The Walt Disney Company may be facing a sudden, high-stakes dilemma: whether to pause production on Avengers: Doomsday, the highly anticipated Marvel installment currently filming entirely in the United Kingdom. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s dramatic announcement of a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films, a sweeping protectionist move that could significantly reshape the global entertainment landscape—and put massive projects like Avengers: Doomsday directly in the crosshairs.
Donald Trump says he’s ordering a 100% tariff on all films produced outside of America that are brought into the country
Hollywood projects currently shooting overseas include:
• ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
• ‘The Odyssey’
• ‘Avatar 4’
• ‘Supergirl’ pic.twitter.com/4XzVdETCTo— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) May 5, 2025
President Trump declared over the weekend that he has authorized the Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to initiate the process of imposing the new tariffs, citing the departure of U.S. film production overseas as both an economic crisis and a national security threat. “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” he said. “We want movies made in America, again!”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on X, “We’re on it,” signaling that the administration is already moving toward implementation. But no clear rules have yet been laid out.
This policy bombshell has left Hollywood studios scrambling for answers. It remains unclear whether the tariffs will apply to all foreign-made content—including U.S.-produced films shot abroad, such as Avengers: Doomsday—or only to imports produced by foreign entities. Even more ambiguous is how the tariffs would be calculated: Will they be levied on production costs, box office receipts, licensing deals, or some other metric?
Mike Pence is just bitter. These tariffs are the definition of America First, which is a concept he doesn’t understand. pic.twitter.com/LgL0P4yxHB
— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnicks7) April 4, 2025
Avengers: Doomsday—A $300 Million Gamble?
Disney, which has filmed several Marvel films in the UK’s Pinewood Studios, could be facing significant cost overruns if the new tariffs apply retroactively or even prospectively to Avengers: Doomsday. The film, reportedly budgeted at over $300 million, was planned as Marvel’s cinematic rebound after a string of underperforming releases.
But now, unless the administration offers exemptions or clearer definitions, the entire production could become subject to a 100% import fee if it remains a UK-based operation. That’s led to widespread speculation that Disney might have no choice but to pause the production, at least temporarily, until legal clarity is achieved.
On social media, fans have already started reacting. “So… we’re just gonna pay $40 to see Avengers now?” wrote one user on X. Another pointed out: “Trump doesn’t seem to realize U.S. studios like Disney and Marvel are the ones filming overseas. This tariff hurts them.”
Robert Downey Jr. revealed to be Doctor Doom at Marvel Studios‘ Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con via OnTheRedCarpet YouTube
The policy announcement immediately rattled markets. On Monday morning, shares of Disney, Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Amazon all dipped, reflecting Wall Street’s unease about the future of global content pipelines. Many analysts are now revising projections for 2026’s box office performance, particularly for tentpole franchises with international production bases. Companies with more diversified portfolios seem to be weathering the storm a little better at the time of publication. While no financial advice is intended, companies like Comcast and Disney may be holding stronger than Netflix and Paramount because of their various business not associated with movie production.
The broader industry, too, is on alert. Governments in Australia and New Zealand quickly issued statements vowing to bolster their film industries in the wake of Trump’s move. The Motion Picture Association has yet to issue a formal response, but executives from all major studios are reportedly in high-level talks to assess exposure.
Critics of the policy have labeled it a blunt-force approach to a nuanced issue. While it’s true that foreign tax credits have siphoned off production from Hollywood, many argue that the answer isn’t punitive tariffs, but rather competitive domestic incentives and modernization of union agreements that make filming stateside prohibitively expensive. Supporters of the move, on the other hand, say it could lead to a renaissance in U.S.-based filmmaking. Trump himself appointed a trio of pro-America Hollywood veterans—Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson—in January to help spearhead an entertainment revival. Gibson himself is preparing to produce a major movie in Italy this year, which may give some indication that the tariffs are not catastrophically designed after all.
Mel Gibson via Inspire Me Podcast / An Experience With YouTube
Still, for Disney and Marvel Studios, the immediate question is not philosophical but financial: Can they afford to continue filming a $300 million movie in the UK that might incur a 100% tariff on re-entry to its home market?
The Bottom Line: Disney Must Decide… and Soon.
Until the administration offers clearer implementation details, Avengers: Doomsday hangs in a costly limbo. Disney executives may be forced to pause or relocate production to avoid potentially hundreds of millions in unexpected fees. Alternatively, they might gamble on a carve-out or legal challenge. If production costs are tariffed at 100% for expenses made in “foreign lands,” Avengers: Doomsday could see an increase in expenses in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars. For a film that was already likely to break records for cost, that’s likely untenable. And as a result, Avengers: Doomsday could be iced until further notice from the Trump Administration.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame (2019), Marvel Studios
In any case, the clock is ticking—and the implications for Disney’s global strategy, Marvel’s future, and the U.S. entertainment industry at large could be profound.
The positives of the tariffs are getting more and better. Stopping woke movies from being made is fantastic.
Except it will hit even good US movies. European filmmaking is in far better shape than USA, and will just anger Europeans… Who will boycott it. With the Chinese slapping tarrifs or outright banning all of US production, it will be death of US movies and shows. Or at least the high cost, high quality ones.
Well, those “good US movies” should be filmed in the US. That’s the idea behind America First. The EU can be as mad as they want – they are a geopolitical enemy, same with China.
[…] Fonte: thatparkplace […]
Gosh, you mean the get an excuse to STOP and actually FINISH THE SCRIPT before continuing? Wowzah! :)