Doomsday Will Make At The Box Office

While 2026 is set to be a stacked year for films, Avengers: Doomsday continues to stand out as the most talked-about upcoming release. Once a box office juggernaut, the MCU has fluctuated between big hits and disappointing misses since Avengers: Endgame, putting a lot of pressure on Doomsday.

Unlike Phases 1–3, Marvel’s recent cinematic projects haven’t connected with each other all too often, nor have they contained that must-see factor that the previous entries possessed. As a result, some fans have speculated that Avengers: Doomsday could begin setting up an MCU reboot, allowing for fresh stories and a chance to revive this once unstoppable franchise.

Even if that feels like a long shot, audiences will inevitably still turn up for Marvel’s upcoming movie despite its divisive early reception. However, with it being the first Avengers film in seven years, alongside releasing in a very different climate for both Marvel and cinema as a whole, its box office prospects remain unpredictable, and they’re worth looking into.

Avengers: Doomsday Is Marketing Itself As An Endgame Sequel

As the title suggests, Avengers: Endgame felt like the final chapter for many when it came to the MCU, but despite it offering closure to several stories, it looks like Doomsday will be a loose sequel. Being an Avengers movie, Doomsday was always going to tie into Endgame, but it seems like the marketing is heavily leaning into this aspect.

So far, we have seen Captain America looking at his Endgame outfit and sharing a moment with his child, while Thor reflected on his previous battles. While Professor X and the X-Men’s role in Avengers: Doomsday don’t have any real Endgame connections, the tone and somber nature of the trailers feel like they’re exploring the previous Avengers film’s bittersweet conclusion.

Additionally, inside reports suggest that Marvel and the Russo Brothers themselves are treating the project like a direct follow-up. This makes sense considering that Endgame was the last Marvel movie that Anthony and Joe Russo directed, and while their approach will largely be for story purposes, this could also help the box office.

Given that the 2019 flick earned over $2 billion and is the second-largest-grossing movie of all time, marketing Avengers: Doomsday as an official sequel gives it the best chance of performing well financially, potentially setting up a bright future for the MCU after a period of uncertainty.

The MCU Is Not The Same Box Office Juggernaut It Used To Be

Grossing over $1 billion used to be common practice for the MCU, as five out of Phase 3’s final six movies made over this threshold, but this is no longer a guarantee. Since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, only two MCU movies have reached over $1 billion — Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine.

COVID-19 understandably had an impact, especially as some of Phase 4’s initial films debuted on streaming alongside having theatrical releases. However, it’s also fair to say audiences aren’t as desperate to see every new movie as much as they once were, especially with the Disney+ shows becoming mandatory viewing.

It really felt like 2025 signaled the end of the MCU’s box office dominance, as Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* were both box office flops, despite the latter earning great reviews from fans and critics alike. Fantastic Four: First Steps was profitable, but at just over $520 million worldwide, it landed well short of the MCU’s heyday.

To make matters worse, Superman became the highest-grossing superhero film of the year, proving Marvel once again has DC as competition. As a result, it’s clear the tides have changed regarding the MCU’s reputation, meaning it needs Avengers: Doomsday to deliver.

Marvel’s Team Up Movies Are Still Guaranteed Hits

The cast of 2012's The Avengers in front of a battle in New York — The cast of 2012’s The Avengers in front of a battle in New York

Despite the recent troubles facing the MCU, Marvel’s team-up movies are still a certainty to perform well. Solo movies are a lot easier for casual fans to simply ignore, given they may not have any real impact on the overarching story — especially if it’s a completely new hero or team — but characters coming together almost always proves profitable.

Technically, The Marvels could be considered a team-up movie that flopped, but the heroes were a lot less established compared to something like Deadpool & Wolverine, while also having nowhere near the stakes of the Avengers films. These big projects aren’t just movies; they’re cinematic events, hence why viewers always come flooding back, and Doomsday is unlikely to be an exception.

The MCU may not be in its strongest place at the moment, but with Chris Evans returning as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday, alongside Robert Downey Jr. rejoining the franchise as one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, it’s hard to imagine this not being a major hit financially, regardless of recent box office performances.

How Much Will Avengers: Doomsday Make?

Between the MCU’s box office difficulties, the frequent success of team-up movies, and Avengers: Doomsday‘s links to Endgame, the jury is still out on how much the film will make in total. However, weighing up these factors with the current box office, a safe bet is for Avengers: Doomsday to end somewhere between the $1.5-1.9 billion range.

Despite both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame passing the $2 billion mark, this is an extremely rare landmark, one that will be difficult to replicate in the modern market. Movie-goers simply don’t tend to show up in quite the same numbers, and with the MCU’s overall interest declining since Endgame, it’s hard to see Doomsday crossing this threshold.

Avatar‘s fate is the perfect example of this, as despite Avatar: Fire & Ash passing the $1 million milestone, it is still a long way from reaching $2 billion like its predecessors after being out for nearly 4 weeks. This is sadly just the nature of the current box office, and while big numbers are still possible, they’re hard to come by.

Still, with Deadpool & Wolverine earning over $1.3 billion in 2024, this should be the absolute minimum for Avengers: Doomsday. Therefore, the large budget and strong marketing campaign should help it reach at least $1.5 billion, and while a $2 billion+ haul seems ambitious, you can never say never when it comes to the MCU.