The Mouse House made significant updates to its release calendar including new Star Wars films, moving up Deadpool 3 and delaying the next Avatar entries.
As one of the leading movie studios in Hollywood, Disney continues to captivate audiences with its vast array of beloved and popular IPs including Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar. The media conglomerate recently announced a ton of changes to their upcoming release schedule including shifting a number of projects to the following year, adding a few titles from a galaxy we haven’t seen on the big screen in awhile, among other developments involving a new Alien installment and live-action Moana.
Marvel: Delays of Avengers, Thunderbolts, Blade and Captain America; Deadpool 3 releasing six months earlier
A significant reshuffling of release dates has impacted a number of highly anticipated Marvel films. Captain America: Brave New World, originally set for May 3, 2024, will now release on July 26, 2024. This change has resulted in Thunderbolts being postponed to December 20, 2024 from July 26 of that year. Blade will most likely be a go-to for those celebrating Valentine's Day as its new release date is February 14, 2025, while Fantastic Four is moved to May 2, 2025.
Adding to the adjustments, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has been pushed an entire year, shifting its release date from May 2, 2025, to May 1, 2026. Consequently, Avengers: Secret Wars has moved as well, jumping from May 1, 2026, to May 7, 2027, taking the spot left by the delayed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
In better news, Deadpool 3 is moved up from its original release date of November 8 to May 3, 2024. Fans will be able to revisit the Merc with a Mouth six months early if this release date stands.
Star Wars: Two new projects set to release within the same year
Lucasfilm's Star Wars franchise has been absent from theaters since 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, during this year’s Star Wars Celebration, the studio provided glimpses into its upcoming theatrical projects. These include a film starring Daisy Ridley, another helmed by Dave Filoni of The Mandalorian fame along with an epic production by James Mangold.
The upcoming slate includes moving a previously scheduled Star Wars film from December 2025 to May 22, 2026. The film featuring Daisy Ridley, which is further along in development, is expected to premiere on that date. They also revealed the addition of a new Star Wars feature slated for December 18, 2026, just seven months after the May release. There is already an upcoming Star Wars film scheduled to be theatrically released on December 17, 2027, which has not been rescheduled at this time.
20th Century: Avatar delays, release dates for new Fede Álvarez Alien film and Rami Malek-led thriller
Among the most notable changes to the upcoming Disney release schedule are the delays of the entries in the Avatar franchise. The schedule for the future sequels has been adjusted as follows: Avatar 3 will move one year from December 20, 2024 to December 19, 2025. Avatar 4 is pushed three years after its original intended release from December 18, 2026 to December 21, 2029. The final installment with Avatar 5 moves from December 22, 2028 to December 19, 2031. Notably, the conclusive chapter of the saga will arrive a remarkable 22 years after the release of the original blockbuster in 2009.
Fans of the Alien franchise will be thrilled to learn another entry to the series will be released soon with Fede Álvarez set to direct and Cailee Spaeny to star. It will hit theaters on August 16, 2024. Additionally, a thriller starring Rami Malek titled The Amateur is set for release on November 8, 2024.
Live-action Moana set for Summer 2025 release
The release date for the live-action adaptation of Moana featuring Dwayne Johnson has been set for June 27, 2025. Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original animated film, will not reprise her role in this adaptation.
While postponements can be disappointing, these delays will hopefully allow those working on them to deliver the best film possible. Amidst these delays, there are a number of exciting titles to anticipate including the earlier release of Deadpool 3 and upcoming films like the new Alien entry, The Amateur and Moana.