Disney delays next two Marvel 'Avengers' movies

Walt Disney's movie studio has postponed the release of the next two installments in Marvel's blockbuster "Avengers" series, the company said on Thursday.

Avengers: Doomsday now will come out on December 18, 2026, about seven months later than its previous date of May 1. "Doomsday" will bring Robert Downey Jr. back to the franchise as the villain, Doctor Doom.

Disney also moved Avengers: Secret Wars to December 17, 2027 from May 2, 2027.

The new schedule was chosen to give the filmmakers more time to complete the superhero movies, which are among the biggest Disney has ever made, a source familiar with the matter said. "Doomsday" is already in production.

Avengers: Endgame, released in 2019, is the second-highest grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion in global ticket sales, behind Avatar with $2.9 billion.