Marvel Head Kevin Feige Explains MCU Movie Delays

The decision to delay Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movie slate caused quite a stir. Now, Kevin Feige has explained the decision for these delays.

The MCU was meant to take a break from releasing new movies and series after the Infinity Saga so that they could create a barrier between what came before and Phase 4. Anyhow, the franchise was forced to take a break because of the coronavirus pandemic. But this helped Marvel to concentrate on its nascent Disney+ slate initially.

This was before they started releasing the movies. It all began in July with the release of Black Widow. This became a controversial hybrid release which means it was released simultaneously in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access.

Marvel recently marked its return with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September and is gearing up for Eternals in the next few weeks. But as Marvel is making its return, the Studios announced that five of its films will be delayed. Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania are the movies being delayed.

People have been speculating about what caused the delays since the news broke. Feige gave a straightforward answer to Variety during the Los Angeles premiere of Eternals. It’s primarily due to “production shifts and changes, and because we have so many slots, we can simply shift slots,” according to the company. Here’s the rest of his response:

This corresponds to previous reports stating that the delays are primarily due to production schedules. It’s worth noting that the decision has ramifications for several other Disney tentpoles, as it’s a company-wide decision rather than a one-off for Marvel Studios.

Even if principal photography has been completed, blockbusters require a significant amount of time in post-production, particularly with effects-heavy films. This effectively dispels fears that the backlash has something to do with box office returns as the industry recovers from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.