Marvel postpones 'Thor', 'Doctor Strange' and 'Black Panther' sequels' release
It looks like Marvel geeks will have to wait longer than anticipated for the lineup of the studio's 2022 releases. That's because sequels to Thor, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther have been postponed by several months. Also, the next theatrical outing of Indiana Jones has been pushed due to delay in shooting owing to an injury lead star Harrison Ford suffered on sets.
Take a note of new release dates of the sequels
Doctor Strange Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's release has now been moved to May 6, 2022, from the original date of March 25. This postponement has led to the delay of Thor: Love and Thunder's release. The Chris Hemsworth-led film will now hit theaters on July 8, 2022. Meanwhile, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11, 2022 instead of July.
Harrison Ford's injury forced the delay for 'Indiana Jones'
As mentioned earlier, Ford-starrer Indiana Jones's fifth installment has also been delayed due to a shoulder injury the 79-year-old actor reportedly suffered during filming in June. Though he joined the sets after recovering, the entire schedule had to be stalled. So now, due to that, it won't be released until June 30, 2023. The film will follow 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Is the postponement of releases a strategic move?
Though this announcement might come as a big disappointment for fans, the postponement of releases is not all that surprising as theaters have still not regained the old glory post pandemic. It is also reported that the new announcement could be a strategic move as the release of films like The Batman and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are on the cards as well.
Change in release dates won't affect the movies' release order
The release date change will however not impact the film's chronological order. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will premiere after Spider-Man: No Way Home and before Thor: Love and Thunder, as per the original plan. Meanwhile, the trailer of No Way Home shows that Benedict Cumberbatch's character will play a big role in the film, so retaining this order makes sense.
