Prime Time Geek

Well, it looks like we’re going to have to wait a little longer for a few Marvel movies whose release dates were announced just a few weeks ago.

In a press release issued this morning, Marvel Studios announced a revised schedule of films in development, a schedule which pushes Thor and The Avengers, both originally slated for 2010 and 2011 releases, respectively, back one year to accommodate for more production time and a smoother road to the multi-character epic that The Avengers promises to be.

Those who might be disappointed by this turn of events can take heart in some “good” news, possibly. The “good” news is that Spider-Man 4 now has a firm release date, May 6th, 2011. I place “good” in quotes simply because it depends on your feelings about another Spider-Man sequel based on the mess that was Spider-Man 3.

Here’s the text of the press release:

Paving the way for the production and release of its multi-character superhero film, THE AVENGERS, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL), announced today an adjusted release pipeline for its self-produced feature film properties that reflects the first time individual Super Hero characters and story arcs will be inter-woven and culminate in a multi-character motion picture. Separately, Marvel Studios confirmed today that Sony Pictures Entertainment will release SPIDER-MAN 4 on May 6, 2011. Additionally, Marvel Studios has revised the release dates for THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA as part of its release strategy for an uninterrupted road to THE AVENGERS, now debuting May 4, 2012.

A Marvel character-based film will now launch the summer box office season for three years in a row, from 2010 through 2012.

“This new schedule strongly sequences Marvel’s movie debut dates, big screen character introductions and momentum. It maximizes the visibility of our single character-focused films, leading to the highly anticipated release of the multi-character THE AVENGERS film in 2012,” said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios.

Sony Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ SPIDER-MAN 4 is slated for May 6, 2011. To date, all three motion pictures in the phenomenally successful SPIDER-MAN franchise have generated nearly $2.5 billion worldwide theatrically.

Below is Marvel Studios’ 2010-2012 updated release schedule for its slate of self-produced and financed feature films:

Marvel Studios Feature Film Pipeline
Film/Character – Prior Release Date – Current Release Date
IRON MAN 2 – May 7, 2010 – May 7, 2010
THOR – July 16, 2010 – June 17, 2011
THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA – May 6, 2011 – July 22, 2011
THE AVENGERS – July 15, 2011 – May 4, 2012

The release date for IRON MAN 2 remains unchanged. IRON MAN 2 is the sequel to the blockbuster film, IRON MAN, which has grossed nearly $600 million worldwide.

Thanks to Newsarama for posting this.