The Avengers will be reassembling later than planned.

Disney has announced a delay for the next two instalments in the blockbuster Marvel superhero franchise, the first of which is now well over a year away.

Avengers: Doomsday, which will see Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr return to the series as villain Doctor Doom, has been pushed from 1 May to 18 December 2026.

Its follow-up, Secret Wars, will release on 17 December 2027. It had been due on 2 May that year.

The films have had a troubled production, having undergone extensive reworking after one of the intended stars, Jonathan Majors, was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

Both are being directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed the previous two Avengers films - 2018's Infinity War and 2019's Endgame.

The latter is the second-highest grossing film of all time, taking $2.8bn (£2.1bn) at the box office.

No Marvel film has come close to that level of success since, with subsequent releases - from sequels to Thor and Black Panther, to fresher entries like Eternals and Thunderbolts - proving divisive.

Next up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, when it goes up against a new Superman film from rival studio DC.