Disney Infinity Vision Explained: Is It Better Than IMAX?

Disney Infinity Vision is Walt Disney Studios' new certification program for premium large format (PLF) movie theaters, designed to compete with established premium cinema experiences like IMAX and Dolby Cinema. Announced at CinemaCon—the world's largest annual event for the movie theater industry—the Infinity Vision program is launching in collaboration with global theatrical exhibition partners. According to Disney, the Infinity Vision badge will "signify to audiences which auditoriums offer the biggest, brightest, and most immersive cinematic experiences." To earn the certification, theaters must meet the company's rigorous technical standards in three key areas: the largest screens for maximum scale, laser projection for superior brightness and clarity, and premium immersive audio formats for a more engaging cinematic experience.

Disney says that Infinity Vision “sets a new benchmark for theatrical presentation,” but the company has so far remained vague about the specifics. What screen size is required in order to qualify? Is any laser projector good enough, or only specific models? Does “premium audio formats” mean Dolby Atmos, or something else? We can expect to know more by the time Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame is re-released in theaters this September. That blockbuster from 2019 is slated to be the inaugural movie in the Infinity Vision program, priming audiences for the December release of the next film in the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Doomsday. Disney hopes that audiences will seek out Infinity-Vision-certified screens to see these movies on the grandest possible scale (and for the highest-possible ticket prices).

At CinemaCon, Disney said that “over 75 domestic and 300 global exhibitor PLFs” are currently available to consumers. This statement led several news outlets to report that there were 75 total PLF screens in the US that would qualify for Infinity Vision, and 300 screens worldwide. This number didn’t seem that improbable; there are only about 300 Dolby Cinema screens currently in operation worldwide (though many more offer the core Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision technology package). But according to the Wall Street Journal, these news outlets misunderstood Disney’s statement. In reality, Disney meant to indicate that there are more than 75 domestic PLF brands, operating more than 1,000 screens in the United States alone. Theoretically, a significant portion of these could qualify for the Infinity Vision program. The PLF brands that Disney is referring to are mostly theater-chain-specific offerings, such as Cinemark XD, Regal Premium Experience (RPX), AMC Prime, Cineplex UltraAVX, B&B Theatres’ Grand Screen, and Marcus Theatres’ UltraScreen DLX & SuperScreen. It can be hard for the typical consumer to keep track of all these branded experiences, and to know what each offers. 

Theater operators want to promote their own premium offerings to compete with brands like IMAX and Dolby without paying licensing fees. But for a huge company like Disney, it makes sense to promote a program like Infinity Vision, which could help audiences identify the best theatrical experience available in their area without getting into the nitty gritty of theater-chain-specific terminology. As of now, IMAX remains the predominant player in the PLF theater business. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are currently 426 IMAX screens in North America, and about 1700 IMAX-capable auditoriums worldwide (though not all of these offer the full-fat IMAX experience). Over 50 million IMAX tickets are sold each year, according to IMAX.

Disney’s standards for production quality are second to none, with every single detail of a film finely tuned for an immersive experience. 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.

— Andrew Cripps, Head of Theatrical Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios

In addition to certification, the Infinity Vision initiative reportedly will include “special offerings for theaters and audiences, and marketing support.” That means participating theaters will be required to feature Infinity Vision branding both online and in the theaters themselves, making it simple for consumers to find certified auditoriums when purchasing tickets and when heading to their seats. Some theater operators have expressed concerns about giving Disney so much influence over their procedures, but others hope that unifying premium theatrical standards could remove confusion and reinforce the value of the big-screen experience for audiences.

Disney’s Infinity Vision: Why Now?

There seems to be a consensus in the media that Disney’s move to launch Infinity Vision can be attributed to the events of a single opening weekend happening later this year. Both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part III are slated for release on Friday, December 18th, 2026. But thanks to a shrewd distribution deal arranged by Warner Bros. Pictures, Dune: Part III will enjoy a three-week exclusivity window in IMAX theaters. This means that, for at least three full weeks, every single IMAX screen will be showing Dune: Part III, and the Avengers movie will therefore be at a distinct disadvantage at the box office.

