Avengers: Doomsday delay raises huge question about Spider-Man 4

Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has undergone a huge scheduling shakeup, with Avengers: Doomsday set to release more than seven months later. And the delay could have major consequences for Spider-Man 4, aka Brand New Day. 

Both Doomsday and its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, have undergone scheduling changes. The former will now land in theaters on December 18, 2026, months after its original May 1, 2026 date. 

Secret Wars, meanwhile, has been pushed back to December 17, 2027, having been originally due to land on May 7, 2027. It’s believed that the delays are to provide more time for the huge production of the upcoming MCU movies, directed by the Russo brothers.

Given they’re both Endgame-style team-up films, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that the cast and crew need more time. But the scheduling changes do raise a question about what this means for the next big Spider-Man film.

Spider-Man 4 is now set before Avengers: Doomsday

Disney

At the time of writing, the release date for Spider-Man 4 remains the same: July 31, 2026. Either this will be pushed back, or the new release schedule debunks the leading theory about its plot: it’s set in Battleworld.

The rumor stems from reports that Brand New Day would take place between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, during a period when the multiverse begins to collapse. 

In the comics, this collapse leads to the creation of Battleworld – a patchwork planet composed of fragments from different realities, ruled by a god-like version of Doctor Doom. It’s central to the Secret Wars storyline, leading to speculation that the MCU will follow a similar arc.

If that’s the case, it would make sense for Spider-Man 4 to explore Peter Parker’s place in this fractured multiverse before the full chaos of Secret Wars unfolds. But with Doomsday now set after Spider-Man 4’s current release, Marvel may not be following this storyline after all. 

Or, the studio may delay the film altogether. For now, it’s sparking a busy discussion, with industry insider Daniel Richtman chiming in. 

“Now that Spider-Man Brand New Day is set before Doomsday and not after, they gonna change the plot again like they did when No Way Home was supposed to come out after Doctor Strange 2,” he wrote. “(America Chavez was going to have a major role in No Way Home before the shift).”

Now that Spider-Man Brand New Day is set before Doomsday and not after they gonna change the plot again like they did when it was supposed to come out after Doctor Strange 2 (America Chavez was going to have a major role in No Way Home before the shift)

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) May 22, 2025

Elsewhere, a fan wrote on Reddit, “Unless otherwise revealed, Brand New Day hasn’t changed its July 2026 release date, so now that Avengers: Doomsday has been confirmed for a December release, that leaves us with the conclusion that Brand New Day will be the next project after Fantastic Four.

“And as if everything we already officially knew didn’t make it obvious, the plot won’t be set on Battleworld, because it hasn’t happened yet. This would also mean there won’t be an intervening film between Doomsday and Secret Wars.”

Another replied, “I personally hope it keeps the July date. This makes the chances that it’ll be a street level movie higher than ever before.”

A third agreed, “Like this, it’s the correct way. I didn’t want to be in the mood of something bigger happening and Spider-Man just fighting in the streets while the world is coming to an end, as it happened with Ant-Man and Wasp… so now, we can be in the mood of a street level movie and the post-credits scene hints the coming chaos.”

Until then, here’s what we know about the MCU’s Blade and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. You can also check out our ranking of all MCU movies and the best superhero films ever.