Doom is already selling out theaters five months early. Avengers: Doomsday pulled in a massive $16.5 million in advance ticket sales during its first day of availability on Monday, according to Variety, with premium screenings across the country already selling out ahead of the December 18 release.
A Historic Start With Limited Availability
What makes the number even more impressive is how few tickets were actually available. Pre-sales were limited to premium formats in roughly 1,000 domestic theaters, with no IMAX screenings on sale yet. Even with those restrictions, the film doubled the first day pre-sale total of Deadpool & Wolverine, which had every format and screen available when its tickets launched. Industry trackers note it was the third biggest 24 hour ticket kickoff for any film since the pandemic, behind only Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The missing IMAX factor comes down to Dune: Part III, which opens the very same day and has the entire IMAX footprint locked up exclusively for three weeks because Denis Villeneuve shot the film with IMAX cameras. In response, Marvel introduced a new premium certification called Infinity Vision, which guarantees that participating theaters meet a set of rigorous technical standards for picture and sound. Exhibitors are reportedly already adding showtimes for Christmas Day and beyond as premium screenings for December 17 and 18 continue to sell out.
The Trailer Is Breaking Records Too
The ticket rush arrived alongside another milestone. The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, which dropped five days early on Monday morning, racked up 503 million views in its first 24 hours. That makes it the second biggest trailer launch of all time, trailing only the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hit 719 million views. It is also the most viewed trailer in Disney history, topping the Deadpool & Wolverine Super Bowl teaser that reached 365 million views including the broadcast.
Momentum Heading Into Comic-Con
The combination of record pre-sales and record trailer views sets the stage for a huge weekend, with Marvel Studios returning to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday. Avengers: Doomsday, directed by the Russo Brothers and starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.
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