Sony delays Spider-Man films, forcing Marvel to move Doctor Strange and Thor sequels again

Like almost every other studio, Sony is moving around its film schedule because of the novel coronavirus. That means its two biggest Spider-Man movies will be delayed.

The sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and the third installment in the Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy (created in partnership with Marvel Studios) will each receive months-long delays. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s sequel will now be released on October 7th, 2022 instead of April 8th, 2022. And the final movie in the Homecoming trilogy will open on November 5th, 2021 instead of July 16th, 2021. Sony’s other Spider-Man Universe movie, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, will now open on June 25th, 2021 instead of October this year.

In order to accommodate the move, Disney’s Marvel studios is delaying two of its other films — Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. Doctor Strange’s sequel, which was moved to November 5th, 2021 just a couple of weeks ago, will now open on March 25th, 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder is shifting from its recently moved February 18th, 2022 spot up one week to February 11th, 2022.

This mark’s the first big order change in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it comes to movie release dates, as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was supposed to open before the third live-action Spider-Man movie.

But everything is now up in the air! One positive effect of this shift is that Sony’s long gestating Uncharted live-action movie with Tom Holland (who also plays Spider-Man) will be released a little early now. Uncharted moves from October 8th, 2021 up to July 16th, 2021 — taking the original spot of the third Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. Other Sony movies, including Fatherhood, The Nightingale, Hotel Transylvania 4, Man From Toronto, all received new dates as part of the slate shift, too.