Marvel’s upcoming “Thunderbolts” film has paused production due to the ongoing writers strike, Variety has confirmed.
The movie was scheduled to begin shooting in Atlanta next month, and plans to resume production after the strike is resolved. Part of Marvel’s Phase Five, “Thunderbolts” is set to bring together the worlds of “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Black Widow” and the upcoming “Captain America” installment “New World Order.” “Paper Towns” director Jake Schreier is helming the film, with “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin penning the script from a first draft by “Black Widow” writer Eric Pearson. Marvel is known for frequently rewriting its films during the production process, making it especially difficult to proceed during a writers strike.
The “Thunderbolts” cast includes Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, David Harbout, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Harrison Ford, all reprising their Marvel characters. Newcomers in undisclosed roles include “The Bear” breakout Ayo Edebiri and “Minari” star Steven Yeun. The film is currently scheduled to be released on July 26, 2024.
Marvel’s “Blade,” which will follow “Thunderbolts” in Phase Five, also recently delayed production as members of the Writers Guild of America strike after not reaching an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The strike began on May 2 and has caused the shut down of numerous productions across the entertainment industry. The WGA is striking for better streaming residuals and minimum staffing regulations for TV productions, among other demands.
Deadline Hollywood was first to report the news.