Marvel's Thunderbolts Delays Filming As Writers Strike Continues

"Thunderbolts" has become the second Marvel Cinematic Universe feature to halt filming amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, Deadline reported late Thursday. (Variety and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed shortly thereafter.) The film, which was set to enter production in Atlanta, Georgia in about three weeks in June 2023, will now roll cameras after the writers strike has ended.

Earlier in May, the Mahershala Ali-led "Blade" — currently slated for September 2024 — became the first Marvel Studios project to hit pause. It was in the pre-production stage, and like "Thunderbolts," was expected to begin filming in June. Marvel has also stopped shooting on "Wonder Man" — the Disney+ series with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead — which had been running in Los Angeles.

That said, not every Marvel project has been brought to a halt. "Captain America: New World Order" — the fourth "Captain America" movie, set to debut in May 2024 — continues filming in Georgia with Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson / Captain America), Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres / Falcon), Tim Blake Nelson (Samuel Sterns / Leader), and Shira Haas (Sabra). It is expected to wrap up by June 30.

And over in London, Marvel entered production in recent days on the Ryan Reynolds-led "Deadpool 3," which brings back Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and has a November 2024 release date.

With movies due in May and November 2024 either close to wrapping up or on the floor, Marvel fans will naturally wonder if this might delay "Thunderbolts" which is scheduled for July 2024. The ongoing writers strike could last for "more than three months," per one analyst who spoke to The New York Times.

"Thunderbolts" is part of the MCU's ongoing Phase Five, with the latest big-screen entry being "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" earlier in May. Next up, we've "The Marvels" — in November 2023 — with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury. The aforementioned "Captain America: New World Order" follows that in May 2024, with "Thunderbolts" up next.

The film, which is sort of like Marvel's "Suicide Squad," brings together antiheroes from "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and "Black Widow." That includes Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster.

Joining them are Steven Yeun ("Minari") and Ayo Edebiri ("The Bear") in undisclosed roles. "Paper Towns" director Jake Schreier is at the helm of "Thunderbolts," working off a screenplay by "Beef" creator Lee Sung Jin (who added to a first draft by "Black Widow" writer Eric Pearson).