‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Just Solved the IMAX Problem That Left ‘Doomsday’ Out in the Cold

Marvel fans have spent the past few months processing some disappointing news about premium screen access for the studio’s biggest upcoming crossover. With every major superhero release competing for limited IMAX real estate, missing out on that format for a film this size felt like a genuine blow to the theatrical experience Marvel has built its reputation on.

That disappointment centered specifically on ‘Avengers Doomsday,’ which found itself squeezed out of domestic IMAX screens after ‘Dune Part Three’ locked down exclusivity for the same December release window. Rather than competing for those same screens, Disney opted to launch its own branded premium format instead, leaving longtime fans wondering whether the franchise’s next chapter would face the same fate.

That concern has now been put to rest. IMAX confirmed during an earnings call that ‘Avengers Secret Wars’ will play on IMAX screens worldwide when it opens on December 17, 2027, giving the Multiverse Saga finale the premium format treatment its predecessor was denied.

That confirmation stands in sharp contrast to how ‘Doomsday’ is being handled instead. Rather than IMAX, that film will play in Infinity Vision, a new certification Disney is introducing specifically for the release, covering premium format cinemas that meet what the company describes as rigorous technical standards including massive screens, laser projection and premium audio.

IMAX CFO Natasha Fernandes offered a pointed response to that competing format when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, suggesting the move looks like an attempt to offset the fact that Disney lacks its own IMAX platform or brand for ‘Doomsday.’ That kind of direct commentary from a rival exhibitor highlights just how competitive the premium format landscape has become heading into the biggest Marvel releases in years.

‘Secret Wars’ will not have the IMAX spotlight entirely to itself on its release date either. ‘The Lord of the Rings, The Hunt For Gollum’ has also locked in the exact same December 17, 2027 date for its own global IMAX premiere, setting up a direct box office clash between two of the era’s biggest franchise properties.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, ‘Secret Wars’ serves as the direct follow-up to ‘Doomsday’ and closes out Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wrapping the larger Multiverse Saga that began with ‘WandaVision’ back in 2021. The film draws inspiration from Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 comic run, built around the idea of a collapsed multiverse and a central conflict pulling together heroes from across Marvel’s expanded roster.

Production on ‘Secret Wars’ is expected to begin in mid-2026, following closely behind the completion of ‘Doomsday.’ Longtime Marvel collaborators including editor Jeffrey Ford and composer Alan Silvestri are both set to return, reuniting key members of the creative team behind ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

For fans who have been closely tracking Marvel’s premium format struggles this year, the IMAX confirmation for ‘Secret Wars’ offers a reassuring sign that the studio is not abandoning giant screen exhibition altogether. It simply means this particular battle for screen space will play out one release later than fans might have hoped.

With over a year still to go before release and production not even underway yet, plenty of details about ‘Secret Wars’ remain to be revealed. Locking down its IMAX presence this early, though, suggests Marvel is treating the franchise’s next finale as the kind of event picture that demands the biggest screen possible.

Between the confirmed IMAX rollout and a stacked cast pulling from multiple corners of the MCU, ‘Secret Wars’ is already shaping up to be a genuine theatrical event. What do you think about Marvel securing IMAX for ‘Secret Wars’ after missing out with ‘Doomsday ‘? Share your thoughts in the comments.