Entertainment

'Avatar,' 'Avengers': Disney announces reshuffle in release dates amid WGA-strike

Written by Tanvi Gupta

June 14, 2023 | 10:40 am 2 min read

'Avatar,' 'Avengers' release dates pushed back by Disney

Disney has reimagined their theatrical calendar in a major way! In an unexpected move, Marvel Studios, in particular, released an official statement outlining a series of adjustments to their lineup. These changes involve highly-anticipated films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Captain America: Brave New World. Further, fans of the Avatar franchise will also have to wait a little longer for the upcoming installments.

Why does this story matter?

Disney's reshuffling coincides with the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers—the impact of which is expected to cause production shutdowns that could potentially affect release timelines. Notably, the strike, initiated by the 11,500 unionized screenwriters of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), resulted from unsuccessful contract negotiations. While it may have commenced in 2023, its effects are anticipated to be felt throughout 2024 and beyond.

Release date changes: Here's when 'Avenger' films will hit theaters

The list includes the highly-anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty which has been pushed from May 2, 2025, to May 1, 2026, reportedly. As a result, it will be replacing Avengers: Secret Wars in the release schedule. Additionally, Captain America: Brave New World has been rescheduled from May 3, 2024, to July 26, 2024. Consequently, it has a ripple effect on other MCU films.

'Avatar 3' will now come in 2025

One of the notable changes in release dates involves Avatar, an epic science-fiction series set on the fictional moon of Pandora. Helmed by James Cameron, the release date for Avatar 3 has been pushed back by a year and now is scheduled for December 19, 2025. Subsequently, the fourth installment moved several years to December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 moved to December 2031.

Take a look at 'Avatar' producer Jon Landau's tweet

Each Avatar film is an exciting but epic undertaking that takes time to bring to the quality level we as filmmakers strive for and audiences have come to expect. The team is hard at work and can’t wait to bring audiences back to Pandora in December 2025. pic.twitter.com/DrFX01qzTa
— Jon Landau (@jonlandau) June 13, 2023

'Deadpool's release date moved up and other significant changes

Interestingly, the third installment of Deadpool—starring Ryan Reynolds—has been moved up from November 8, 2024, to May 3, 2024. In the realm of Star Wars, an untitled movie has been scheduled for December 2026, while another installment has been moved from December 2025 to May 2026. Further, the release date for Fantastic Four has been pushed back to a later date in 2025.

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