Avatar: Fire and Ash is positioned to end 2025 with a bang. James Cameron’s third entry in the Pandora-set, Na’vi-focused sci-fi franchise looks like it could be the most epic entry to date. And considering how well the previous two movies did (both making over $2 billion worldwide), there’s every expectation that Avatar 3 will crush too.
Disney and 20th Century Studios are certainly banking on this outcome. The film’s December 19 release date marks it as the last blockbuster of 2025. There’s minimal competition for it through the remainder of the year, and Hollywood’s tendency to use January as a dumping ground should also benefit Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s legs as the calendar turns to 2026.
With the movie acting as the end of the 2025 movie year in many ways, it’s only natural that people who see it in theaters will be treated to trailers for movies coming in 2026. Big blockbusters like The Mandalorian and Grogu, Mortal Kombat II, and Project Hail Mary have already started their marketing campaigns.
Yet, many other 2026 movies haven’t. Some could be waiting for Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s arrival, giving them a chance to piggyback off of the film’s expected success and put their trailers in front of as many eyeballs as possible.
New MCU & Christopher Nolan Movie Trailers Could Be Attached To Avatar: Fire & Ash
It is common for studios to attach new trailers to upcoming movies to new releases, whether that’s done for a film with a nine-figure budget or smaller. For example, Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s first trailer played exclusively before Disney and Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
There’s a real possibility that these roles flip. Instead of Disney and James Cameron using a Marvel movie to launch Avatar 3‘s marketing, the sci-fi sequel might provide the first look at one (or more) upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
Marvel’s slate is rather bare at the moment as the end of the Multiverse Saga approaches, but there are still two movies coming next year. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026) and Avengers: Dooomsday (December 18, 2026) could attach their first official footage to the previews for Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Of the two, Doomsday strangely feels like a safer bet. It’s coming out almost a year to the date of when the trailer would premiere, which is well before Marvel typically starts marketing its movies, but it’d make sense to hype up this one so early on.
The main portion of filming has wrapped, leaving Marvel with a few months to work some footage together as a short teaser trailer. It wouldn’t need to be that long or expansive to generate excitement. Seeing Avengers: Doomsday‘s massive cast interacting briefly and providing a full look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom would get everyone talking.
Disney and Marvel need Doomsday to be a major success like all the other Avengers movies. Putting the first teaser trailer in front of Avatar 3 would be a smart way to kick off a year-long marketing campaign.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day does come sooner, so starting its marketing campaign about seven months out would make more sense. The Sony/Disney/Marvel Studios collaboration is still in the middle of production, but there’s still time for the studios to whip up something to get audiences buzzing.
Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man solo film is expected to be a bit more grounded, utilizing street-level villains and anti-heroes, like Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. But with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk also appearing, teasing how all these characters come together and some of director Destin Daniel Cretton’s vision would be great.
Holland could double up with Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s previews thanks to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. He’s one of the main cast members, alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and, coincidentally, his Brand New Day co-stars Zendaya and Bernthal.
The upcoming epic already started its marketing campaign, technically, as The Odyssey‘s teaser trailer was attached to Jurassic World Rebirth in theaters. However, Universal still has not released the teaser online.
There’s a real chance that The Odyssey debuts its first full trailer in theaters with Avatar: Fire and Ash. With seven months to go until the film’s release from that point, it’s the right time for a new Nolan movie to start ramping up its marketing.
It’s also worth noting that Nolan and Universal attached Oppenheimer‘s first trailer in theaters to Avatar: The Way of Water. That paid dividends down the road for the $950+ million earner and multi-Oscar winner. With this recipe success, it’d be a bit of a shock if the director and studio didn’t follow the same playbook for The Odyssey.
Overall, Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s previews could include new or debut trailers for Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and The Odyssey. There will certainly be more.
Old trailers for Project Hail Mary or The Mandalorian and Grogu could also play to further hype up 2026’s slate. The first look at Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, Steven Spielberg’s untitled UFO movie, Masters of the Universe, Toy Story 5, or Disney’s live-action Moana could also come.
Avatar: Fire and Ash was already a can’t-miss theatrical experience. If several of these trailer releases do materialize, then you’ll want to be seated on time to catch a glimpse at some of the biggest movies coming next year.
