Disney shocks Marvel fans with disappointing MCU release updates

Disney have shifted a heap of movies, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar sequels. Here’s what you can expect for the upcoming MCU releases and more.

Oh, the waiting games we play for the love of our fandoms!

Once again, Disney is shaking up its release calendar, creating a maelstrom of anticipation for die-hard fans. As reported by Variety, the House of Mouse is adding a new Star Wars film and a live-action Moana adaptation, while pushing the next trio of Avatar sequels further into the future. To put it in perspective, we won’t be packing our bags for our fifth trip to Pandora until 2031 – that’s right, folks, eight whole years away.

Disney’s latest cinematic schedule is the stuff of magic and mayhem. A little shift in the timeline has Deadpool 3 jumping from a chillier November 8, 2024, release to a potentially sunnier May 3, 2024. Meanwhile, a yet unnamed Star Wars flick is set to light up the holiday season on December 18, 2026.

The Avatar series, the love child of James Cameron’s science fiction fantasies, is getting a significant time shift. The third visit to Pandora now lands on December 19, 2025, the fourth on December 21, 2029, and the final chapter, a lengthy 22 years after the original’s debut, on December 19, 2031.

This is where it gets even more fun.

Disney Plus release schedule update impacts Marvel movies

Our friends in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are also feeling the temporal shift. Captain America: Brave New World is moving from the frontlines of spring to the tail end of summer on August 26, 2024, causing a domino effect of delays: Thunderbolts to December 20, 2024, Blade to February 14, 2025, Fantastic Four to May 2, 2025. Meanwhile, Avengers: Kang Dynasty is, much to my dislike, switching from May 2, 2025, to May 1, 2026. This Avengers hand-off bumps Avengers: Secret Wars from its May 1, 2026, release date to a new premiere on May 7, 2027.

Star Wars is also on the radar. With the recent additions, 2026 will bring not one, but two trips to our favorite galaxy far, far away. The previously scheduled and untitled December 19, 2025, film is now set for a summer release on May 22, 2026. A third untitled Star Wars adventure is penciled in for December 17, 2027. Disney, however, is keeping mum about the plot lines, leaving us in the dark side for a little while longer. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Dark Side (#empireforever).

The reshuffling isn’t just Disney’s attempt at a time-traveling stunt. It’s mostly due to production delays. Both Blade and Thunderbolts have halted filming, creating a ripple effect on the intertwined Marvel Cinematic Universe. As for Avatar, the extended interludes between sequels give the post-production and visual effects teams more time to work their magic, creating and refining Pandora’s diverse ecosystems.

So, fans, at this time I suggest patience. It might be a bumpy ride ahead, but as Walt Disney himself said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

We’re ready when you are, Disney!