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Disney delays Thor, Doctor Strange and Black Panther sequels - plus Indiana Jones 5 - in release date shuffle

By Matthew Jackson
Doctor Strange

The major theatrical calendar shifts are not over yet. The Walt Disney Company announced a major shake-up in its upcoming release schedule Monday that included minor shifts for nearly every upcoming Marvel Studios release, and a shift for Indiana Jones 5 that sets the film's release date back by nearly a year.

According to Variety, the much-anticipated fifth Indy film, featuring the return of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and a supporting cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, will now open June 30, 2023 — a big delay from its previously announced release date of July 29, 2022. The film, which sees director James Mangold (Logan) stepping in for franchise helmer Steven Spielberg, has been in the works for several years, and already suffered several release date setbacks in its lengthy production process. Now, we at least know the film has begun shooting, so another 11 months of waiting doesn't seem so bad.

On the Marvel Studios front, virtually every film project (with the notable exception of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which holds its May 2023 spot) the company has announced for the Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning in 2022 will get at least a slight release date change. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, heralded as the superhero movie return of Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, has moved from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022, while Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder moves from that May 6 date to July 8, 2022.

That July 8 date was previously held by Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which moves up to November 11, 2022. The November date was previously held by the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, which now moves to February 17 of 2023, a date previously held by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The third Ant-Man will now shift to July 28, 2023.

Marvel also shifted a few unannounced releases, moving the untitled film that previously held that July 28 spot off the schedule, along with another untitled release slotted for October 6, 2023. A third untitled Marvel project scheduled for November 10, 2023 has now moved up a week, to November 3 of the same year.

So, what does all this mean in the long run? Not much, probably. Marvel still has Eternals out this November and Spider-Man: No Way Home out this December, along with several upcoming Disney+ releases. And of course, the studio will still release three films next year and at least three films in 2023, keeping up the pace of previous years.

The big question mark for the moment remains what those untitled releases are, and when we'll hear about them. One possible contender is the Sam Wilson-focused Captain America solo film, but we don't know exactly which slot that might land in just yet.