I've been watching the early numbers for Avengers: Doomsday with some curiosity, especially after all the continued talk of superhero fatigue (honestly, at this point, I have "superhero fatigue talk" fatigue). The Marvel movie doesn't arrive on the 2026 movie schedule until December, but it's already putting up numbers that would make plenty of released films jealous. According to a new report, it's collected $125 million in worldwide advance ticket sales. Compared with how DC's Supergirl performed this summer, things get pretty uncomfortable for the Girl of Steel.
Forbes reported the $125 million figure on Oct. 31, with roughly seven weeks still separating the movie from its Dec. 18 theatrical release. That's a huge amount of money for tickets to a movie that hasn't even opened yet. It's also strikingly close to the $126.5 million Supergirl earned during its entire worldwide theatrical run, according to Box Office Mojo. That's about a difference of about $1.5 million. Yikes.
Now, before anyone declares Marvel the winner of the latest comic-book movie showdown, there's an important distinction. Doomsday's number reflects tickets sold in advance for future screenings, not the final gross of a movie that's finished playing. The $125 million worldwide figure is also a reported estimate, not a total Disney has publicly confirmed. Still, having that many people commit to seats well before opening weekend is encouraging.
This isn't the first time the movie's advance sales have drawn attention. In September, according to The Wrap, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston revealed that Doomsday had already passed $50 million in domestic pre-sales three months before release. The latest worldwide figure covers additional markets, but both milestones show how early the rush began. I've covered the unusually early ticket rollout before, and there were already signs of serious demand when general sales opened in August.
Meanwhile, Supergirl's numbers paint a much rougher picture. Craig Gillespie's film, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, opened in June and ultimately earned about $72.4 million domestically and $54.1 million internationally. It's a disappointing result for a major new DC release, even if box office numbers don't tell you whether it's worth watching. I know some fans enjoyed it, and they aren't suddenly wrong just because Marvel fans bought a bunch of tickets.
Of course, Doomsday has some advantages that Supergirl never had. Robert Downey Jr. is back in the MCU, this time playing Doctor Doom, and Anthony and Joe Russo are returning to direct an Avengers crossover packed with familiar faces. The combination of returning heroes and the promise of a major multiverse showdown was always going to attract attention. It's also following a massive year for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which gave Marvel another enormous theatrical hit.
There's another interesting wrinkle: Doomsday opens opposite Dune: Part Three on Dec. 18. I've already written about the so-called "Dunesday" clash and the fight for premium screens, and advance demand for both movies suggests moviegoers could have a very busy holiday weekend. Those early tickets don't tell us which film will ultimately have the longer legs.
For now, I wouldn't call $125 million a guaranteed blockbuster, but it's hard not to be impressed. Supergirl spent its whole theatrical run reaching roughly the same number. Doomsday still has more than six weeks left before it opens. That's one heck of a head start.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on Dec 18. As for Supergirl, if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, it's streaming with an HBO Max subscription.
