WWE, Disney Set Avengers-Themed Worlds Collide for December 15

WWE and the Walt Disney Company are expanding their partnership with a two-day takeover of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida, on December 14 and 15, headlined by the first-ever John Cena Classic and a Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday”-themed edition of Worlds Collide.

John Cena announced the Cena Classic on the November 2 episode of Raw, revealing it will air live on Netflix as a special Monday night show on December 14 from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center crowd reaction. The event will pit top stars from Raw and SmackDown against rising NXT talent, with the top performer of the night decided by fan voting through WWE’s Club WWE membership program.

The following night, December 15, WWE will present an “Avengers: Doomsday”-branded edition of Worlds Collide, featuring talent from WWE’s main roster, NXT and AAA. The show is timed to lead into the theatrical release of “Avengers: Doomsday” on December 18. Surrounding both nights, WWE and Fanatics will run WWE World, a fan-experience event offering merchandise, photos and autograph opportunities, while WWE also plans to sell co-branded “Avengers: Doomsday” products — including title belts — through WWE World, WWEShop.com and select Disney retail stores.

Worlds Collide has run as a crossover showcase between the main roster, NXT and AAA since June 2025, and has generally been well received by fans for spotlighting talent across all three brands. But the September 2026 edition drew criticism for its presentation: it was taped on September 26 but didn’t air until September 30, and it overlapped with AEW All Out in both date and location. That scheduling quirk led to the show getting overshadowed despite a loaded main event featuring El Grande Americano, CM Punk and Rey Mysterio.

This time, the stakes look different. With Disney’s marketing muscle behind it and “Avengers: Doomsday” theming built into the show, WWE has every incentive to treat this Worlds Collide as more than a mid-week afterthought. Expect a heavier push on the roster assembled for the card, given it now doubles as a promotional vehicle for one of the biggest movie releases of the year. The pairing also underscores how central the Disney relationship has become to WWE’s business beyond its linear and streaming TV deals — merchandise, live events and now crossover branding are all part of the equation.

It remains to be seen exactly who will be booked for the December 15 show, but given the AAA involvement and the stated focus on “biggest Superstars” from all three brands, fans should expect more marquee names than the September edition drew. The two-night Florida takeover gives WWE a showcase moment heading into the holiday stretch, and how seriously the company leans into the Doomsday branding will say a lot about how much weight Worlds Collide now carries within the broader Disney partnership.