Two of the most awaited films of Hollywood, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3, are set to release together on December 18, 2026, dubbed as “Dunesday.” The clash is expected to be one of the biggest ones at the international box office.
On Wednesday, January 14, Avengers star Robert Downey Jr. and Dune star Timothee Chalamet appeared on stage together in Los Angeles. They were attending a screening of Chalamet’s latest film, Marty Supreme. The duo joked about their upcoming releases clashing on the same day, naming it as “Dunesday”.
“We both have films opening on December 18, and we decided to coin it … We’re thinking Dunesday. We’ll see if we’re still friends by then,” Downey Jr said.
Fans took to X to react to Downey Jr dubbing December 18 as “Dunesday”, with many comparing it to the Barbenheimer phenomenon in 2023. It came on July 21, 2023, when Greta Gerwig’s much-awaited live-action film, Barbie, clashed with Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus, Oppenheimer. The release date became a celebration with both teams also participating in it.
One X user likened Dunesday to Barbenheimer and wrote:
“Stop trying to make barbenheimer happen again. you’re not barbenheimer.”
Some other reactions were as follows:
Fans continued to share their thoughts on Dunesday, expressing their excitement:
Avengers: Doomsday is one of the most awaited superhero films for this year and marks the sequel to the monstrous hit, Avengers: Endgame. It also marks Robert Downey Jr’s return to the MCU as the supervillain, Doctor Doom. The actor is well known for playing Iron Man aka Tony Stark in the MCU, but his character died in Endgame. He will not reprise the role in Doomsday.
Meanwhile, Timothee Chalamet is set to return as Paul Atreides in Dune 3, a sequel to Dune and Dune 2, based on Frank Herbert’s series of the same name. After the success of the first two parts, Dune 3 also remains among the most anticipated films this year.
Robert Downey Jr showers praise on Timothee Chalamet ahead of “Dunesday” clash
During the screening of Timothee Chalamet’s Marty Supreme in Los Angeles, Robert Downey Jr moderated a Q&A session. Downey Jr and Chalamet were in conversation during the event. Speaking of Chalamet, Downey Jr said:
“You’ve talked a lot lately about this. I am literally twice your age. When I was 30, I was making a movie with Norman Jewison. It was called ‘Only You.’ Me and Marisa Tomei. We were on the Amalfi coast somewhere and I just go to Norman Jewison, you know ‘Moonstruck’ and all these great movies, I go, ‘Norman, I think I am one of the greats. I want you to tell me if you agree with that.’”
He continued:
“He looked at me like I was nuts. He said, ‘Well, Mr. Downey, that remains to be seen.’ And I want to say in front of God and everyone in this audience here with you that as of ‘Marty Supreme,’ it no longer remains to be seen. Let’s hear it for, Timothée Chalamet.”
Timothee Chalamet is currently among the top contenders to bag the Academy Award for Best Actor after playing the titular role in Marty Supreme. The film received immense critical acclaim with many praising Chalamet’s performance as one of the best in recent years. He has already won Best Actor at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Timothee Chalamet also seemingly hinted at Marty Supreme being a major success for him. He said:
“I want the movie to succeed. I want everything to win. The real truth is that ‘Marty Supreme,’ I feel confident to the degree that by next summer … I’m confident I know what it’s gonna be by next summer.”
Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr bagged the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2024 after his performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Marvel fans are eagerly awaited his return to the legendary franchise on Dunesday after he won hearts by playing one of the most loved superheroes of all time.
Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar