Robert Downey Jr and Timothée Chalamet have revealed they have a Barbenheimer-style nickname for the release date clash between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three.
READ MORE: ‘Marty Supreme’ review: Timothée Chalamet’s audacious masterpiece about ping-pong
Both blockbusters are set to be released in cinemas on December 18, creating a clash between the two highly-anticipated films. Downey, who will be playing Doctor Doom in the Marvel title, was on stage with Dune star Chalamet during a Q&A screening of the latter’s drama Marty Supreme, and brought up the situation.
“We both have films opening on December 18, we decided to coin a name for it” Downey said. “We’re thinking ‘Dunesday.’”
Robert Downey Jr. and Timothée Chalamet talk about ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ and ‘DUNE: PART 3’ releasing on the same day:
“We both have films opening on December 18, we decided to coin a name for it… We’re thinking ‘DUNESDAY.’” pic.twitter.com/1yXiRegyWE
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 15, 2026
The name is reminiscent of the 2023 Barbenheimer phenomenon, where Christopher Nolan’s drama Oppenheimer was released on the same day as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Rather than one title move, both releases embraced the clash and supported each other’s films, while cinemagoers were enticed toward an unusual double bill.
The publicity resulted in both movies becoming box office smashes, with Barbie bringing in over $1.4billion (£1.04billion) and Oppenheimer earning $956million (£712million), his most successful movie outside of the Dark Knight trilogy.
Avengers: Doomsday sees Downey return to the Marvel Universe, having previously bowed out as his character Tony Stark/Iron Man in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. This time, however, he is playing a villain, Doctor Doom, who will be the main antagonist of the movie.
Chalamet played the lead, Paul Atreides, in 2021’s Dune and its 2024 sequel, Dune: Part Two. A prince of an alien planet who comes a messianic character to the tribes of desert planet Arrakis, the character took Chalamet’s career to the next level. Part Three will be an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s book Dune Messiah, and co-stars Zendaya alongside Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The Marty Supreme star is currently on the awards circuit, having won a Critics Choice and Golden Globe for his performance. In his acceptance speech for the former, he thanked his partner, Kylie Jenner, saying: “I couldn’t do this without you.”
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