‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Reportedly Crosses a Record-Setting Presales Milestone Months Before Release, Leaving ‘Dune: Part Three’ Far Behind

Box office records usually belong to films that have already opened. They arrive on a Sunday morning, after weekend grosses have been counted and the numbers confirmed. So when a movie starts setting records before it reaches theaters, the industry pays attention.

That’s the situation with Marvel’s biggest film in years. Ticket sales began earlier than usual, the numbers have grown steadily and each milestone has been compared with the biggest hits in recent history. The latest figure puts the film in rare territory.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ has reportedly crossed $125 million in presales, according to a new box office report, setting records for advance ticket sales. That’s up from the $100 million mark that tracking firm Global Box Office said the film passed on October 6, more than 2 months before release. The figures are reported by trackers rather than confirmed by Disney, so they should be treated as estimates.

Avengers Doomsday: $125M record-breaking presale. https://t.co/yMlZivIG5Y

— Lets Cinema (@letscinema) October 24, 2026

The climb has been rapid. Premium-format tickets went on sale on July 20, months earlier than normal, and the film earned $16.5 million in the first 24 hours from about 1,000 domestic theaters. Variety noted that was twice the first-day figure for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ even though that comparison included all formats and screens.

Domestic sales later passed $40 million about 100 days before release, the first time any film had reached that figure through advance sales in North America alone. Disney has confirmed that domestic advance sales topped $50 million. The $100 million global mark followed, driven partly by overseas demand.

International markets have been especially strong. In Brazil and the United Kingdom, ‘Doomsday’ became the fastest film ever to pass $1 million in pre-release ticket sales. That suggests the demand isn’t limited to the US and that the film’s multiverse premise resonates around the world.

General advance sales opened roughly 4 months before release, while ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ began selling tickets only about 45 days out. That head start explains some of the numbers. After 2 days, TheWrap reported ‘Doomsday’ was running about 65% ahead of ‘Brand New Day’s’ pace.

That comparison matters because ‘Brand New Day’ set a very high bar. The film broke the opening-day record with $168 million and set a new opening-weekend record of about $360 million, edging past ‘Avengers: Endgame’s’ $357.1 million. It has since passed $2 billion worldwide.

Global Box Office has projected a domestic opening between $260 million and $300 million for ‘Doomsday,’ which is below those records but still enormous. Other claims have gone as high as a $400 million opening, though those are speculation. Trackers also note that sales are being measured against a film that started selling tickets much later.

The new report also puts the film well ahead of its rival. Both films open on December 18, and the presales suggest ‘Doomsday’s’ opening-weekend projection could be 3.2 to 4 times larger than that of ‘Dune: Part Three.’ That sets up a high-stakes showdown that fans have nicknamed ‘Dunesday.’

‘Dune: Part Three’ has had its own record-setting presales in premium formats, including a record first day at London’s BFI IMAX. But Marvel’s film is playing across all formats and showtimes, which gives it a broader reach. The gap reflects the difference between a specialty event and a mass-market blockbuster.

He used to be different. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters everywhere December 18. Get your tickets now: https://t.co/J5PUbxvAkc https://t.co/OUutSMZneq

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 15, 2026

One wrinkle is that ‘Doomsday’ won’t have IMAX screens at launch. Warner Bros. locked up the entire IMAX footprint for ‘Dune: Part Three’ for 3 weeks, which prompted Disney to create its Infinity Vision certification for premium auditoriums. Disney insiders have said the film can still reach $1 billion without IMAX, pointing to hits like ‘Barbie’ that did the same.

Some analysts have raised questions about screen capacity, since the 2 films are competing for premium showtimes. That could limit the film’s ceiling, but so far it hasn’t slowed ticket sales.

Presales don’t guarantee box office. They reflect early demand from the most enthusiastic fans, and they can be front-loaded. Still, the pace so far is far ahead of recent comparable releases, and it gives Marvel reason for optimism after a bumpy few years.

The marketing push is also continuing, with a new trailer rumored for mid-November and more promotions on the way. Each new reveal could add to the momentum.

The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and arrives on December 18, with ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ following a year later. With less than 2 months to go, the countdown to what could be one of the biggest openings in history has officially begun.

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