jonathan Majors, who was set to reprise his role as the Multiversal villain Kang the Conqueror. The studio opted to pivot after Majors’ conviction and subsequent firing by Marvel. The result? A complete overhaul of its long-term plans, with Avengers: Doomsday now stepping in as the next massive crossover event.

Robert Downey Jr. is returning—but not as Tony Stark or Iron Man. The iconic MCU star will portray Victor Doctor Doom, signaling a bold reimagining of his legacy in the Multiverse. Meanwhile, directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), are back in charge, ensuring these final chapters will echo their predecessors’ high-stakes, universe-defining energy.

But the release won’t be arriving on schedule. Avengers: Doomsday has now been delayed to December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars pushed to December 17, 2027—each about seven months later than initially planned. While the delays may frustrate fans, they underscore Marvel’s new “quality over quantity” approach, meant to course-correct after several underwhelming Phase 4 and 5 entries. That said, recent reports also claimed that the script was not yet finished for the first installment.

And don’t expect a small cast: everyone from the Fantastic Four to legacy X-Men actors and Thunderbolts members are set to appear. These films aim to be the most expansive crossover stories Marvel has ever told, stretching the Multiverse Saga to its absolute limits. While Endgame was the closing chapter of an era, the Russos have confirmed that Doomsday is the start of something new–and new is what many fans want after the turbulent Phases 4 and 5.

“The notable decrease in theatrical Marvel features on the immediate horizon aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recently articulated strategy for the company’s superhero features,” Variety explained. “During an investor call, Iger shared that Marvel Studios had ‘lost a little focus by making too much’ between its tentpoles and various Disney+ series.”

The report added, “He continued, ‘By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe that will result in better quality.'”

Upon Bob Iger’s return as the leader of the Mouse House in November 2022, the CEO was quick to comment on the superhero franchise, making remarks about quality, the need for sequels, and identifying characters that audiences want to engage with. This recent reshuffle seems to align with his promise to hone down the Marvel offer.

While the attention may be on the scrapped and rescheduled Avengers release dates, Disney has also reclassified several future release dates, removing “Untitled Marvel” slots in favor of broader “Untitled Disney” placeholders. The dates for February 13, 2026, November 6, 2026, and November 5, 2027, are now held for Disney movies instead of Marvel. This is not unusual considering nothing had been announced for the February slot, and, with Doomsday and Secret Wars taking up the holiday window, an additional November release wouldn’t be in line with the fewer movies initiative.

Notably, earlier reports indicated that Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), the fourth entry in the Spidey series, would be happening concurrently with Doomsday. That is more of a question mark now that the time between the two has been extended. It also means there will be no movie between The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

There is also the very ideal scenario that Doomsday‘s release during the Christmas period will mean a strong box office performance for Marvel Studios. By placing it after two hyped movies, The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, which themselves follow on from the well-received Thunderbolts* (2025), it means that general audience engagement is likely to be higher, bringing excitement back up for the once untouchable comic book franchise.

Avengers: Doomsday now releases on December 18, 2026 and will include Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Also cast are Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.

Joining the above will be the stars of the recently released Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers) movie Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow), David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/U.S. Agent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost), Lewis Pullman (Bob/Sentry), and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier).