Disney Delays Three Avatar Sequels, Three Star Wars Movies

Since going on strike this past May, the Writer’s Guild of America has put a pause on just about every Hollywood project currently in pre-production. While some were able to submit final drafts of scripts before the strike commenced, such as James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, the bulk of blossoming films and television shows have been put on an indefinite hiatus until writers are able to return to work. While the strike has only be active for a little over one month, the looming possibility of a SAG-AFTRA strike as well could put the entire entertainment industry on pause.

Disney has seemingly directly reacted to the uncertain future by shifting a number of blockbuster projects over the course of the next decade. Among them are the next three Avatar films.

• Avatar 3 moves to December 19th, 2025
• Avatar 4 moves to December 21st, 2029
• Avatar 5 moves to December 19th, 2031

Avatar finds itself in a unique position. As of December 2022, producer Jon Landau revealed that they have already shot “95%” of Avatar 3 as well as the “first act” of the fourth film. Beyond that, the pentalogy has all three remaining scripts completed. It’s unclear as to how much Avatar 3 is being impacted by the WGA strike and a potential SAG-AFTRA strike.

The galaxy far, far away is also pivoting. While no specific titles are known at this point, the next three Star Wars theatrical releases are moving to new dates.

• Untitled Star Wars movie moves to December 19th, 2025
• Untitled Star Wars movie moves to May 22nd, 2026
• Untitled Star Wars movie moves to December 18th, 2026

While which Star Wars movie is which is unknown, there are a number of confirmed stories in development. It was announced earlier this year at Star Wars Celebration that Daisy Ridley would be reprising her role as Rey in an upcoming film set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Directors Taika Waititi and James Mangold also have Star Wars movie in development. Disney+ Star Wars guru Dave Filoni is working on a feature film that will culminate the events of streaming shows The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

Beyond those two blockbuster franchises, Disney has also delayed seven upcoming Marvel films. This includes both Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will now arrive in May 2026 and May 2027, respectively.