Some of the most highly-anticipated new Disney movies have been shut down.
The Walt Disney Company is known for being a media giant and producing some of the most beloved films and television shows of all-time. Disney is home to several different studios and branches of entertainment, including Disney Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, ABC, ESPN, 20th Century Studios, and much more.
Though the brand has developed a cult-like following from many, that hasn’t stopped Disney from being in the midst of several controversies. The last two animated Disney movies to be released, Pixar’s Lightyear and Disney’s Strange World, were both met with several controversies, leading to them becoming massive box office bombs. Disney has been forced to lay off thousands of employees and executives due to budgeting problems, including the Director of Pixar’s Lightyear film, Angus MacLane.
Now, Disney is in the midst of another controversy, but this time it’s not with fans. It’s with writers.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) — representing 11,500 writers — and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has been on strike since May 2, 2023. Writers have demanded better pay from their studios, and this has led to several shows and major movies being put on hold, shut down, or even canceled. Though the Directors Guild of America just recently reached a deal, the WGA is entering its sixth week of being on strike, and no deals have been reported as of yet.
Amid the strike, Disney has been forced to shut down several projects. Disney Dining recently covered that Spider-Man 4 had been shut down indefinitely. Tom Holland, the actor who plays Spider-Man / Peter Parker, confirmed this in an interview, where he shared that the meetings had been paused.
“I can’t talk about that, but I can say that we have been having meetings,” he said. “We’ve put the meetings on pause in solidarity with the writers…There’s been multiple conversations had, but at this point, it’s very, very early stages.”
Now, it’s been confirmed that three more projects have been shut down due to the ongoing strike.
Marvel Studios has shut down Mahersala Ali’s Blade, Thunderbolts, and the anticipated Disney+ series Wonder Man. Both Blade and Thunderbolts were anticipated films expected to be a part of the MCU’s Phase 5.
Thunderbolts was initially set to be released in July of 2024, but the strike could push the film to the later portion of the year or even into 2025, depending on how long the strike continues before the studios and writers come to an agreement.