Disney Pushes Back Major Releases, Including ‘Avatar 3’, Marvel, and ‘Star Wars’ Movies

In an update that has stirred fan anticipation, Disney announced the postponement of the next three Avatar movies, alongside Marvel and Star Wars films that have also been pushed back.

The release of Avatar 3 has been rescheduled from December 2024 to December 19, 2025. Furthermore, the release dates for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 have been pushed back as well, with the former now slated for December 21, 2029. The latter is expected on December 19, 2031, marking 22 years since the original Avatar hit theaters in 2009.

Addressing the schedule changes, Avatar producer Jon Landau took to Twitter. He shared, “Each Avatar film is an exciting but epic undertaking that takes time to bring to the quality level we as filmmakers strive for and audiences have come to expect. The team is hard at work and can’t wait to bring audiences back to Pandora in December 2025.”

As fans eagerly await the continuation of this captivating saga, the extra time dedicated to crafting these films promises an extraordinary cinematic experience. Or at least that’s the anticipation. As for the cause of the delay, Disney hasn’t confirmed an official reason, though it’s likely the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike has had some degree of an impact.

Variety also reports that the ongoing WGA strike in the US and production delays have contributed to the rescheduling of upcoming releases.

Disney Moves Dates for Upcoming Star Wars Movies

In addition to several postponements, Disney has also unveiled new Star Wars movie dates. A previously anticipated Star Wars film set for December 19, 2025, has now been shifted to May 22, 2026. This alteration results in the release of two Star Wars movies within a span of seven months in 2026. Moreover, a fresh Star Wars installment has been added to the schedule, set to debut on December 18, 2026, followed by another release on December 17, 2027.

As the industry adapts to the evolving circumstances, fans can expect a flurry of excitement and anticipation with these new timelines, ensuring an influx of captivating Star Wars stories in the coming years. Although, there is obviously cause for concern over the quality of the films that will be coming, as there’s been no shortage of drama and shakeup on the production side with Star Wars as well.

Disney Movie Delays

Disney has also updated the release dates for the new Moana live-action film, which will release on June 27th, 2025. The movie was expected to start filming this fall in Hawaii, with additional filming taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, during the first part of 2024.

Marvel Film Delays

Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World will now hit theaters on July 26, 2024. It has been rescheduled for May 3, 2024. The movie was currently filming in Atlanta, Georgia, when the WGA strike started on May 2, 2023. (An additional note: Marvel updated the title to Brave New World from New World Order. This happened after considerable backlash to the original title. The association of “New World Order” with a real-world antisemitic conspiracy theory significantly justified the need for a modification.)

Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolts also got a new release date, December 20, 2024. The Marvel movie has yet to begin filming. Production was scheduled to begin this month in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the WGA strike has caused production to pause.

Fans should also mark their calendar for a new Blade reboot release date. The movie paused production in Atlanta as well due to the strike. It’s now scheduled for release on February 14, 2025. With the much-anticipated Fantastic Four following on May 2, 2025.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will now grace the big screen on May 1, 2026. The movie is replacing Avengers: Secret Wars, which has been rescheduled for May 7, 2027.

The Good News for Deadpool 3 Fans

Amongst all the delays, we do have one exciting update for Marvel fans. Deadpool 3 is being brought forward to May 3, 2024, a shift from its previous date of November 8, 2024.

These release dates could get further pushed if the WGA strike doesn’t resolve soon. Furthermore, there is also an actor’s strike looming. If an agreement isn’t reached there, that strike is expected to start on June 30, 2023.