Marvel Studios’ schedule over the next couple of years is packed to the brim, both in terms of production and releases for theatrical movies and Disney+ shows.
Even with so much announced, the MCU still has its fair share of confirmed theatrical release dates with no movies attached to those dates. This has been a common trend for Marvel Studios over the years as the team continually looks to the future with dozens of projects in the works.
The release schedule for Phase Four currently has five confirmed movies without release dates, including widely anticipated entries like Jon Watts’ Fantastic Four and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 3. These two films and more are still in pre-production, although Marvel certainly has plenty of open dates in which to slot them in the near future.
Interestingly enough, a couple of those dates have just moved around.
MINOR DELAYS FOR MARVEL'S RELEASE DATES
Disney, via ComicBook, has delayed the release dates for two of Marvel Studios' unannounced movies in the next two years.
The studio's October 7, 2022 movie has been pushed back a full year to October 6, 2023. Meanwhile, the unconfirmed movie set for November 3, 2023 was delayed one week to a November 10, 2023 release date.
There are currently 5 MCU films that have been announced or reported without a release date: Fantastic Four, Blade, Deadpool 3, Captain America 4, The Mutants. It's still unclear which movies, announced or unannounced, will land in these two new 2023 slots.
WHAT COULD BE COMING HERE?
While these adjustments shouldn’t worry MCU fans in the slightest, it does point to some interesting decisions in terms of strategy for Marvel Studios.
Blade was long rumored to be set to fill the October 7 slot for next year, although Marvel opted to keep that same weekend open the following year. Fans are certainly hoping that the MCU’s first dip into vampires would come during Halloween month, and this move shouldn’t do anything to deter that thinking, especially with production for Blade reportedly facing delays.
As for the November release, the one-week delay is most likely giving the October 6 date some extra breathing room with a full five weeks between theatrical debuts. As for what could come on that date, it's a tough guess at the moment.
Blade seems likely to arrive in October, and most of the other films have at least a general standard of when past entries have released.
Many are expecting Fantastic Four to be a summer release considering it's one of the most anticipated projects from Disney's merger with 20th Century Fox. Deadpool came as a Valentine's Day debut before its sequel was pushed into the summer window, while the Captain America movies have had releases in April (The Winter Soldier), May (Civil War), and July (The First Avenger) through the Infinity Saga.
No matter when these movies come to theaters, fans will undoubtedly keep their calendars open for Marvel Studios' next round of blockbusters. The studio's return to theaters will come with Black Widow on June 9.
