The Walt Disney Company has revealed an updated release calendar for 2022 and 2023, and it turns out that many of the projects by Marvel Studios will be released later than expected. Marvel fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see some of their favorite heroes, including Thor and Captain Marvel, return to the big screen, as their upcoming films are among the ones being delayed.
Disney has confirmed that the delayed-release dates for the Marvel Studios films are related to production. Due to the ongoing pandemic, many projects have faced difficulties during the filming process. The content in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is quite interconnected and a delay in any one project, especially if it is a film, results in others being affected as well.
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According to the official list released by Marvel, the release dates for the next five MCU films have been delayed. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness now premieres on May 6, 2022, instead of March, Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters on July 8, 2022, instead of May, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases on November 11, 2022, instead of July. In the year after, The Marvels premieres on February 17, 2023, instead of November 2022, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is now scheduled to release on July 28, 2023, instead of February. Two untitled Marvel movies have been removed from the schedule completely, while another has shifted from November 10 to November 3, 2023.
It is almost as if the delay in one of the release dates resulted in a domino effect, pushing many of the upcoming MCU films back by at least two months each. As part of Phase 4 of the MCU, a lot of content has already been released in 2021. These include several films and television shows, and a lot more is scheduled to release before Christmas. The good news is that the delay will not affect any of the content scheduled to release later this year.
The MCU films scheduled to release this year are on track. Eternals arrives in theaters on November 5 and Spider-Man: No Way Home premieres on December 17. The delays will also not affect any of the Disney Plus content, which means that the Marvel Studios series scheduled for 2022 should be premiering on their intended dates. These include Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The exact release dates for the projects have not been finalized yet, but they are expected to premiere sometime in 2022.
One film in the Disney roster to face the longest delay is the Indiana Jones sequel, starring Harrison Ford. The film, which was originally scheduled to release on July 29, 2022, the same weekend as DC’s Black Adam, will now be premiering in theaters on June 30, 2023. The project has been pushed back by an entire year. The delay is mostly due to issues with production, especially with Ford injuring himself on set.
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Source: Marvel