Summary
- Multiple MCU TV shows, including What If…? season 2 and Echo, are facing release date changes due to ongoing strikes by SAG-AFTRA and WGA.
- What If…? season 2 will now premiere closer to Christmas Day, while the Hawkeye spinoff and WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Darkhold Diaries face significant delays.
- The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spinoff Ironheart has been removed from the schedule, with Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man facing indefinite delays as production are halted on both.
As the SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Guild of America strikes remain ongoing, multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows are seeing their release dates shuffled. Phase 5 of the MCU has been put into much disarray due to both strikes and mixed receptions to a variety of their projects, resulting in a number of major release date changes already. One of the most recent came in the form of six movies being delayed, including Deadpool 3, Blade and both Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, among others.
The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that What If…? season 2, Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, previously subtitled Coven of Chaos, and X-Men ’97 are all being moved due to the ongoing strikes. The animated multiverse show is now set to premiere closer to Christmas Day after originally being set for an early 2023 release, while the Hawkeye spinoff has been delayed to January 2024 from its November 29 date, the WandaVision spinoff pushed to early Fall 2024 instead of Winter 2023, and the animated revival is moving from Fall 2023 to early 2024. In addition, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spinoff Ironheart has been pulled from the schedule entirely while Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man are indefinitely delayed as production remains halted.
TV Show Title | Old Release Date | New Release Date |
|---|---|---|
What If…? Season 2 | Early 2023 | Christmas 2023 |
Echo | November 29, 2023 | January 2024 |
Agatha: Darkhold Diaries | Winter 2023 | Early Fall 2024 |
X-Men ’97 | Fall 2023 | Early 2024 |
Daredevil: Born Again | Early 2024 | TBA |
Ironheart | Fall 2023 | TBA |
Wonder Man | 2024 | TBA |
How Marvel’s Delays Can Help Phase 5’s Complaints
The confirmation of the various MCU release delays seemed to be on the horizon when the aforementioned movies found themselves shuffled around, namely as SAG-AFTRA and the WGA continue to find themselves without any offer from the AMPTP worthy of their work. Additionally, the production of Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have been on hold for some time, making it understandable Marvel is pushing their planned releases back until the shows can be completed.
Ultimately, though, these delays can prove beneficial for both Marvel and fans of the franchise heading into the rest of MCU’s Phase 5. The second chapter of The Multiverse Saga has found itself the subject of widespread criticism from reviewers and audiences alike, namely the recently concluded Secret Invasion, whose finale saw a franchise low of just 7% on Rotten Tomatoes. Prior to it, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania similarly was met with mixed reviews, namely for its visual effects, which The Marvels is also seeing complaints about with its recent trailer.
While some of the projects delayed have already completed production, the delay of the MCU Phase 5 shows can allow Marvel to take a step back and reflect on some of the divisive responses to recent releases. The creatives behind the shows may not be able to make any tweaks during the strikes, but the higher-ups at the studio itself can make plans for new story directions to approach them with when the strikes lift, resulting in not only a more unified vision, but also potentially getting the franchise back to the critical heights of its early years.
Source: THR