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The most anticipated film releases of the rest of the year: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three on the same day

The most anticipated film releases of the rest of the year: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three on the same day

In short: on December 18, 2026 the two most anticipated films of the rest of the year open on the same day: Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. back as the villain Doctor Doom, and Dune: Part Three, the close of Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy. The Doomsday trailer drew around 503 million views in 24 hours, one of the biggest debuts in history. Before that come Street Fighter and Clayface in October and Jumanji in November. In Panama, releases usually match the US date or come a day earlier.

Avengers: Doomsday, the release of the year

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the team behind Infinity War and Endgame, Doomsday is the first Avengers film since 2019. The hook is Robert Downey Jr., returning to Marvel not as Iron Man but as Doctor Doom, the villain. The cast brings together three universes: the original Avengers with Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Paul Rudd; the Fantastic Four with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn; and the classic X-Men with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden and Alan Cumming. Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Simu Liu, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Tenoch Huerta are also on board.

Official trailer published by Marvel Entertainment on YouTube.

Key fact: the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer reached around 503 million views in its first 24 hours, one of the biggest trailer debuts in history. The film opens on December 18, 2026.

Dune: Part Three, the same day

Warner Bros. and Legendary chose the same date to close Villeneuve’s trilogy, based on the novel Dune Messiah. The story jumps years after the second part, with Paul Atreides now emperor. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Anya Taylor-Joy return, and Robert Pattinson joins as the villain Scytale. It is the first time in years that two productions of this size share a weekend, pointing to the strongest December for cinemas since before the pandemic.

Official trailer published by Warner Bros. on YouTube.

Remaining release calendar

Film Date (US) What it is
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple October Danny Boyle horror sequel, directed by Nia DaCosta
Street Fighter October New live-action adaptation of the fighting game
Clayface October DC film about the Gotham villain
The Cat in the Hat November Animated musical of the Dr. Seuss classic, with Bill Hader
Jumanji November 25 Third instalment with Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan
Avengers: Doomsday December 18 Marvel, Russo brothers, Doctor Doom
Dune: Part Three December 18 Close of Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy

US release dates. Panama’s cinema chains usually open on the previous Thursday or the same Friday; check local listings.

Why it matters for Panama

  • Panama opens Hollywood’s big films the same week as the United States, dubbed and subtitled, with IMAX and 4DX screens in Panama City.
  • December coincides with school holidays and the thirteenth-month bonus, the biggest box-office period of the year in the country.
  • The two December 18 releases arrive a week before Christmas, with two weeks of holidays ahead.
Frequently asked questions

When does Avengers: Doomsday come out?

December 18, 2026 in the United States, and in Panama the same week. It is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

When does Dune: Part Three come out?

Also December 18, 2026. It closes Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy, based on Dune Messiah, with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

What is the most anticipated film of the rest of 2026?

Avengers: Doomsday, whose first trailer drew around 503 million views in 24 hours. Dune: Part Three is second and opens the same day.

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By Daniela Bohórquez

Daniela Bohórquez is a writer at Radar Panamá. Venezuelan, 30, she writes about travel, tourism and business, with special attention to reviews of destinations, hotels and services. She lives between Panama, Italy and New York, which gives her a comparative view of how business is done in each market.

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