‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Surpasses ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ in Key Box Office Metric

Marvel enthusiasts have been eagerly anticipating any substantial indication of the potential success of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. With numerous casting announcements and a marketing campaign that has spanned nearly a year, it has been challenging to determine how much of that excitement would convert into actual ticket sales once they became available.

That uncertainty was quickly resolved. Ticket sales for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ officially commenced this morning, exclusively for theaters certified under Disney’s new Infinity Vision premium format, covering select showtimes during the film’s first two weeks of release.

According to industry tracker BoxOfficeTheory, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ exceeded the total presales of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ within just two hours. Given the impressive opening day performance of the earlier film, this rapid achievement indicates a significant level of anticipation for this crossover event.

This isn’t merely a case of ‘Doomsday’ overshadowing a weaker predecessor to inflate its numbers. ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ recorded one of Marvel’s strongest openings in recent years, steadily climbing the all-time MCU box office charts and ultimately becoming the highest-grossing ‘Fantastic Four’ film ever.

Surpassing that film’s entire first-day presale total in under two hours places ‘Doomsday’ in an exceptional position, reminiscent of the overwhelming demand seen with ‘Avengers: Endgame’, which famously broke ticketing platforms and set new records for superhero presales on its way to a historic opening weekend.

What makes this early surge particularly noteworthy is that these tickets are not standard. The initial sale is exclusive to theaters certified under Disney’s newly established Infinity Vision format, a premium large format designation created specifically because Warner Bros. secured IMAX exclusivity for the same December release window that ‘Doomsday’ shares with ‘Dune Part Three’.

The rollout includes select showtimes from Thursday, December 17, when early preview screenings begin, through Wednesday, December 30, with general 2D and standard format tickets outside Infinity Vision still not available. This means the film’s actual presale figures could rise significantly once all ticket tiers are released.

The timing of this presale surge coincides perfectly with Marvel’s release of the film’s first full trailer to the public today, offering fans their most comprehensive look yet at Doctor Doom, the returning X-Men, and the extensive ensemble cast coming together for this crossover. The combination of a major trailer launch and the start of ticket sales provided fans with an immediate incentive to purchase rather than delay.

With San Diego Comic Con approaching this weekend and Marvel Studios returning to Hall H for the first time since Robert Downey Jr.’s surprise Doctor Doom reveal made headlines back in 2024, this presale milestone indicates that the excitement is only building from here.

While early presale numbers do not guarantee final box office success, they are one of the clearest early indicators of genuine audience interest. Achieving such a significant benchmark in under two hours suggests that Marvel may be on track for one of its biggest theatrical openings since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ still five months away from its December 18 release, this early presale surge has already established an exceptionally high standard for what lies ahead. Are you one of the fans who secured your tickets today? Share your thoughts in the comments.