No need to panic, but Disney has announced that it is pushing back the releases of all of its Marvel Phase 4 films (with one exception) as well as Indiana Jones 5. Reportedly, this has nothing to do with plans to change distribution… meaning that these pictures won’t be shifting over to Disney+. (I’m pretty sure that Disney learned its lesson on that front after the debacle concerning Black Widow.) These moves seem to be in order to allow the films the proper time to get made, due to delays caused by what is described as a “domino effect.”
Disney didn’t specifically reference COVID-19, but that is surely a factor. It’s also possible that the just averted International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees strike could have contributed, as it possibly threatened to shut down production on all domestic film and television projects.
Before we get to Marvel, Indiana Jones 5 moves from July 29, 2022, to June 30, 2023. This was probably a calculated move, as July 29 is also the date that Warner Bros. has claimed for Black Adam. In its new date, Indiana Jones will face off against a Universal/Illuminations animated movie. These two movies will appeal to completely different audiences, whereas Indy and Black Adam would appeal to much of the same crowd, negatively impacting them both.
Indiana Jones 5 has wrapped and is in post-production.
As for the Marvel movies:
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness moves from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022.
- Thor: Love and Thunder moves from May 6, 2022, to July 8, 2022.
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever moves from July 8, 2022, to November 11, 2022.
- The Marvels moves from November 11, 2022, to February 17, 2023.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania moves from February 17, 2023, to July 28, 2023.
Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness serves as not only a sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange but to Disney+’s recent hit series, WandaVision. (Loki also set up some of the storyline with its exploration of the multiverse.) Between the first Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) have entrenched themselves in the MCU with roles in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Joining Cumberbatch and Wong are Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo. Xochitl Gomez makes her MCU debut as the dimension-hopping America Chavez. Raimi’s longtime collaborator, Bruce Campbell will have a cameo.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has wrapped and is in post-production. It won’t face any major competition in its new release date.
The same goes for Thor: Love and Thunder. No other studios have major releases opening on July 8, 2022.
Taika Waititi returns to direct. Natalie Portman reprises the role of Jane Foster and in a storyline lifted from the comics, will become The Mighty Thor. Also returning after an absence from the MCU is Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif. The film also stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, and Russell Crowe as Zeus. Also, look for the Guardians of the Galaxy to appear– Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot. Jeff Goldblum will also reprise his role as The Grandmaster.
Thor: Love and Thunder wrapped filming in June and is in post-production.
No one knows what to expect from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as its star, Chadwick Boseman passed away last year from cancer. But any studio exec that tries to counter-program this film in its new November 11, 2022 spot is a real asshole. This date was already reserved for a Bee Gees biopic and an untitled David O. Russell picture, neither of which will likely cut into Wakanda Forever‘s audience.
However, on this new date, Wakanda Forever opens one week after Warner Bros.’ The Flash which 100% appeals to the same audience. Even so, most comic book movie fans head out on opening weekend. The Flash should debut just fine, but expect it to fall hard in its sophomore frame.
Ryan Coogler is directing the sequel with Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda returning. Dominique Thorne appears as Riri Williams/Ironheart. Tenoch Huerta was RUMORED to have been cast as Namor the Sub-Mariner. Michaela Coel appears in a mystery role. Wakanda Forever is now filming in the Atlanta area.
Like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels is more than just a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel. It will also follow up the forthcoming Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, while Teyonah Parris’ character, Monica Rambeau from WandaVision, will also have a featured role.
In addition, Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, with Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Various cast members from Ms. Marvel will also return, and Zawe Ashton is known to be playing the mystery villain. Nia DaCosta directs and the film is now in production.
Beyond that, not much else is known. There are no major movies scheduled to open opposite The Marvels.
Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror debuted in Loki and will serve as the major antagonist of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Peyton Reed, who directed Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp will also helm this sequel. Returning cast members include Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, and Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang. This film began shooting in February but that is expected to continue into 2022.
In addition, Disney scrapped plans to release an unannounced Marvel movie on October 6, 2023. (Probably Blade, but that’s just a guess.) Another mystery Marvel film was shifted from November 10, 2023, up one week to November 3, 2023.
The one movie that isn’t budging is Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, which will stay in its May 5, 2023 date. Filming is expected to begin in November.
Check back for updates on all upcoming Disney/Marvel projects!
