Why won’t Avengers: Doomsday play in IMAX?

IMAX screenings missed for Avengers: Doomsday

The new Marvel event Avengers: Doomsday is one of the biggest films of 2026, but it won’t be presented in IMAX screenings—an apparent scheduling and release-plan miss rather than a creative one. The film is set to open on December 18, and the surrounding release landscape includes another major blockbuster hitting the same day, creating a competitive timing problem for IMAX programming.

Industry context matters here because IMAX bookings are typically treated like a premium inventory: theaters and distributors align on the most valuable tentpoles, and only a limited number can be slotted for peak-format presentations. When two comparable event films land at once, one can lose the format window depending on regional demand, ticketing expectations, and how quickly the exhibitor group locks its slate.

What makes this particularly notable is the phrasing attributed to IMAX leadership—an indication the decision wasn’t simply unknown to Marvel’s circle, but that IMAX and Disney/Michael scheduling didn’t align. In other words, the limitation is about exhibition logistics and timing, even as Marvel is clearly treating Doomsday as a blockbuster-level release.

For moviegoers, it means one of the franchise’s key “big format” advantages won’t be part of the opening-week experience. For the studios, IMAX presence is still part of the marketing flywheel: premium-screen positioning can lift awareness and, in some cases, drive higher-margin ticket sales.

Bottom line: Doomsday is still set for a major theatrical launch, but the absence of IMAX screens highlights how fiercely constrained and competitive premium-format releases are—especially when release dates overlap with other blockbuster tentpoles.