At CinemaCon 2026, Disney unveiled what it’s calling a new moviegoing experience, looking to provide fans with the best way to watch the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and more. There’s one major issue with the announcement, though, that underscores a problem the company may end up having.
What is Disney’s new Imax competitor?
At CinemaCon, Disney announced the unveiling of what it calls “Infinity Vision.” To put it simply, Infinity Vision is a new certification for Premium Large Format (PLF) theaters, that are approved to have met certain requirements for showing movies. This can range from larger screens, to premium sound options, and more. Disney notes that the new certification “sets a new benchmark for theatrical presentation,” and is a good way for fans to spot theaters that will provide an enhanced viewing experience.
“Disney’s standards for production quality are second to none, with every single detail of a film finely tuned for an immersive experience,” said Andrew Cripps, Head of Theatrical Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios. “Infinity Vision certification extends that commitment to the theaters themselves, representing a shared effort between The Walt Disney Studios and the exhibition community to help audiences quickly find the very best screens in their area to experience our films in exactly the way they’re designed to be seen – on a huge screen with the sharpest, clearest color and sound.”
Of course, there is a major issue with this new certification, and one that underscores an issue Disney will soon be facing with some of its biggest movies.
What is InfinityVision’s one big issue?
At its core, Infinity Vision is essentially just a new badge or brand that can be put on certain theaters to signify theaters that match or come close to a traditional Imax theater. The problem, though, is that these theaters won’t be proper Imax theaters. Imax theaters traditionally present a standard, expanded ratio, and while not all theaters provide a uniform experience, there is a standard attention to quality that comes with watching a movie in the Imax format.
With Infinity Vision, there’s no guarantee that a theater with the “Infinity Vision” certification will be an expanded ratio format. The only thing it notes is that the theater will be on “the largest screens for maximum scale,” and will provide clearer projection and audio options. However, fans were quick to note that this sounds like Disney attempting to market non-Imax theaters as a “premium option” due to the fact that several of their bigger movies coming this year will not be getting any Imax exclusivity.
While it’s been talked about plenty, the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on the same day as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three. Traditionally, Avengers movies would be given the exclusive Imax windows for its opening week, but this isn’t the case this time around. Dune: Part Three will have an exclusive Imax release, leaving Doomsday to try and recoup its money on other premium formats.
It’s already been discussed how Disney will be attempting to achieve this, and Disney will inevitably make a ton of money with Doomsday regardless, but with the introduction of this new Infinity Vision, it seems like Disney is preparing to compete with projects like Dune and The Odyssey (which will launch close to Spider-Man: Brand New Day and also command Imax screens) without having the need for the premium format.
