Step Aside Glicked, Barbenheimer’s Official Replacement Revealed

A New Era of Movie Events

In 2023, the film industry witnessed an unusual phenomenon. Instead of choosing two completely different films, moviegoers embraced a unique event known as Barbenheimer, where they attended both Barbie and Oppenheimer. This trend, however, has not been repeated since.

A few days later, there was a gentle attempt to recreate the excitement with Wicked and Gladiator II, which was humorously named "Glicked." Unlike the success of Barbie and Oppenheimer, only Wicked managed to capture the public’s attention. However, there is still hope for a new cinematic event. Robert Downey Jr. has officially announced his return with a new Barbeheimer later this year: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, which he has dubbed "Dunesday."

During a Marty Supreme Q&A in Los Angeles, California, Downey Jr. shared the news with the lead actor of Dune: Part Three, Timothée Chalamet. The actor and Chalamet will be facing each other during the same weekend, but instead of engaging in a battle, they have chosen to remain friends.

"We both have films opening on Dec. 18th, and we decided to coin a name for it. We’re thinking Dunesday," Downey explained. He added with a joke, "We’ll see if we’re still friends by then."

Unlike the previous attempt with Glicked, Dunesday has all the potential to succeed. It also includes Robert Downey Jr., who played Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, the role that finally earned him an Oscar. The actor is set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Doomsday. Although his original character, Tony Stark/ Iron Man, was killed off in 2018’s Avengers: Endgame, the upcoming superhero team-up will feature him as the villain, Dr. Doom.

The upcoming superhero event will mark a major crossover. In addition to bringing back the regular Avengers, the movie will feature heroes from across the multiverse and introduce the X-Men and The Fantastic Four to the same universe for the first time.

Doomsday will bring several stars from the X-Men trilogy, including Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, and James Marsden as Cyclops. Channing Tatum will also be back as Gambit, reprising his role from 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are still unconfirmed as Wolverine and Deadpool, respectively.

Dune: Part Three Will Feature a Time Jump

The upcoming entry in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi franchise is set to adapt the second novel in Frank Herbert’s book series, Dune Messiah. The story takes place 12 years after the events of the first novel, which was the basis of the first two movies. Lead star Timothée Chalamet confirmed Dune: Part Three will have a time jump.

"There’s supposed to be a character shift," Chalamet confirmed recently during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. "I’m playing 15, 20 years older."

Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are set to premiere on Dec. 18.