The Sony Spider-Man spin-off film El Muerto has gotten very little buzz, despite its original release date being less than a year away. As such, a discouraging update from the star's publicist likely did not come as much of a surprise.
The Marvel film is set to star rapper Bad Bunny as Juan-Carlos Sanchez, the titular Spider-Man villain, and has a release date for January 12, 2024.
However, rumors indicate that this date will likely not be met — unsurprising given the lack of any significant announcements besides the film's star.
El Muerto Potentially Stuck 'At a Standstill'
In a profile on Bad Bunny in TIME, the artist's publicist revealed that his upcoming Spider-Man spin-off, El Muerto, is currently "at a standstill," despite the film still technically set to release in January of next year.
TIME reported that when the project was announced, Bad Bunny considered the role of Juan-Carlos Sanchez (El Muerto) "perfect" for him given his history with Wrestlemania, as the character is a wrestler himself. The artist told TIME that his Wrestlemania debut was, in fact, "the best day of [his] life."
However, TIME did report that after pretending to be confused, Bad Bunny revealed that filming has not started yet.
His publicist corroborated this, first saying that the film was "at a standstill," before correcting the language to "in development."
The artist added, jokingly, "Maybe they’ll switch me out for Pedro Pascal."
Is El Muerto's Future Bleak?
With this seeming "standstill" for El Muerto, is it possible that the movie could never come to fruition?
Bad Bunny's publicist made sure to correct the language, saying the film is still "in development," indicating that it is being worked on, and not dead in the water as of now.
However, it is all but guaranteed that it will not hit theaters by its original mid-January premiere date.
Given that filming has not started, the "standstill" comment seems to have some level of truth to it.
Likely, the film will come after Madame Web, but just how long after remains to be seen.
El Muerto is currently set to release in theaters on January 12, 2024.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
