Hollywood studios are shuffling more release dates as a result of the coronavirus, including sequels to “Doctor Strange,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Into the Spider-Verse.”
Both Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Co. announced updated theatrical release schedules that significantly delay some of their marquee superhero films.
Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the sequel to the 2016 Benedict Cumberbatch film, has been pushed back from November 2021 to March 2022.
News Oz: ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Doctor Strange,’ ‘Thor’ shift release dates #newsoz.org #news LOS ANGELES — Hollywood https://t.co/oonUipSfzl
— My Eyes Are Up Here (@BTCNews6) April 25, 2020
Sony said its live-action Spider-Man, the third in the Tom Holland series, is being delayed from July 2021 to November 2021. The animated “Spider-Verse” sequel is now dated for October 2022, back from its original April 2022 release.
Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus have resulted in productions being shut down, which has caused a domino effect in the meticulously planned theatrical release calendar all the way into 2022.
Read more: From Captan Marvel to Spider Man: 10 Most Powerful Avengers
But not all the changes announced Friday were delays. Disney said “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which will have Natalie Portman taking up the hammer, will be pushed up a week to Feb. 11, 2022.
New Release Dates 🚨🚨🚨#SpiderMan 3 pushed to Nov 5, 2021#DrStrange 2 pushed to Mar 25, 2022#Thor 4 moves up to Feb 11, 2022#SpiderVerse 2 pushed to Oct 7, 2022 pic.twitter.com/OUROAwDQHL
— Brad (@bjtxen) April 24, 2020
In the uncertain, difficult economy ahead, movie theaters will fill the role they always have in boom times and in recessions—the most popular, affordable entertainment available outside the home.”
For now, however, the industry has hit pause and the cascading production delays have impacted the release schedule as far out as 2022. Ahead, a full list of every major movie release affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This list will be updated as more movies are delayed.
James Bond may have been delayed, but he’ll be back in action later in the year, along with many superheroes. This year, women lead the way in Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984 and Birds of Prey.
There are lots more sequels still to come, some of which were already long-awaited even before the year’s delays — whether it’s Top Gun, Bad Boys or Bill and Ted, nostalgia is big at the box office this year.
Online Int’l News with additional input by GVS News Desk