Hollywood's biggest titans are about to clash in an IMAX face-off, and things are not looking great for the superheroes because their superfoes come from an epic space opera, not just another planet. Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three will bring together some of the biggest pop cultural icons of the modern generation, enticing and earning billions.

The two major franchise juggernauts are preparing for their upcoming release battle, which fans have named Dunesday. Who is winning?

December 18, 2026, will see the release of both the giant movies in an IMAX screening competition.  Dune has already accomplished its first victory because it secured the biggest IMAX opening weekend in the United States theaters before audiences select their preferred film, raining an apparent catastrophe on Marvel. IMAX announced through its investor presentation that Dune has obtained exclusive IMAX rights for American theaters during its opening weekend.

This prevents the Avengers from using that premium format until later international showings. Doomsday will not receive access to big screens at select IMAX theaters during its important opening weekend despite Marvel's traditional box office success and strong fan following. However, Avengers: Secret Wars is saved from such a fate by already sealing its December 17, 2027, IMAX premiere.

The Marvel die-hard fanbase receives a not-so-pleasant surprise, which nobody expected, because they will see superheroes without the IMAX experience from the beginning. Meanwhile, Dune will reveal its spice-soaked universe through large-format cinematography, which enables the film to display both sandworms and expansive desert landscapes on enormous IMAX screens as Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah had bagged the December 18, 2026, release date prior to Doomsday.

Due to IMAX tickets being pricier than regular screenings, Doomsday's box office results could take a backseat as Villeneuve's science-fiction epic currently holds the lead.

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With Hollywood's elites cast in both the movies, the screening battle will culminate in an intriguing box-office result.

Avengers: Doomsday has the potential to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, as Variety reported based on expert industry analysis. The movie marks the return of beloved Marvel characters played by both veteran actors and popular fan favorites. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, with Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom in a rare departure from his Iron Man persona. Industry experts believe the film could surpass the billion-dollar mark at the global box office earnings owing to its stellar cast and significant multiverse content.

Dune: Part Three, on the other hand, stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides alongside a powerhouse cast including Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, and Robert Pattinson, bringing depth to Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi saga. The film is expected to succeed at the box office, although most forecasts show its total revenue will fall short of Doomsday's estimated earnings, which usually range between $700 million and $800 million in international markets. Only time will tell who is winning this box-office battle.

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Which of the two mega releases are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.