The Avengers will be reassembling later than planned.
Disney has announced a delay for the next two instalments in the blockbuster Marvel superhero franchise, the first of which is now well over a year away.
Avengers: Doomsday, which will see Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr return to the series as villain Doctor Doom, has been pushed from 1 May to 18 December 2026.
Its follow-up, Secret Wars, will release on 17 December 2027. It had been due on 2 May that year.
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The films have had a troubled production, having undergone extensive reworking after one of the intended stars, Jonathan Majors, was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
Both are being directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed the previous two Avengers films – 2018’s Infinity War and 2019’s Endgame.
The latter is the second-highest grossing film of all time, taking $2.8bn (£2.1bn) at the box office.
No Marvel film has come close to that level of success since, with subsequent releases – from sequels to Thor and Black Panther, to fresher entries like Eternals and Thunderbolts – proving divisive.
Next up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, when it goes up against a new Superman film from rival studio DC.
