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Disney is shaking up its release calendar, adding a new “Star Wars” movie and a “Moana” live-action adaptation to the schedule and delaying the next three “Avatar” movies by a year. At this rate, a fifth trip to Pandora will be released in 2031. That’s in eight years, for anyone who wants to learn math.
Among the highlights of the adaptation: “Moana” will be released on June 27, 2025; “Deadpool 3” moved from November 8, 2024 to May 3, 2024; The untitled “Star Wars” movie debuts on December 18, 2026; “Avatar 3” moved to December 19, 2025; “Avatar 4” to December 21, 2029 and “Avatar 5” to December 19, 2031. Based on this timeline, the final “Avatar” movie comes 22 years after the original 2009 blockbuster.
Other changes include a major Marvel overhaul. “Captain America: Brave New World” moves from May 3, 2024 to August 26, 2024, resulting in “Thunderbolts” to December 20, 2024, “Blade” to February 14, 2025, and “Fantastic Four” to May 2, 2025. “Avengers: Kong Dynasty” is pushed back a whole year from May 2, 2025 to May 1, 2026. It replaces “Avengers: Secret Wars” starting May 1. 2026 to May 7, 2027.
With the addition of “Star Wars” in December 2026, two movies set in the same galaxy will be released that year. A separate “Star Wars” movie has been pushed back from December 19, 2025 to May 22, 2026. Another “Star Wars” movie is set for December 17, 2027. Disney has not clarified any of those installments.
Production delays are part of the reason for the total change in the release schedule. Disney recently suspended filming on “Blade” and “Thunderbolts,” causing a ripple effect in the interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the case of “Avatar,” the hiatus between sequels will allow the post-production and visual effects department to expand, develop and refine the various ecosystems across the vast world of Pandora.
