Barely two weeks ago, Ryan Reynolds set the internet on fire with the bombshell news that Hugh Jackman will return as (a) Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Reynolds also revealed the film’s release date, but it appears he may have spoken too soon. In a move that seems unusual on this side of the pandemic, Marvel has delayed the release of several films and reportedly pulled one unknown movie completely off its schedule.
The delays follow reports that Blade director Bassam Tariq abruptly quit the film just a few weeks before it was set to start production in November. The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news that Blade was now on hold, and that decision has apparently created a ripple effect across Marvel’s release schedule.
Along with Blade moving its date back almost an entire year, high-profile films like Deadpool 3, Fantastic Four, and Avengers: Secret Wars have now been pushed back. Via Variety:
As part of the shuffle, “Blade” has moved from Nov. 3, 2023 to Sept. 6, 2024, which created a ripple on the rest of the MCU. “Deadpool 3” has relocated from Sept. 6, 2024 to Nov. 8, 2024; “Fantastic Four” has been shifted from Nov. 8, 2024 to Feb. 14, 2025; an untitled Marvel film has been pushed from Feb. 14, 2025 to Nov. 7, 2025; “Avengers: Secret Wars” has been delayed from Nov. 7, 2025 to May 1, 2026; and another untitled Marvel film set for May 1, 2026 has been removed from Disney’s calendar.
The good news, for Deadpool fans at least, is that the third film had the smallest delay of the bunch. A move from September to November isn’t that bad, provided no other Marvel directors suddenly quit between now and then. Fingers crossed.
(Via Variety)