New Release Dates for Spider-Man 4, Thor, Avengers

Published by Jeff Leins on: March 12th, 2009

Marvel has announced new and delayed release dates for a few of its major comic book movies currently in production.  This was inevitable after Warner Bros challenged many of their big dates by slating equally huge releases on the same day.  Update your calendars for the Spider-Man 4, Thor, and the Avengers.

Spider-Man 4, released through Sony, has been scheduled for May 6, 2011. No word on the production schedule for it just yet, but Tobey Maguire has signed to return as the webslinger, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, and Sam Raimi will direct again.  As of November 2008, Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire had been hired to write a new draft.  Still no solid rumors on who the villain(s) may be in the movie.

Thor has been delayed and pushed back to June 17, 2011. It was originally scheduled for July 2010, but would be going against Christopher Nolan’s next movie, Inception, and isn’t even close to ready for that sort of aggressive date.  No official casting has been announced, and possibly not even signed yet, despite the rumors flying this week.  Kenneth Branagh will direct.

Captain America has also been pushed back a few weeks to July 22, 2011. This is obviously to make room for Spider-Man 4, which took the Captain’s old slot.  Chronicles of Narnia writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were hired to put together a script for First Avenger: Captain America.  Joe Johnston has already been hired to direct the movie.

With the Captain and Thor being moved, the Avengers that includes those two characters has also been delayed.  The Avengers will now premiere May 4, 2012. This is a big shift from July 2011, but necessary considering the rest of the Marvel movies and still prime real estate for blockbuster numbers.  The team will include Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).  It may also have Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Hulk (Edward Norton), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Captain America (???), and Thor (???).  Needless to say, the movie will be huge.  Jon Favreau (director of Iron Man) may also helm this movie, according to a “Marvel spy” at AICN.

The date for Iron Man 2 remains unchanged as May 7, 2010.