'Avengers: Doomsday' sells $16.5m in tickets within 24 hours of limited presale launch

Marvel's 'Avengers: Doomsday' sold $16.5m in tickets in one day despite limited presales at select cinemas

Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday has reportedly generated $16.5 million in advance ticket sales within its first 24 hours, despite the majority of screenings for the upcoming blockbuster not yet being available to book.

According to Disney insiders cited by TheWrap, presales initially opened on July 20 for around 1,000 domestic premium large-format cinemas equipped with the company's new Infinity Vision certification. The limited ticket release coincided with the debut of the film's first full trailer.

Studio sources said premium screenings on Thursday, December 17, and the opening day on Friday, December 18, were already largely sold out. Cinema operators are reportedly preparing to add additional showings for Christmas Day and later dates as more tickets become available.

According to Variety, Avengers: Doomsday sold twice as many tickets during its first day of presales as Deadpool & Wolverine. The comparison is notable because the 2024 Marvel release launched ticket sales across a wider range of formats and cinemas.

Deadpool & Wolverine went on to open with $211.4 million in North America and earned approximately $1.33 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time.

Avengers: Endgame remains Marvel's biggest benchmark after opening with a record $357.1 million domestically and finishing its theatrical run with nearly $2.8 billion globally.

Disney introduced its Infinity Vision certification during CinemaCon in April. Rather than creating a new projection format, the programme certifies existing premium large-format auditoriums that meet standards for screen size, laser projection and premium audio.

The certification is expected to play a significant role when Avengers: Doomsday opens alongside Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three, which has reportedly secured IMAX screens for its first three weeks in cinemas.

Disney is instead promoting Infinity Vision venues, including AMC Prime, Cinemark XD and other qualifying premium formats.