Deadpool 3, Thunderbolts, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and more Marvel Cinematic Universe titles have been delayed.
Per Variety, Marvel Studios has pushed back its entire upcoming film slate. Deadpool 3 has moved up from Nov. 8, 2024, to May 3, 2024, pushing back Captain America: Brave New World from that date to July 26, 2024. Thunderbolts has moved to Dec. 20, 2024, Blade will now open on Feb. 14, 2025, and Fantastic Four has been delayed to May 2, 2025. The next two Avengers installments received the largest delay, with The Kang Dynasty moving from May 2, 2025, to May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars shifting from May 1, 2026, to May 7, 2027.
Production delays and the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike were reportedly behind the release date changes. Filming on Blade and Thunderbolts had already been paused because of the WGA strike, which led to a ripple effect across the MCU production and release schedules. At this time, the ongoing strike has not halted production on Captain America: Brave New World and Deadpool 3.
Marvel Is Still Casting the Fantastic Four
There has been much speculation within the MCU fandom as to whom Marvel Studios will cast as the titular members of Marvel's First Family. It was recently rumored that Adam Driver, Margot Robbie, Paul Mescal and Daveed Diggs were in final talks for the roles of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and Thing, respectively. However, multiple sources have indicated that no actor is a lock at this time. Marvel was reportedly eyeing Emma Stone for Sue Storm/Invisible Woman at one point but balked at her request for a $20 million payday. Vanessa Kirby and Jodie Comer are among the actors also being considered for Invisible Woman.
The latest MCU film to hit theaters was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, written and directed by James Gunn. Set after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022), the threequel finds the titular cosmic team's lives upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past, leading them to "embark on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them." At the time of writing, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has grossed over $800 million worldwide, surpassing the box office total of the first Guardians film ($773M). It remains to be seen if Volume 3 will have enough gas in the tank to beat the second film's box office ($869M).
Source: Variety