Filming Delays Threaten Release Date of Avengers: Secret Wars

The follow-up to Avengers: Doomsday may not hit its intended release date. Reports from several reliable MCU insiders indicate that principal photography for Avengers: Secret Wars has been postponed from October 2026 to January 2027. Initially, it was suggested that filming would be delayed to November, but sources later confirmed it would be pushed back even further to January. While there’s been no official word from Disney, if this information holds true, it would mark another delay for the Avengers sequel.

Avengers: Secret Wars was initially set to begin filming in mid-2026, but that timeline has shifted to August and then later in the year. The current release date is December 17, 2027, which is about a year after Doomsday’s December 18, 2026 premiere. Although there’s still a chance for Secret Wars to meet its original date, the extensive post-production and CGI work required for these films could complicate that schedule. Filming for Doomsday took place from April to September 2025, wrapping up 15 months before its release. If Secret Wars follows a similar timeline, filming would conclude around June 2027, leaving just six months before its theatrical launch.

This isn’t the first instance of Marvel productions starting filming close to their release dates. Spider-Man: Brand New Day kicked off filming in August 2025 and wrapped in December 2025, just seven months ahead of its July 27, 2026, release. The Fantastic Four: First Steps followed a comparable schedule. While the ambitious scope of Secret Wars could make this tight timeline challenging, Disney likely wants to avoid further delays. Both Doomsday and Secret Wars have already seen their release dates pushed back, moving from May 1, 2026, and May 27, 2027, to December 2026 and 2027.

Disney might be waiting to assess box office performance and audience reactions to Doomsday before moving forward with Secret Wars. The planning for Doomsday and Secret Wars appears to be less structured compared to the previous Avengers duology, Infinity War and Endgame. The Russo Brothers began directing Doomsday with an incomplete script, drawing on their experience from Community. While Spider-Man: Brand New Day performed exceptionally well at the box office, the future of the MCU likely hinges on the success of the upcoming Avengers films.