A new term has entered the pop culture lexicon: Dunesday. Timothée Chalamet and Robert Downey Jr. coined it during a recent Q&A hosted by Peopleto mark the simultaneous release of Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. The phrase captures a moment already drawing comparisons to 2023’s Barbenheimer phenomenon.
The naming moment itself was supposedly unplanned, Chalamet suggested. “I guess we need a name for this… Dunesday?” Downey Jr. agreed, and the phrase quickly spread online. Given the historic run times of movies in those franchises (particularly Dune), that’s a lot of movie time for fans to absorb in a single day. But, as one fan comments, ‘People might not see the both on opening night, but I fully expect both to clean up at the box office.’
‘Dunesday’ clearly recalls the blockbuster dual-release naming of Barbenheimer, the 2023 pairing of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Both franchises bring significant box office history and cultural weight to the day. The Dune films have consistently drawn critical praise for their epic storytelling, visual spectacle, and layered world-building, appealing to both dedicated sci-fi audiences and casual moviegoers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has proven its global appeal over nearly two decades, dominating superhero pop culture. The combination of these two powerhouse franchises promises unprecedented theater traffic and potential for fun crossover engagement between fans of the two series.
Related: Fox’s X-Men Officially Debut in New ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Trailer
Dune and Dune: Part Two together crossed over $1 billion in worldwide box office gross thanks to strong theatrical runs and global fan interest. In contrast, the MCU, which Avengers: Doomsday is part of, stands as the highest grossing film franchise in history, having surpassed $30 billion in cumulative global box office receipts across its dozens of films.
Dune, originating in the 1960s, has left a lasting mark through films and adaptations that shaped sci-fi audiences in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. With this latest release, returning cast members ZendayaandJason Momoa join Chalamet, while new additions Robert Pattinson and Nakoa-Wolf Momoa expand the saga.
Avengers: Doomsday, is the next major MCU crossover in Phase Six, bringing together the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Wakandan heroes to face Doctor Doom, portrayed by Downey. The film features returning Avengers favorites alongside new additions such as The Thing and Namor, promising a sprawling ensemble story.
By the end of the year, ‘Dunesday’ may be remembered alongside ‘Barbenheimer’, a shorthand for a single day where fans experience a shared cinematic event that spans decades of sci-fi and superhero storytelling.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.