The coronavirus pandemic has caused huge problems for studios and productions around the world. Most movies have been pushed back and all filming has stopped for the time being. Moreover, no one really knows when filming can start. Adding to that list are Sony’s Spider-Man movies.
The studio was initially releasing two movies, one in 2021 and another one in 2022. However, both the movies in the Spider-Man universe will now be delayed. One of them is the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which will now release on October 7, 2022, instead of April 8, 2022. Another one is the third instalment in the Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy. The movie, made in partnership with Marvel Studios, will now release on November 5, 2021, instead of July 16, 2021.
Other movies in the Spider-Man universe such as Venom: Let There Be Carnage will now release on June 25, 2021, instead of October 2020.
This, of course, has created a huge ripple effect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney now has to delay two of its other movies – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. Both of these movies were recently moved and are shifting back further to accommodate the new changes. The Doctor Strange sequel will now open on March 25, 2022, instead of November 5, 2021. On the other hand, Thor: Love and Thunder has shifted up one week, from February 18, 2022, to February 11, 2022.
This is a big change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The change, however, was necessary since Doctor Strange was supposed to release before the third live-action Spider-Man movie.
The untitled live-action movie is the third instalment in the series, after the series was re-launched with Tom Holland in the helm playing the title character. The previous movies in the trilogy include Spider-Man Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).
The coronavirus has not only affected movie releases but has also forced theatres to shut down all over the world. However, it has helped streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and others to enjoy monopoly when it comes to movie viewing.
The Spider-Man franchise was supposed to end with Spider-Man: Far From Home after the deal between Sony and Marvel fell apart. However, there were many reasons for the two studios to work together again. Apart from the huge revenues that the previous two movies generated at the box office (Homecoming made $880.1 million while Far From Home raked in $1.1 billion), the success of the Spider-Man movies opens up other avenues for the studios which have proved fruitful for them both.
Other than Spider-Man, several other movies were also shifted around:
- Fatherhood will release on April 2, 2021, instead of October 23, 2020.
- Man From Toronto will release n September 17, 2021, instead of November 20, 2020.
- Uncharted moves from October 8, 2021, to July 16, 2021.
- The Nightingale, which was previously supposed to release on December 25, 2020, does not have a release date at the moment.