Every Blockbuster With a New Release Date
Disney has been impacted by the Writers’ Strike, with several Marvel movies being pushed back and Avatar sequels being delayed by a year or more. However, there is some positive news, as Disney has added a new Star Wars movie to their schedule and a live-action Moana movie starring Dwayne Johnson. The Marvel schedule is also being shuffled, with many Phase 5 titles being moved around. Thunderbolts and Blade have already had production halted, and the studio is now making further changes to their schedule. Deadpool 3 has been moved up six months, while other movies that were once announced on time may face delays.
The impact of the Writers’ Strike may cause a gap between films put out by studios, and there may be delays in movies with a 2023 release date. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a delicate ecosystem, and delays in one movie can have repercussions for years. As a result, changes to the MCU schedule are being felt throughout the Multiverse Saga. Captain America: Brave New World was initially scheduled for release on May 3, 2024, but has been pushed back to July 26. This change has affected the release dates of Thunderbolts, Blade, and Fantastic Four. The concluding films have been pushed back by a year, just in case, with Avengers: Kang Dynasty set to premiere on May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars moving to May 7, 2027.
Disney has also made changes to their Star Wars and Moana release dates. An untitled Star Wars movie, originally scheduled for release on December 19, 2025, has been moved to May 22, 2026. Additionally, a new film has been added to the schedule, dated December 18, 2026. A live-action adaptation of Moana, celebrating Polynesian culture, will be released on June 27, 2025, with Dwayne Johnson set to star as his animated character Maui.
The Avatar sequels have also been impacted by the Writers’ Strike, with most of the movies facing delays. James Cameron had already finished filming Avatar 3 and most of 4 before the release of Avatar: The Way of Water. However, post-production is taking longer than expected, resulting in Avatar 3 being pushed back to December 19, 2025. Avatar 4 has been moved to December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 is not scheduled for release until December 19, 2031.
While the Writers’ Strike has caused disruptions in the entertainment industry, it is essential to support organizations like the WGA and local chapters of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Despite the delays, fans can look forward to an exciting lineup of movies from Disney and Marvel in the coming years.
The WGA strike finally hit Disney. The media giant shifted its release calendar, moving several Marvel movies back and delaying all the Avatar sequels by a year or more. But there was some good news among the bad. Disney added a new Star Wars movie to their schedule as well as a live-action Moana movie starring Dwayne Johnson.
The Marvel schedule is getting shuffled. Marvel already announced it was halting production on Thunderbolts and Blade. But now, the studio is moving around many of its Phase 5 titles. But rejoice, Deadpool fans! Deadpool 3 is getting moved up six months in a strange twist of fate. Otherwise, you might have to wait a little next year for movies that were once announced on time.
The Writers’ Strike has yet to affect any movies with a 2023 release date, but starting next year, there may be quite the gap between films that studios tend to put out a little quicker. We were ready for the new Avatar movies – supposedly, they had been finished – but along with everything else getting pushed back, we might not see Avatar 5 until 2031.
The Marvel Schedule
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a delicate ecosystem. Long enough delays in one movie can set a whole chain of movies back for years. So it’s no surprise that we’re now being informed of changes in the MCU schedule reverberating all the way to the end of its Multiverse Saga. We knew that Thunderbolts and Blade had been delayed due to an interruption from the strike. The announcement caused a few ripples in the schedule before. But now, Disney seems to be battening down the hatches, planning a long, drawn-out fight.
The changes start with Captain America: Brave New Worldwhich was initially scheduled to be released on May 3, 2024. Now the next installment in the Captain America franchise will be coming out almost three months later on July 26. The move affects everything down the line: Thunderboltswhich was once on Captain America’s new date, is now on December 20, 2024. That pushes Blade to February 14, 2025, and Fantastic Four to May 2, 2025.
The concluding films are being pushed back an entire year, just in case. Avengers: Kang Dynasty will now premiere on May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars will move from that date to May 7, 2027. Deadpool seems to be the only comic book superhero to escape the steamroller, as Deadpool 3 gets moved from November 8 to May 3, 2024.
Star Wars and Moana See New Dates
Disney wasn’t planning on producing any more Star Wars movies for quite a while. Its efforts in the franchise are focused on merchandise and Disney+ series. There was an untitled Star Wars movie dated December 19, 2025, but it was moved to the following year to be released on May 22, 2026. Theoretically, it means that two Star Wars movies will be released that year. Also, a new film showed up on the schedule, dated December 18, 2026.
A live-action adaptation of Moana also appeared on the list. Many fans were excited as Disney announced their plans to make an all-live performance of the animated movie celebrating Polynesian culture. Dwayne Johnson spoke from a beach in Maui with his two youngest daughters to announce that he’d participate in the live-action remake, starring as his animated character Maui. His daughters presented him with Maui’s iconic whale-bone fishhook in an adorable display. The new Moana will be out on June 27, 2025.
Avatar Gets New Release Dates
We all breathed a sigh of relief when Avatar: The Way of Water finally emerged – ten years after its predecessor. But now it looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for Avatar’s 3, 4, and 5. Most of these movies on Disney’s list have been delayed due to complications following the Writers’ Strike. But we thought most of the Avatar movies were already finished. James Cameron said that before he even released The Way of Water, he had already finished filming Avatar 3 and most of 4.
Producer Jon Landau told fans why Avatar was being delayed on Twitter:
So it seems that the special effects for Avatar really are just that good. But according to the schedule, the post-production will take a long time to complete. Avatar 3, which was set to release on December 20, 2024, will come out a year later on December 19, 2025. Avatar 4 is moving three years ahead from December 18, 2026, to December 21, 2029. And Avatar 5 now isn’t scheduled for release until December 19, 2031. So it may be a while before the Avatar saga comes to a conclusion, but it’s sure to look amazing.
Remember to support the WGA and your local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
