Ticket Presales Suggest Dune: Part Three Will Lose Heavily to Avengers: Doomsday at the Box Office

An industry insider says ticket presales point to a clear winner when Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three open in wide release on the same day, December 18.

On December 18, 2026, the Russo brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three will open internationally at the same time. The box office showdown is drawing significant attention, and the industry insider EmpireCity Box Office believes the winner is already decided.

Based on current ticket presales, the insider estimates that the Marvel film could beat its rival by 3.2 to 4 times in the opening weekend. That is despite Dune holding exclusive IMAX screens in North America for the first three weeks.

EmpireCity stresses that the gap does not mean weak interest in Dune. Both films could post impressive box office totals, but Avengers draws a broader audience from the start, and the difference in audience interest has been visible for a long time.

In late 2025, VegasInsider ranked the most anticipated upcoming films based on Google search statistics in the US. Avengers: Doomsday took first place, while Dune: Part Three came in only 22nd.