Marvel has delayed multiple MCU movies again – with one big exception
Marvel tweaks its Phase 5 and Phase 6 plans once more
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WhenThe Marvelsis released in November 2023, it will be the last upcomingMarvelmovie we’ll see for some time – well, eight months, to be exact.
That’s becauseMarvelStudios has revealed it’s pushed back the launch dates of multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films again, meaning you won’t be able to watch another of the studio’s superhero flicks until July 2024.
Announcing the latest delay in a blog post on itsofficial website, Marvel confirmed that threeMarvel Phase 5films and three Phase 6 movies had been given new release dates.
Captain America 4, which only received anew subtitle inBrave New Worldon June 6, has been delayed by two months from May 3, 2024 to July 26, 2024. It takes the theatrical release date previously held byThunderbolts, which will now open in cinemas worldwide on December 20, 2024.Blade,which has been the subject of numerous production and launch date delays, won’t see the light of day – good job the titular anti-hero isn’t a fully fledged vampire in that respect, eh? – until February 14, 2025.
Marvel’s highly anticipatedFantastic Fourfilm, meanwhile, won’t be out until May 2, 2025. It takes the spot formally occupied byAvengers: The Kang Dynasty, which will arrive in cinemas a whole year later on May 1, 2026. Lastly,Avengers: Secret Wars– the reportedly final flick in Marvel’s ongoing Multiverse Saga – has been pushed to May 7, 2027.
It’s not all bad news on the Marvel movie front, however.Deadpool 3, which is yet to be given an official title, has actually been bumped up the release date roster. The Ryan Reynolds-starring, R-rated comic book movie, which sees theexciting return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for the final time, will no longer be released on November 8, 2024. Instead, it’ll come out six months earlier, withDeadpool 3set to launch in theaters globally on May 3, 2024.
While this is all disappointing news (Deadpool 3’s new launch date aside), there’ll still be plenty of other MCU-based content to lose yourself in between now and next. As well as the aforementioned MCU filmThe Marvels, a number of new MCUDisney Plusshows will be available to watch in the coming months.Secret Invasionwill land on the streaming service on June 21, withLokiseason 2on October 6 andEchoon November 29 following suit before the end of 2023.
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A necessary release date reshuffle
Understandably, the main question being asked by the MCU’s devoted fanbase is: why has Marvel decided to push back all but one of its forthcoming movies?
For starters, this isn’t the first time it’s done so. Due to production issues withBlade,Marvel rejigged its entire movie release schedule in October 2022. Three months later, numerous reports suggestedMarvel was preparing to delay a number of its upcoming TV shows, too, which proved to be the case. Then, in February 2023,Marvel confirmed it was pushingThe Marvelsout of its original July 28 launch dateto November 17 instead.
This latest release date reshuffle, then, shouldn’t come as a big surprise. The Disney subsidiary clearly has previous form for reworking its launch date schedules on the big and small screens. And, given the inevitable off-screen issues that usually accompany big-budget productions across the entertainment industry, it’s inevitable that this won’t be the last time we see Marvel tweak its plans.
Why is it ‘inevitable’? Because the ongoing writers strike, which has shut Hollywood down for almost two months, is stopping any script-based work – rewrites, actor ad-libs, and such – from taking place at all.
That means MCU films already being filmed, such asCaptain America 4andDeadpool 3, are ploughing ahead without any changes to their scripts. It also means other MCU projects can’t enter full production, especially if their head writers haven’t completed their screenplays yet, or if finished scripts require further treatment. You can find out more on which Marvel movies and TV shows, as well as non-MCU projects, have been impacted by the writers strike inour guide on every film and series affected by the industrial action. In short, expect more MCU-based delays to be announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July or throughout the year.
In the meantime, be sure to find outhow to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, get the lowdown on thebest Marvel moviesor see which MCU flicks made it onto ourbest superhero movieslist.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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