A big upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project has been forced to stop production. The movie in question is Thunderbolts, whic had been gearing up to film. However, Disney and Marvel Studios have been forced to pump the brakes on the big team-up film due in theaters next year. This, according to Deadline, with the outlet reporting that filming has been delayed indefinitely due to the ongoing writer’s strike in Hollywood.
There is no word yet on just how close Marvel was to rolling cameras on this one. Given that the movie is supposed to arrive next summer, one imagines they were very close. Similarly, the long-awaited Blade reboot was also delayed by the strike recently. As was the upcoming Wonder Man series for Disney+, which had already been in the middle of filming. Jake Schreier (Paper Towns) is set to direct Thunderbolts, which was announced at San Deigo Comic-Con last year.
The film is set to be sort of like DC’s Suicide Squad, with a bunch of questionable characters teaming up to work for the government. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps. The team first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics in The Incredible Hulk #449 back in 1997. Lee Sung Jin (Beef) was hired to rewrite the screenplay back in March. The film is set to conclude Phase 5 of the MCU, which kicked off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for several weeks. This has all but stopped work on scripted TV, and has impacted several big movies as well. The WGA is at odds with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over a new contract. Writers want better royalties for work on streaming, and they are also asking for protections against AI doing their work in the future, among other things. The strike is currently showing no signs of coming to an end. As such, these MCU projects could be delayed for some time.
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S.Agent and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova make up the film’s core cast. Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) has also been cast in a mystery role in the film. While no details on his character have been revealed, the actor spoke with Empire earlier this year and explained what drew him to the film.
“I don’t know if [joining the MCU] was explicitly on my bucket list. It was more the story, getting to work with Jake Schreier again, who directed Beef, and what his intentions were. The intentions of the particular character that they wanted me to play were very clear, and that’s what drew me to the film.”
Thunderbolts is currently set to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
What do you think? Are you bummed that these MCU projects have been delayed? Which one are you looking forward to most? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
