When prognosticating the forthcoming box office showdown between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three — a cinematic event dubbed “Dunesday” — it seems like Marvel has the clear advantage. The lowest-grossing Avengers movie to date is Age of Ultron with $1.4 billion, a significantly larger sum than the highest-grossing Dune movie (Part Two‘s $714.8 million). Plus, Marvel is marketing Doomsday around the returns of Infinity Saga favorites like Steve Rogers and Thor. However, some believe there are reasons why Marvel should actually be scared of Dune 3, and those sentiments have only grown larger following an impressive presentation at CinemaCon this year.
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Last night marked the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon. Unsurprisingly, Dune: Part Three was a key part of the studio’s presentation, as the first seven minutes were screened for those in attendance. The footage went over very well, and there are those who believe it further illustrated why Dune: Part Three will actually be the one to beat this holiday season.
Marvel Can Generate Hype for Doomsday Soon
Nobody is making the argument that Dune: Part Three is going to outgross Avengers: Doomsday‘s total, but there’s a scenario where the former limits the latter’s ultimate ceiling. WB secured an exclusive IMAX run for Dune 3 during its opening weekend, and some of those screenings are already selling out months in advance. Premium-large formats have become an integral component of the moviegoing business, which will give Dune 3‘s prospects a sizable boost. As evidenced by the first Dune 3 trailer, the film was tailor-made for the biggest of screens, and audiences are excited to see the conclusion to this decade’s epic sci-fi saga.
Between the well-received trailer and the first seven minutes (which drew comparisons to Saving Private Ryan online), WB has thrown down the hammer with Dune: Part Three, expressing supreme confidence in the film even as it embarks on a collision course with an Avengers movie. But it won’t be long until Disney and Marvel can issue their response. Disney is set to have a CinemaCon panel on Thursday (April 16th), the last day of the convention. With Doomsday set to be one of this year’s biggest blockbuster releases, it’ll surely be spotlighting during Disney’s presentation. By showcasing some epic footage of their own, the Mouse House can turn the tide and illustrate how Doomsday will hold its own against Dune 3 despite not having IMAX screens.
In addition to delivering a big swing at CinemaCon, it wouldn’t be surprising if a new Doomsday trailer was released to the general public soon. During Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s theatrical run, Marvel made headlines by releasing Doomsday teasers over the course of four weeks. Those previews served as a way to set the personal stakes for key characters in the narrative, but they didn’t truly paint a larger, overarching picture of the film as a whole. With the summer movie season right around the corner (featuring fellow Disney blockbuster The Mandalorian and Grogu in May), it’s the perfect time to unveil a proper trailer — perhaps one that finally peels the curtain back on Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a very different place now compared to where it was in 2019, when Avengers: Endgame was the main film event of the year. The MCU is still more than capable of scoring hits, but the unevenness of the Multiverse Saga has arguably dampened some of the enthusiasm for Avengers: Doomsday. Some people aren’t sure what to expect, especially as Marvel seems to be leaning heavily on nostalgia to generate interest. The studio can assuage any concerns about Doomsday with strong showings over the next couple of months.
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Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
