Marvel Studios has pushed back the release dates of “Blade,” “Fantastic Four,” “Deadpool 3” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” Disney announced on Tuesday.
The Mahershala Ali-fronted “Blade” reboot gets pushed from Nov. 3, 2023 to Sept. 6, 2024. Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool 3,” previously scheduled to release on Sept. 6, 2024, will move to Nov. 8, 2024.
“Fantastic Four” previously dated for Nov. 8, 2024, will now be released on Feb. 14, 2025. An untitled Marvel movie, previously dated on Feb. 14, 2025 moves to Nov. 7, 2025.
“Avengers: Secret Wars,” previously dated for Nov. 7, 2025, now pushes to May 1, 2026. Another untitled Marvel movie, previously dated for May 1, 2026, has been removed from the release schedule.
The date shifts follow Tuesday’s news that Marvel Studios has temporarily shut down production on “Blade” movie after last month’s abrupt exit of director Bassam Tariq just weeks before cameras were set to roll, according to an individual with knowledge of the production.
The production is delayed as the search for a new director continues and development on the script is ongoing.
Crew members on the ground were notified Tuesday. The studio’s hope is to restart the production in early 2023.
Two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will star, taking over from Wesley Snipes, who portrayed the half-human vampire hunter in the original “Blade” trilogy, which kicked off in 1998 with “Blade,” followed by “Blade II” in 2002 and “Blade: Trinity” in 2004.
