Marvel Studios' upcoming tentpole Avengers: Doomsday has generated an estimated $125 million in worldwide advance ticket sales as of late October, putting the film on the verge of eclipsing the entire global theatrical run of DC Studios' Supergirl roughly six weeks before hitting theaters. Scheduled for a United States theatrical release on December 18, 2026, the superhero ensemble is drawing historic early demand from cinema audiences eager to see Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside a massive crossover cast.

The box office milestone highlights a stark divide in the commercial fortunes of Hollywood's two biggest comic book studios. While early tracking estimates indicate Doomsday is already outperforming major 2026 releases strictly through advance bookings, industry analysts note that comparing third-party presale projections to a completed theatrical gross requires careful context regarding how early ticket revenue is measured.

Breaking Down the Presale Milestones

The surge in early ticket revenue for Avengers: Doomsday began months ahead of its winter debut. According to Collider, limited premium-format ticket sales launched in July and generated $16.5 million within the first 24 hours—roughly double the first-day figure recorded by 2024's box office hit Deadpool & Wolverine. By September 2026, the film had already set an internal record for Marvel Studios by passing $50 million in domestic presales 100 days out from its premiere, a milestone that secondary coverage by Comic Basics attributed to confirmation from Disney's CFO.

Momentum continued to build throughout the fall. Third-party tracker Global Box Office reported that worldwide presales crossed the $100 million threshold on October 6. By the end of the month, an analysis by Forbes placed global advance ticket sales at approximately $125 million across all available cinema formats, while reporting from MovieWeb estimated the domestic United States portion of those advance sales at roughly $65 million.

As reported by The Independent, that $125 million figure alone already places Avengers: Doomsday among the top 40 highest-grossing films of the year before a single regular public screening has taken place. The advance haul has already topped the full theatrical runs of several recent mainstream releases, including The End of Oak Street ($121.6 million), Masters of the Universe ($113.8 million), and Practical Magic 2 ($105.7 million).

The 'Supergirl' Box Office Comparison

The most striking benchmark for comic book movie watchers is how closely the Doomsday presale estimate mirrors the final box office tally of DC Studios' Supergirl. Directed under the banner of DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Supergirl struggled to find an audience during its theatrical run earlier this year despite solid critical notices for its lead performance.

However, media outlets have presented slightly differing accounts of whether the Marvel sequel has officially passed its DC rival, largely due to the gap between dated tracking estimates and ongoing daily ticket sales. According to SlashFilm, Supergirl finished its global run with $126.5 million against a production budget between $170 million and $186 million, leading the outlet to report that Doomsday has already surpassed the DC film's total in the days following the late-October tracking report. Meanwhile, GamesRadar+ cites an exact worldwide total of $126,466,532 for Supergirl, framing Doomsday as being right on the cusp of overtaking the DC release.

Regardless of the exact hour the threshold is crossed, the comparison underscores the high stakes for both studios. While the revamped DC Universe has found success with the theatrical release Superman and the HBO series Lanterns, Supergirl represented a costly theatrical stumble. Conversely, Marvel Studios is relying on an event-level Avengers team-up to reverse recent audience fatigue surrounding its interconnected narratives.

Star Power Driving Early Demand

Directed by returning filmmakers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, Avengers: Doomsday marks the start of a two-part culmination for Marvel's Phase 6, which will conclude next year with Avengers: Secret Wars. The project underwent a major creative overhaul after originally being announced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty with Jonathan Majors attached as the central antagonist. Following Majors' departure, Marvel pivoted the storyline to focus on Doctor Victor Von Doom, bringing back franchise cornerstone Robert Downey Jr. to portray the iconic villain.

To maximize theatrical turnout, Marvel assembled one of the largest ensemble casts in cinema history, blending legacy Avengers with characters from across the multiverse:

  • Returning Avengers Veterans: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Winston Duke.
  • The Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, following their debut in 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
  • Classic X-Men Alumni: The late Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier), Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto), Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden (Cyclops).
  • Additional MCU Cast: Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Channing Tatum, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman, alongside rumored appearances by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Marvel has also fueled anticipation through strategic theatrical marketing. Earlier this year, a theatrical re-release titled Avengers: Endgame Encore helped the 2019 blockbuster reclaim its title from James Cameron's Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time. The re-release included four new scenes bridging the gap to Doomsday, featuring Loki, an abduction plot involving Bruce Banner, and a post-credits sequence linking Tony Stark to Victor Von Doom.

What It Means for December Moviegoing

For moviegoers planning to catch Avengers: Doomsday on opening weekend—December 16 in the United Kingdom and December 18 in the United States—the massive presale volume means release-day screenings are already selling out across major theater chains. However, industry observers caution that massive early presales do not automatically guarantee a smooth box office trajectory.

How do presale estimates differ from final box office grosses?

The $125 million global figure and $65 million domestic figure are derived from third-party box office tracking rather than official, itemized studio accounting. Unlike a completed theatrical gross such as Supergirl's $126.4 million total, advance ticket sales reflect front-loaded demand from core franchise enthusiasts. As noted in the SlashFilm analysis, 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps also enjoyed strong initial ticket purchases from dedicated fans before experiencing a sharp drop-off in general audience attendance.

How will December competition and screen availability affect the release?

Remarkably, Avengers: Doomsday achieved its $125 million presale estimate largely without the benefit of IMAX ticket sales. The Marvel blockbuster is scheduled to open the exact same weekend as the sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Three, which holds exclusive agreements for IMAX screens across most global territories. While Disney is promoting screenings on its certified Infinity Vision premium format screens, sharing the December holiday corridor with another major tentpole will test how far Doomsday can expand beyond its initial base of die-hard ticket buyers.

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