Get ready to enjoy multiple re-runs of Deadpool 3 on the big screen, everyone, because it's the only Marvel movie you'll see until 2025.
Per Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, The Merc With a Mouth's third live-action movie will be the only Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film releasing in 2024. Originally set to launch worldwide on May 3, Deadpool 3 will now release on July 26. It takes the spot previously held by Captain America 4, which has been pushed to February 14, 2025. Meanwhile, Thunderbolts, the third and final MCU film that was due out next year, won't land in cinemas until July 25, 2025.
This is the third time in 12 months that Marvel has reshuffled its release-date pack. In October 2022, the studio delayed multiple movies due to production issues on Blade, the vampiric anti-hero's MCU debut, which now won't draw blood until November 7, 2025. Then, in June 2023, Marvel pushed numerous movies back again – save for Deadpool 3 – amid the now-resolved writers and actors strikes.
With agreements reached on both fronts, screenwriters and on-camera talent are able to get back to work on various projects, including Marvel's in-development movies and Disney Plus shows. Understandably, though, the wide-reaching industrial action has impacted every Marvel Phase 5 production, hence Marvel taking the necessary steps to delay its current lineup of MCU films and TV series.
According to Variety, Deadpool 3's cast and crew are ready to resume filming immediately. Additionally, director Shawn Levy previously revealed that half of the film (minus potential reshoots) had been shot (per Deadline), which is why it's the only Marvel movie that's still set to arrive in 2024. Industry insider Jeff Sneider has also claimed that Captain America 4 – or, to give its full title, Captain America: Brave New World – will undergo "extensive reshoots" between January and May 2024, hence its delay. Marvel hasn't officially commented on whether this is the case, though, so take that claim with a pinch of salt for now.
A crossroads moment for Marvel Studios
The latest round of Marvel delays will come as a blow to the studio, which hasn't recaptured the multi-billion dollar success it regularly enjoyed since Avengers: Endgame dominated the global box office in April 2019. Indeed, only Spider-Man: No Way Home has broken the $1 billion barrier in the four years since, and even then it was a joint production between Marvel and Sony Pictures – the latter of whom owns the Spider-Man IP.
Even worse, 2023 might be the least profitable year for MCU movies for a long time. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was worth its weight in gold, with the trilogy-capper earning $845 million worldwide. However, thanks to mixed reviews, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was – comparatively speaking – a dud, with the flick making just $463.6 million. If The Marvels doesn't perform as well as hoped (it's currently on track to make a paltry $60 million on opening weekend in the US), it'll represent a well below-par year for Marvel and parent company Disney.
Things haven't looked much better on the television front, either. Loki season 2, which ended today (November 10) – read our Loki season 2 ending explained article for some spoiler-filled analysis – has earned rave reviews from fans and critics alike. However, the Nick Fury-starring Secret Invasion was slammed as one of the worst MCU projects ever, with fans particularly exasperated by Secret Invasion's terrible final episode. It remains to be seen how well What If? season 2 will do, too, if its reported Christmas 2023 release window is to be believed.
If Marvel hopes to turn its fortunes around, it needs Deadpool 3 to perform wonders in mid-2024. The studio could also do with Echo and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, both of which are slated to launch on Disney Plus next year (Echo also arrives on Hulu in the US), being received well to drive subscriptions on Disney's main streaming platform; if that doesn't happen, the wheels will well and truly be coming off the Marvel machine.
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