Writers’ strike forces Disney to Delay Star Wars, Avatar and Marvel films

Disney recently announced major changes to its movie release schedule, affecting some of its biggest franchises.

The shakeup isn’t all negative, however. A new Star Wars Movie and a live-action Moana movie entered the schedule. Deadpool 3 has moved up in the schedule and will now release in May 2024 instead of November 2024. However, the main chunk of the news relates to delays tied to pre-announced films.

Here are the main highlights:

• The next Star Wars movie, which was initially slated for December 2025, has been pushed back to May 22nd, 2026. A second Star Wars movie will follow on December 18, 2026.
• The Avatar sequels have been delayed by several years, with Avatar 3 now set for December 19th, 2025, Avatar 4 for December 22nd, 2029, and Avatar 5 for December 2031.
• The Marvel Cinematic Universe has also seen some shifts, with Captain America: Brave New World being postponed from May 2024 to August 2024. Thunderbolts from August 2024 to December 2024. Blade from October 2024 to February 2025. Fantastic Four from November 2024 to May 22nd, 2025. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty from May 2025 to May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars from May 2026 to May 2027.

As reported by Variety, the main reason for these changes is the ongoing writers’ strike, which has halted the production of many scripts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably the least affected by the reshuffle, as most of the movies have only moved by a few months, except Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which have been postponed by a year.

The company claims it has also been forced to remove several shows, including Willow, Big Shot, Turner & Hooch and more, due to a difficult year amid layoffs and the strike.

Disney’s announcement has shaken up the movie industry and left many fans disappointed with the delays. Hopefully, the delays will be worth the wait in the end, but that is something only time will tell.

Disney isn’t the only production company that’s struggling with delays due to the ongoing writers’ strike. Apple is also being forced to extend its release schedule for new titles.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Variety