Perhaps not the news we were expecting from Marvel Studios today, but not all that unexpected either.
Disney has announced that a number of their projects will be shifting their release dates as they try to play catch up with the delay caused by the Writer’s and Screen Actor’s Guild Strikes. And Marvel Studios’ output was hit the hardest.
Here is the list:
- Deadpool 3, originally set for release on May 5, 2024, will now hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
- Captain America: Brave New World, the previous owner of that July spot, will now be seen on February 14, 2025.
- Thunderbolts, once set for release on December 20, 2024, will now move to July 25, 2025.
- Blade will move from its February 15, 2025 release date to November 7, 2025.
In addition, the Barry Jenkins directed Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, will move from July 5, 2024, and will take the Thunderbolts old spot of December 20, 2024.
The big announcement from Marvel today was rumored to be the announcing of the cast of the MCU-centered reboot of Fantastic Four. Perhaps the biggest news about the Matt Shakman helmed redo is that is seems to have kept its most recent release date of May 2, 2025. This doesn’t mean it is set in that date. Perhaps another release date change for the film will come when the casting announcement is made.
For those of you counting, this means that Marvel goes from three films in 2024 to just one, and from two films in 2025 to now four.
The shift comes after Marvel Studios was hit by bad press over chaos behind the scenes at their operation. However, one of the things they were criticized for in that bad press is their rushing the VFX on their films to reach unrealistic release dates, Moving the films back will certainly help easy that criticism, as the VFX teams will have more time to work on their effects.
