By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co on
Monday delayed the release of Marvel Studios' sequels to "Black
Panther," "Thor" and "Doctor Strange" by several months and
pushed the next big-screen outing for adventurer "Indiana Jones"
to 2023.
"Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" moved to May
6, 2022, from March 25, Disney said in an updated release
schedule.
That forced Marvel to postpone its other 2022 superhero
films. "Thor: Love and Thunder," which had been set for a May 6
release, was moved to July 8, 2022. "Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever" was set for Nov. 11, 2022 instead of in July.
The fifth movie in the "Indiana Jones" series starring
Harrison Ford was delayed until June 30, 2023, instead of July
29. Ford, 79, suffered a shoulder injury https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/harrison-ford-injures-shoulder-set-new-indiana-jones-movie-2021-06-23
on set in June and recently returned to filming.
Hollywood studios have shuffled their movie schedules
several times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Theater operators
are counting on big blockbusters to help lure audiences back
after extended closures.
Among other changes, "The Marvels" is now scheduled for
February 2023 and "Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" for July
2023.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang)