by Three MCU projects have been halted as a result of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike , and there may be more to come. The strike is approaching the end of its second month.
Following months of discussion, the WGA ultimately announced that its members will begin a strike on May 2 in support of the Guild’s negotiations with Hollywood studios.
Because of this, a number of super-powered initiatives (both within and outside the MCU) have been temporarily placed on hold. According to analysts, this is because the present labour dispute “isn’t ending anytime soon.”
Despite the strike, other MCU projects continue to be produced, including Deadpool 3 and Captain America: New World Order, both of which are still in development.
The MCU Projects Affected by The Strike
The Hollywood writers’ strike has so far forced the cancellation of three MCU projects, putting an end to pre-production, production, and work on the titles for the red brand.
Only three of the MCU projects have been totally suspended as a result of the labour conflict, while other projects have been affected by it, such as Daredevil: Born Again production being momentarily delayed for a day due to picketers.
1.) Blade
Mahersala Ali’s Blade was the first MCU project to be cancelled. Pre-production on the vampire-slaying epic was reportedly halted until the job action ended only three days after a strike was announced. Blade was in the middle of a script revision at the time of the production halt as the movie continues its rocky road to being seen by audiences.
This pause may perhaps be the greatest thing for Blade after the bumpy ride the project has experienced with switching directors, new writers, and production delays; it just might mean the movie doesn’t actually debut on September 6, 2024.
2.) Thunderbolts
The WGA strike forced the postponement of Thunderbolts‘ production, which was originally scheduled to begin filming this summer. According to the present plan, the moment the ongoing labour conflict ends, the cameras will begin to roll.
With no sign of a resolution to the strike, production on the comic book team-up may be delayed until the end of the year or (at the far end of things) even beyond 2024. But now that the movie’s script is complete, the Thunderbolts team should be able to get going right away after the strike is over.
3.) Wonder Man
Due to the ongoing work action, Marvel Studios’ currently untitled MCU Disney+ series Wonder Man has also been cancelled. When filming was suspended, director Destin Daniel Cretton of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ super-powered take on the world of Hollywood was in the middle of it.
Cretton announced on social media that the project would be put on hold until the strike was resolved, adding that he would be “Marching with [his] tribe,” alluding to the fact that he would support his fellow writers in their strike choice.
Spider-Man 4
Most recently, Tom Holland revealed in early June that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures’ fourth MCU Spider-Man movie had been put “on pause in solidarity with the writers.“ Unlike the projects mentioned above, Spider-Man 4 is still in the early stages of script development, so the strike’s influence on Spider-Man 4 does not immediately affect any actual production preparation.
What Other Marvel Studios Employees Might the Strike Affect?
Only three MCU productions are currently entirely halted due to the present writers’ strike, but this does not mean they will be the only ones.
Naturally, films like Captain America 4 that are presently in production will suffer from the absence of writers on location. While fans may not notice the change when they watch the Star-Spangled smash in theatres the following year, the cast and staff on set have undoubtedly taken notice.
As of this writing, Deadpool 3 is the endeavour most likely to still be in production. Although one might assume that the R-rated sequel is secure now that filming has begun, that may not be the case.
Despite having a script, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has stated publicly that “the writing process on Deadpool movies doesn’t really end” due to all the improv and day-of adjustments that are done.
This implies that the movie might start shooting for a few days or weeks and realise what a huge undertaking it would be to make a movie like Deadpool 3 without writers present, before finally announcing that production had been suspended.
Of course, it is difficult to predict at this point how much the WGA strike will affect the MCU and its upcoming slate. As writers are required to suspend any union work, progress on anything presently in development (such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Fantastic Four, and Avengers: Secret Wars) should be slowed.
It wouldn’t be shocking if the franchise experienced significant delays even more than they did before the strike began if job action continues.
