Label: CONFIRMEDRelease date check

Dunesday Board Games: Games to Play Before Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday

By Published Updated

Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday both open on 18 December 2026, a date fans call Dunesday. Dune’s official site confirms its release date, and press reports and Wikipedia list the same US date for Doomsday. A move to 11 December is only a rumor. Here are Dune Part Three board games and Marvel games to play first.

Two huge films, one weekend. Get in some table time first.

What we know and what we don't know

What we know

  • Dune: Part Three opens 18 December 2026 in North America, with an international release from 16 December and Dune Insider screenings on 14 and 15 December (grade A: the official Dune site, checked again on 15 October).
  • Avengers: Doomsday opens 18 December in the US. ComicBook.com (grade B) reports that Disney confirmed an earlier UK opening on 16 December, first reported by Empire.
  • Denis Villeneuve directs Dune: Part Three, while Anthony and Joe Russo direct Avengers: Doomsday (grade B: The A.V. Club, 19 March 2026).
  • According to CBR (grade B), IMAX’s investor presentation gives Dune: Part Three exclusive use of all US IMAX screens when it opens. Wikipedia says Doomsday has no US IMAX access for at least three weeks.
  • The Direct (grade B), citing Variety, reports that Marvel Studios won’t move Doomsday and says Disney repeated that at a March shareholder meeting. We couldn’t find a direct Disney or Marvel quote, so this remains a report.
  • As of 15 October 2026, we found no official board game tie-in for either film.

What we don't know

  • The 11 December report comes from one commentator, and no studio has confirmed it.
  • John Campea’s track record: MovieWeb didn’t describe his sourcing, and we couldn’t verify it.
  • We found no direct statement from Warner Bros. about holding the date, only a podcast summary saying it does not plan to move.
  • Nothing we found suggests the UK opening on 16 December signals any other change.
  • Will either film get an official board game tie-in?

Dunesday: confirmed dates

Both Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday are dated 18 December 2026. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Three claimed the date first. The official Dune site lists 18 December in North America and 16 December internationally, plus Dune Insider screenings on 14 and 15 December.

According to Wikipedia, Doomsday, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, moved to 18 December in May 2025. ComicBook.com reports Disney confirmed an earlier UK opening on 16 December, while the US date is unchanged. Dune: Part Three has IMAX exclusivity in the US at launch, leaving Doomsday to play in other premium formats. Both franchises have a shelf here: Dune board games and Marvel board games.

The rumor: could Doomsday move to 11 December?

Here’s the rumor timeline, as reported. On 1 April 2026, MovieWeb said commentator John Campea claimed Marvel might move Doomsday up a week. Variety reportedly said Marvel would not move it, while Kinocheck wrote in July that insiders were still discussing it. The only confirmed change since then is the UK date.

  • Label: RUMOR

    Doomsday moves up a week to 11 December

    MovieWeb (1 April 2026) reported that John Campea said Marvel might move the film up a week to get a week of IMAX screens. There was no official word, and MovieWeb gave no details on his sourcing or track record (grade D).

  • Label: SPOTTED

    Marvel will keep Doomsday's date

    The Direct (13 April 2026) said Variety reported that Marvel Studios won’t move the film and that Disney repeated this at its March shareholder meeting. We couldn’t find Variety’s original piece or a direct Disney quote, so this remains a secondhand report (grade B).

  • Label: SPOTTED

    Disney's CinemaCon poster lists 18 December

    Citing Deadline, The Direct said Disney showed a Doomsday poster at CinemaCon with an 18 December date. We couldn’t find Deadline’s original report, so this is secondhand (grade B).

  • Label: RUMOR

    Insiders say a move is under serious consideration

    Kinocheck (8 July 2026) reported that insiders say a move up is under serious consideration, but named no source. It also noted that the Jumanji sequel shifted from 11 December to 25 December, potentially freeing up a slot (grade C).

Where the date stands

We found no evidence that the US date has moved. The UK opening on 16 December is the only confirmed shift since the rumor began. Warner Bros. has made no direct statement in the sources we found. Matt Belloni’s podcast, summarized by Dark Horizons in December 2025, said the studio did not plan to move Dune: Part Three.

Board games to play before Dune: Part Three

As far as we can tell, no board game is tied to Dune: Part Three. Several Dune games do nod to the Legendary films: the Dune: Imperium rulebook says it draws on the then-new film, and ComicBook.com reported that Dune: Betrayal uses imagery from the 2021 film. Our Dune board games page lists every game, and each entry below links to its own page for rules and sources.

  • Dune: Imperium

    2020, Dire Wolf Digital. For 1 to 4 players, ages 14 and up, with a 60 to 120 minute play time, according to Wikipedia and Asmodee. It mixes deck building and worker placement.

    Dune: Imperium

  • Dune: Imperium Uprising

    2023, Dire Wolf Digital. A stand-alone game on the same engine, with spies and sandworms. The rulebook lists 1 to 4 players, plus a six-player team mode.

    Dune: Imperium Uprising

  • Dune: War for Arrakis

    2024, CMON. A miniatures war game for 1 to 4 players, with Harkonnen and Atreides sides.

    Dune: War for Arrakis

  • Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy

    2021, Gale Force Nine. A shorter four-faction game for 2 to 4 players, built on the 1979 Dune design, according to its rulebook and Wikipedia.

    Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy

  • Dune: Betrayal

    2021, Gale Force Nine. For 4 to 8 players, with secret Atreides or Harkonnen loyalties. Designed by Don Eskridge.

    Dune: Betrayal

  • Label: SPOTTED

    Dune: Imperium: Conspiracy

    Screen Rant (grade B) reports that Dire Wolf will release this cross-compatible expansion for Dune: Imperium and Dune: Imperium Uprising later this year. It adds Conspiracy cards and an Overthrow Mode, where one player becomes the Emperor.

    Dune: Imperium

Board games to play before Avengers: Doomsday

Search for Avengers Doomsday board games and you won’t find an official tie-in. These picks connect to the film through characters instead. Wikipedia lists a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, X-Men actors such as Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, the Fantastic Four cast, and Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Our Marvel board games page also covers Marvel United and Marvel Villainous.

  • Marvel Dice Throne

    2022, The Op and Dice Throne. The Op lists ages 8 and up and 2 to 6 players across its boxes. Thor appears in the 4-hero launch box, and Wikipedia lists X-Men heroes including Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops.

    Marvel Dice Throne

  • Marvel Champions: The Card Game

    2019, Fantasy Flight Games. For 1 to 4 players, with a 45 to 90 minute play time, according to Wikipedia, which calls it a cooperative living card game.

    Marvel Champions: The Card Game

  • Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

    2012, Upper Deck. A cooperative deck builder for 1 to 5 players, according to Wikipedia, with Fantastic Four and X-Men expansions.

Plan a Dunesday double feature

Seeing both films? The dates line up: Dune Insider screenings are on 14 and 15 December, Doomsday is in the UK on 16 December, and both films open in the US on 18 December. Try a short Dune game before one and a Marvel game before the other. Our sci fi board games and superhero board games guides sort games by group size and play time.

Sources

Each source has a grade. A is official, B is a proven reporter, C is community or listings, D is anonymous or mixed record.

  1. Source grade A
    Dune: Part Three official site (release dates, studios, Insider screenings) dunemovie.com

    Warner Bros. and Legendary's official film site. Checked 15 October 2026.

  2. Source grade B
    Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are coming out on the same day (The A.V. Club, 19 March 2026) avclub.com

    Entertainment news outlet with an established record on film release coverage.

  3. Source grade B
    Avengers: Doomsday UK release moves to 16 December (ComicBook.com, 24 September 2026) comicbook.com

    Reports Disney's confirmation, first published by Empire.

  4. Source grade B
    IMAX gives Dune 3 exclusive US IMAX screens (CBR, 1 March 2026) cbr.com

    Relays IMAX's 2026 investor presentation, which is a grade A primary source.

  5. Source grade B
    Marvel Studios sets the record straight on Doomsday release rumors (The Direct, 13 April 2026) thedirect.com

    Fan news outlet, citing Variety and Deadline. We did not see those pieces ourselves, so its claims stay labeled SPOTTED.

  6. Source grade C
    Marvel studios reportedly considering moving Avengers: Doomsday (MovieWeb, 1 April 2026) movieweb.com

    Entertainment news site. It reports the claim and says there was no official word.

  7. Source grade D
    John Campea, as reported by MovieWeb (the 11 December claim) movieweb.com

    Named entertainment commentator. MovieWeb did not describe his sourcing or record, so we treat the claim as a rumor.

  8. Source grade C
    The biggest Avengers: Doomsday leaks and trailer rumors (Kinocheck, 8 July 2026) kinocheck.com

    Rumor roundup. It names no source for the insider claim.

  9. Source grade C
    Dune 3 vs Avengers 5 dubbed Dunesday (Dark Horizons, 23 December 2025) darkhorizons.com

    Film news site summarizing Matt Belloni's The Town podcast. We did not hear the podcast ourselves.

  10. Source grade C
    Avengers: Doomsday (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    Community encyclopedia. Used for cast and release date history.

  11. Source grade A
    Dune: Imperium (Dire Wolf Digital rulebook, 2020) d19y2ttatozxjp.cloudfront.net

    The publisher’s rulebook. States the film and book inspiration.

  12. Source grade A
    Dune: Imperium Board Game (Asmodee) store.asmodee.com

    The distributor’s listing for players and recommended age.

  13. Source grade C
    Dune: Imperium (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    Playing time, release year and expansions.

  14. Source grade A
    Dune: Imperium Uprising (Dire Wolf Digital) direwolfdigital.com

    The publisher’s product page.

  15. Source grade A
    Dune: War for Arrakis (CMON) cmon.com

    The publisher’s rulebook. States 1 to 4 players.

  16. Source grade C
    Dune (board game) (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    Background on the 1979 design and the 2021 Conquest and Diplomacy edition.

  17. Source grade B
    Dune: Betrayal Social Deduction Game Announced (ComicBook.com) comicbook.com

    Entertainment press. Gives the designer and the film imagery.

  18. Source grade A
    Marvel Dice Throne available now (The Op, 8 September 2022) theop.games

    The publisher’s announcement. Gives the boxes, the heroes and the age.

  19. Source grade C
    Dice Throne (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    The list of Marvel and X-Men heroes.

  20. Source grade C
    Marvel Champions: The Card Game (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    Publisher, year, player count and play time.

  21. Source grade C
    Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org

    Publisher, year and player count.

  22. Source grade B
    Dune: Imperium: Conspiracy expansion (Screen Rant) screenrant.com

    Entertainment press. Reports a release later in 2026 and the Overthrow Mode.