For the first time in 60 years, both actors and writers are on strike. As a result, Hollywood has come to a standstill as members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA demand what they're owed and attempt to ensure their work is safe from the troubling rise of AI.
It's already believed the strike could last until the fall, while some pundits are convinced actors will continue refusing to work well into 2024 if negotiations don't go well. As a result, we're now anticipating a series of pandemic-style release date delays for many upcoming movies and TV shows.
The Marvel and DC projects listed here only really scratch the surface. However, these are the titles we're 100% convinced will have no other choice than to move, and we're delving into why that is and what it means for them.
Find out which movies and TV shows could soon slip down the calendar by clicking on the "Next" button below.
7. Captain America: Brave New World
Originally scheduled for next May before shifting to July 26, there's now just over a year to go before Captain America: New World Order arrives in theaters. Will that be enough time to avoid a release date delay, though?
If predictions that the SAG-AFTRA strike could continue into 2024 are correct, then that's going to make it a challenge to get this movie finished on time. While production has wrapped, reshoots haven't taken place yet and we know how crucial those are for any MCU movie (The Marvels' plot has changed significantly since a leaked version found its way online from test screenings).
Should the strike end sooner rather than later, there's definitely hope for the next Captain America movie, hence why it was recently pushed back a few months to buy time.
6. Deadpool 3
Fans were surprised when Deadpool 3 took Captain America: New World Order's May 3 release date, but it's clearly going to be a huge movie that will benefit from a prime summer slot.
Well, if it can meet it. It's widely believed that, should the SAG-AFTRA strike last any more than a month, the threequel will be forced to move. We're guessing it boils down to scheduling issues and the fact this trip through the Multiverse likely requires additional photography to add the rumoured cameos and a lot of VFX work.
It pains us to say this but Deadpool 3 is almost guaranteed to be delayed. Disney won't be happy, but that's a better option than trying to rush the movie into theaters because it will make the studio's balance sheets look better.
5. Thunderbolts
Things were looking dire for Thunderbolts long before actors chose to join writers on the picket line.
Despite the fact production was gearing up to begin, an unfinished screenplay cut this team off at the knees. While not confirmed, it seems the plan was for shooting to start while the script was still being worked on, a not-uncommon practice for Marvel Studios.
With members of the WGA unable to work, Thunderbolts has found itself put on pause. A December 20, 2024 release date gives Kevin Feige and company some breathing room, but with as much as six months left of these strikes (unless negotiations very quickly change), this movie is joining Blade in 2025.
4. The Penguin
The Penguin found itself being forced to halt shooting when the WGA went on strike due to picket lines being set up near the show's New York set.
However, now SAG-AFTRA is also striking, The Batman spin-off is among the many TV shows which will only resume shooting once Hollywood studios can reach agreeable terms with these creatives. Even The Batman II isn't unaffected as Matt Reeves is no longer able to work on the sequel's screenplay.
The idea was that this small screen story would premiere on Max in 2024, and depending on how much was shot (and we saw an awful lot of set photos), it could still hit the streamer next year. It certainly won't be as early as whenever Warner Bros. originally planned, though.
3. Daredevil: Born Again
Like The Penguin, Daredevil: Born Again had to stop shooting because of writers picketing nearby. Those were minor disruptions, but the 18-episode series hasn't managed to escape the wider ramifications of these strikes.
With Marvel Studios looking to reduce the number of projects it produces for streaming (hence why everything from What If...? to Ironheart and X-Men '97 are no longer being released on Disney+ this year), we'd already started questioning the likelihood of this series arriving on the streamer next year.
The plan is for the series to be split into two nine-episode blocks, but TV shows don't shoot in order, so even the first half might not be done in time. Needless to say, any delay is going to be painful for the Man Without Fear's many fans.
2. Superman: Legacy
Prior to the SAG-AFRTA strike starting, James Gunn added a number of actors to Superman: Legacy's cast. Now, he's unable to work on the script (which is thought to be complete) or continue negotiating with performers he wants to bring into the new DCU.
Cameras aren't set to start rolling until next January and the reboot isn't slated for release until the following July.
However, this is the movie meant to set the tone for everything that follows. It being anything other than perfect isn't an option after the DCEU's disastrous 2023, and with the likes of Creature Commandos and Waller also expected to be delayed, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Legacy is forced to shift to a 2026 debut.
1. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
This entry feels like we're cheating to some extent as Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse already looked like it would be delayed even before the strikes.
The cast has confirmed that no dialogue has been recorded, and it won't be for the foreseeable future now actors are striking. With producer Phil Lord making changes on the fly and rewriting scenes, we wouldn't be surprised if this threequel has had to completely halt production.
Regardless, a March 2024 release was always optimistic and simply isn't going to happen given what we know about how much work has been completed and these ongoing strikes. Heck, the conclusion to the trilogy might not even swing our way until 2026...