Deadpool 3 in Limbo, Hit Hard By SAG-AFTRA Strike

Marvel typically holds on to coveted release dates and may push for an early November release if the movie isn't ready for a July 26th debut. The early November premiere has been pretty lucrative for Marvel with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's $859 million and Thor: Ragnarok's $855 million.

It's also possible for Marvel to delay Deadpool 3 even more to December 20, which is a slot that's currently occupied by The Thunderbolts. The production for Thunderbolts was postponed in May during the start of the WGA strike.

Director Shawn Levy has prepared fans for the eventual delay of the film given that the Actors' strike still hasn't been resolved. The director said that only have of the movie has been filmed and edited.

"I don't even know if we officially have [a release date]," Levy shared. "I know we were gonna be May 3. Certainly, the actors' strike and the long pause in production have put that release date at true risk. We've shot half the movie. I've edited half the movie. We're dying to get back to work and get this movie out next year."

Deadpool 3 will retain the R-rating of the previous two films that were released under 20th Century Fox. The first two movies earned a total of $1.56 billion during their theatrical run and Levy doesn't want to mess with the formula.

"I wasn't going to mess with the DNA of that franchise," Levy said. "Our movie is raw, audacious, very much R-rated, and we went to great lengths to not shoot it on soundstages with digital environments."

He adds, "We wanted something that felt, grounded, real. … You put Hugh Jackman in his most iconic character alongside Ryan Reynolds in his most iconic character; it's more of a descendant of Midnight Run and 48 Hours and Planes, Trains and Automobiles more than it's a descendant of Airplane!

It will be interesting to see how Marvel reshuffles its schedules now that the Actors' strike is taking too long to resolve. Our best guess is that Captain America: Brave New World will release first and Deadpool 3 will either release in early November or December.