Deadpool 3 Captain America 4 among Marvel release date changes

‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Captain America 4’ among Marvel release date changes as strike ends

Entertainment News / By /

Deadpool in Deadpool 2 and Anthony Mackie dressed as Captain America from Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Deadpool 3 and Captain America: New World Order swap release dates

20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./Courtesy of the Everett Collection; Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Disney+

Summer tent pole Deadpool 3 will hit theaters a little later than originally expected as part of a scheduling shift for Marvel Studios. Disney announced late Wednesday that the high-profile threequel will now open at the domestic box office on July 26, 2024, instead of May 3, 2024.

“Captain America: New World Order,” which previously took place in July, has been pushed back nine months to February 14, 2025.

Additionally, Marvel’s anti-hero film Thunderbolts, starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, has been pushed back to July 25, 2025 (postponed from December 20, 2024). “Blade,” starring Mahershala Ali, has been delayed by nine months and rescheduled to November 7, 2025 (back from February 14, 2025). Both “Blade” and “Thunderbolts” had planned to begin production this summer, but did not have scripts ready in time and were therefore canceled due to the writers’ strike in May.

As of this writing, Marvel only has one film on the 2024 calendar (Deadpool), which could help make the film feel special at a time when some superhero projects have been challenged at the box office. Marvel has four features in 2024 (including Fantastic Four, originally scheduled for May 5, 2024).

Unlike Marvel changes, Disney has delayed Mufasa: The Lion King to December 20, 2024 (back from July 5, 2024). Barry Jenkins is directing the prequel.

“Deadpool 3,” which returned Ryan Reynolds in the title role and producer’s chair, was one of a number of Hollywood productions that had to stop filming when actors went on strike in July.

Marvel and the Deadpool team, which also includes director Shawn Levy and co-star Hugh Jackman, swung into action Tuesday night after SAG announced it had reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios to end the strike, which lasted a grueling 117 days. According to insiders, Levy is expected to resume filming in London in the next two weeks (Marvel and Disney have paid for the sets to remain intact while a crew is on standby).

The filmmakers intend to launch the film in the summer, the peak time for superhero fare, and will need any additional time available to complete filming on the film’s second half. According to sources, Levy and Reynolds used the downtime during the strike to edit their footage and begin work on special effects.

Captain America: New World Order, starring Anthony Mackie as Captain America/Sam Wilson, had already completed principal photography before the attacks, so the postponement to a later date was not expected, as many assumed the date would coincide with “Deadpool” would be swapped and open in May 2024.

After the strike ends, all Hollywood studios are scrambling to rearrange their release schedules. For example, just hours after the deal was announced, Sony postponed the release of Venom 3 from July 12, 2024 to November 8, 2024 to create more cushion.

Dozens of other titles have already pushed back their release dates due to the actors’ strike — and the previous writers’ strike that ended in late September — and more are sure to follow. In recent weeks, Disney has pushed back the 2024 spring films Snow White and Elio by a year or more, while Paramount has pushed back the release of the next film Mission: Impossible episode from summer 2024 to 2025 and A Quiet Place: Day One by several months from spring to June 2024.

As for Reynolds, in his first tweet after the strike, the actor assured fans that the film would be ready for summer by sharing a photo of Dogpool, a canine version of Deadpool who appears in the film. “Did Dogpool Save the Day?” “No chance in gremlin hell,” Reynolds captioned the photo. “But she’s currently giving Disney’s plush merch division nightmares. Coming with the film in summer 2024.”

See more