The studio’s “Lion King” prequel, now set for December 2024, is also being moved
After months of speculation amid work stoppages due to the recently ended SAG-AFTRA strike, Deadpool 3 has been delayed by The Walt Disney Company. The comic book threequel has been bumped from its May 3, 2024 release date and is now scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
It’s one of several moves announced by Disney on Thursday evening, as the studio reorganizes its slate of theatrical releases. “Deadpool 3” now occupies the spot previously held by “Captain America: Brave New World,” which was postponed to February 14, 2025. Additionally, Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” has been moved from December 20, 2024, to July 25. 2025 and the upcoming “Blade” reboot have been moved from February 15, 2025, to November 7, 2025.
Aside from Marvel, Disney has also postponed the upcoming pre-release of the 2019 CGI remake of “The Lion King.” Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins, has been moved from July 5, 2024, to December 20, 2024. Additionally, the studio has cleared two other dates – July 25, 2025 and November 7, 2025. On which it has planted flags for unspecified features.
When the SAG-AFTRA strike first began in July, Deadpool 3 was forced to suspend production. Now after nearly four months of uncertainty, Marvel Studios is planning to get back into high gear, with filming set to begin before the Thanksgiving holiday. However, there have been talks of a potential delay looming for weeks as the actors’ strike continues into the fall. Now, Deadpool 3 represents the only Marvel Studios film scheduled to hit theaters in 2024, a major departure as the banner regularly releases three or four films a year.
While “Deadpool 3” still has a fair amount of production to complete, it’s worth noting that “Captain America: Brave New World,” which will see Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson take up the Marvel mantle, has already completed principal photography ahead of SAG- AFTRA strike, although it is common for Marvel productions to require additional filming. However, it now faces a seven-month delay. Meanwhile, Thunderbolts and Blade were never produced.
“Deadpool”‘s decision to move away from its May release date now leaves a big hole in the lineup of next year’s summer blockbusters. The first weekend in May is a big opportunity for studios, and usually marks a big start to the season. Marvel has claimed the frame in recent years with titles like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Oddly enough, Disney still has another May date, as 20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is scheduled to open on the 24th, opening against Warner Bros.’ The “Mad Max” spin-off “Furiosa”. But with “Kingdom” still sticking to its original date instead of moving it forward by three weeks, it seems likely that some other studio will swoop in to claim the first days of May.
For now, the first high-profile film of the season is now scheduled to be Paramount’s “IF,” a fantasy film directed by John Krasinski and, coincidentally, also starring Ryan Reynolds.
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