For certain movies, IMAX has a real draw. For example, Christopher Nolan shot much of 2023’s Oppenheimer on IMAX cameras, leading savvy cinephiles to seek out real-deal IMAX theaters with 70mm film projectors, where they could experience the movie as it was meant to be seen. Dune: Part III was also shot on IMAX cameras and will likely be presented in the full 1.43:1 IMAX aspect-ratio on compatible screens. (Only those theaters outfitted with a 70mm IMAX film projector or a dual-laser IMAX digital projector are capable of delivering this complete IMAX experience.) While Marvel's Avengers movies have not had this kind of IMAX pedigree, there is no doubt that the elevated ticket prices for IMAX showings helped Avengers: Endgame rack up a massive $858.3 million at the domestic box office, and $2.8 billion worldwide. And so there has been wide speculation that Disney’s launch of Infinity Vision is specifically designed to help Avengers: Doomsday compete for your premium-screen dollar while Dune: Part III hogs all of the IMAX real estate for three weeks after both films hit theaters.

It has been dreamed, designed, and shot thinking about IMAX.

- Denis Villeneuve, Director of Dune: Part III

According to The Hollywood Reporter, IMAX’s Chief Financial Officer Natasha Fernandes did not mince words when discussing Infinity Vision with investors on a recent earnings call. “From our view, we feel it’s a marketing play to try and offset the fact that they don't have an IMAX platform or brand for Avengers: Doomsday. It doesn’t offer the consumer anything that they couldn’t get yesterday.” She went on to say that Marvel fans are “among the (most) savvy and most discerning moviegoers out there,” hinting that fans won’t be fooled by what she views as a faux IMAX experience. “There’s a reason why we're the undisputed leader in premium cinema worldwide,” she said.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond was somewhat more diplomatic, saying, “We wish we could have played Avengers, and Disney understands that, and I think Disney’s going to be great with it.” But Gelfond ultimately agreed with Fernandes. “They created kind of a marketing vehicle called Infinity Vision, which enables them to ‘brand’ their release,” he said. “It’s important to note there’s no additional screens. It’s just kind of a branding move on their part.” On the one hand, Gelfond would love to be able to show Avengers: Doomsday on IMAX screens. After all, it is likely to be a bigger box-office draw than the latest Dune movie, so the exclusivity deal secured by Warner Bros. could end up affecting IMAX’s bottom line. On the other hand, Gelfond does not seem concerned about this new rival from Disney, calling it nothing more than a marketing exercise.

But even if Infinity Vision does not bring specific new technologies or experiences, it does have the potential to make it easier for moviegoers to find a premium movie theater experience, and that will have value for some consumers, myself included. I often take my nephews to the movies, and we tend to seek out Dolby Cinema screenings when they are available. When Dolby Cinema isn't an option, I still try to find a showing with Dolby Atmos audio. (There are only about 200 full Dolby Cinema screens in the US, but there are many more featuring Dolby Atmos sound.) Depending on the theater, it can be very difficult to determine whether a particular auditorium features Dolby Atmos, especially if you’re buying tickets online ahead of time. Infinity Vision could solve that problem, at least for Disney movies.

Although Disney appears to be issuing a bold challenge to IMAX with the introduction of Infinity Vision, the two companies are still working together. This summer, both Pixar’s Toy Story 5 and the live-action Moana movie are scheduled to be shown on IMAX screens. As I write this in May 2026, The Mandalorian and Grogu has just been released, and IMAX tickets are already available for purchase. It is part of the “Filmed For IMAX program,” in which IMAX partners with filmmakers to “harness IMAX’s technology, from pre-production to release to deliver the world’s most immersive experience.” It remains to be seen whether Disney will continue partnering with IMAX after Infinity Vision launches. For the most part, their cooperation seems to be mutually beneficial, but if Disney can earn premium box-office money without paying into the IMAX ecosystem, this summer could be the last time we see Disney movies lighting up IMAX screens.