The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) release schedule has undergone a restructuring that brings less than encouraging news for 2024. Following the expected SAG-AFTRA announcement that ended the actor strikes in Hollywood, Disney released the reset of release dates for Phase 5, altering the landscape significantly. The most notable change is Deadpool 3, initially scheduled for May 3, 2024, which will now debut on July 26, 2024. The news marks a notable precedent, as not since 2012, has a single release year seen a Marvel Studios film, when The Avengers was the only title on release.
In addition, other projects are also part of the change. Captain America: Brave New World, scheduled for July 26, 2024, will now hit theaters on February 14, 2025. Similarly, fans thought the Thunderbolts premiere was December 20, 2024, but now is on July 25, 2025. Finally, Blade is pushed back from its original date of February 14, 2025 to November 7, 2025. The changes raise questions about other MCU titles, such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Avengers: Secret Wars and Fantastic Four. So far, it is now official that their releases would be on May 1, 2026, May 7, 2027 and May 2, 2025, respectively, so we will soon know about more shifts in the calendar.
The decision to limit Phase 5 of the MCU to a single release in 2024 could be a strategic response to the budget challenges and visual effects (VFX) issues that comic book feature films have faced. In addition, the superhero genre experienced a mixed performance at the box office this year.
For now, Marvel fans await additional updates on the Multiverse Saga and the Disney+ series.
