With the worst of the pandemic behind us, we thought significant release date delays were a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the opposite has proven to be the case, with Warner Bros. making major changes to its DCEU slate and even the likes of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Madame Web slipping down the calendar.
Now, though, it's Marvel Studios' turn.
Disney has confirmed today that a number of upcoming MCU movies have been pushed back, with most now dated quite a bit later than originally planned.
Blade, which recently lost director Bassam Tariq, has shifted from November 3, 2023 to June 9, 2024. That was to be expected amidst reports of issues with the script, though it is a shame the Daywalker's first MCU adventure will take this long to reach us following that big announcement way back in 2019.
Deadpool 3, meanwhile, moves from September 6, 2024 to November 8, 2024. That's only two months, so not as bad as some of the other movies listed here. However, we're sure many of you will be disappointed with having to wait any extra time for the Merc with the Mouth to share the screen with Wolverine.
One major blow is the fact Fantastic Four has moved from its November 8, 2024 release date to February 14, 2025. WandaVision director Matt Shakman recently boarded the project, but it seems a little extra time is needed to nail the MCU debut of Marvel's First Family.
Finally, the biggest news may just be that Avengers: Secret Wars is heading from November 7, 2025 to May 1, 2026. The Avengers franchise has found great success in that May slot, but this does mean we're no longer getting two movies revolving around Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the same year.
It's also extended Phase 6 by a good six months or so, so here's hoping there's now room for Spider-Man 4...