⚡ Short answer
Because Dune: Part Three got there first. Warner Bros. locked up an exclusive three-week run on IMAX screens in North America starting December 18 — the same day Avengers: Doomsday opens. So in the US and Canada, Doomsday won’t play in IMAX during its first weeks. Disney’s answer is a premium-screen program it calls Infinity Vision. Whether Doomsday gets IMAX later hasn’t been confirmed.
If you went to buy Avengers: Doomsday tickets and stared at your theater app wondering where the IMAX showtimes went — no, the app isn’t broken. This is one of the strangest box-office stories of the year, and it explains a lot about how Hollywood actually works.
How Dune got the IMAX screens
There are relatively few true IMAX screens, and studios book them far in advance. Warner Bros. claimed December 18 for Dune: Part Three first, then secured an exclusive deal covering all North American IMAX screens for three consecutive weeks — straight through the holiday corridor. When Marvel later landed on the same date, there was nothing left to book.
There’s also a creative reason IMAX wanted Dune: IMAX’s CEO, Rich Gelfond, said in 2025 that Denis Villeneuve shot most of the film with IMAX cameras. The format isn’t a bonus for Dune — it’s how the movie was made.
Why didn’t Marvel just move?
Studios can move a release date to grab IMAX, and there was chatter about Doomsday shifting a week earlier. It didn’t happen. Instead, both studios held firm — Warner because it booked the date first, Disney because an Avengers movie on the week before Christmas is still an enormous event, IMAX or not.
🎬 It’s not the first time
IMAX scheduling has become its own blockbuster battle. Earlier in 2026, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey held IMAX screens in a way that kept Spider-Man: Brand New Day out. In 2025, Jurassic World Rebirth skipped IMAX too. Filmmakers who shoot with IMAX cameras have real leverage now.
What is Infinity Vision?
It’s Disney’s own branding for premium theater experiences — large screens and upgraded sound — and it launched in September 2026 with Avengers Endgame: Encore, a re-release of Endgame with new footage. For Doomsday, it’s Disney’s way of saying “there’s still a premium option.” IMAX was not impressed: its CFO called it a marketing play to make up for not having IMAX.
🧩 Quiz: Will Avengers: Doomsday play in IMAX anywhere?
Yes — according to IMAX’s own investor materials, Doomsday is set for IMAX screens in select international markets. It’s the North American screens that Dune has locked up.
So where should I see Avengers: Doomsday?
- Dolby Cinema — if there’s one near you, this is the top pick for picture and sound.
- Your theater chain’s premium large format — names vary by chain, but these are big-screen, big-sound auditoriums.
- Infinity Vision-branded showings — check your app; Disney is pushing these hard.
- Wait for IMAX? Only if it’s announced. Don’t skip opening weekend for a maybe — the spoilers will find you.
What does this mean for the box office?
IMAX tickets cost more and sell fast, so losing them is a real hit to Doomsday’s opening numbers. But most analysts still expect Doomsday to win the weekend: early pre-sale tracking reported by box-office watchers had Marvel well ahead. The more interesting race may be profit — Dune has a lower break-even point, and those premium IMAX tickets help.
🗳️ Quick poll: Does the lack of IMAX change your Doomsday plans?
- Nope — opening night in whatever screen I can get
- I’ll go Dolby instead
- I’m waiting to see if IMAX happens later
- This settles it: Dune first
Drop your number in the comments — we tally the votes and update this post with the results.
