Thunderbolts becomes latest Marvel movie to be hit by writers’ strike

Filming for Thunderbolts, the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film centered around the franchise’s anti-heroes, has been delayed due to the ongoing writers strike, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline report. Production had been due to start in the coming weeks in Atlanta, but now isn’t expected to commence until after the strike ends.

Thunderbolts is just the latest production impacted by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The union representing roughly 11,500 writers from across film, television, and more went on strike at the beginning of this month in a dispute around pay in an increasingly streaming-dominated era. The WGA is also seeking to regulate the use of generative AI in writers’ rooms.

Alongside Thunderbolts, there have been reports of multiple other Marvel productions being impacted by the strike action. Earlier this month The Hollywood Reporter noted that the Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali was the first major film to see production shut down due to the strike (it had been due to release in September 2024, though it’s unclear if this will change), and there have also been reports of disruption to Marvel TV shows Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man.

Marvel is far from the only studio to see its projects impacted by the striking writers. Deadline notes that TV shows have been impacted more than films in these early stages of the strike, with late night talk shows among the highest profile early casualties. Impacted projects include Yellowjackets, Stranger Things, Severance, Hacks, and forthcoming Game of Thrones spinoff The Hedge Knight.

Thunderbolts had been due to release in July 2024, though it’s unclear if this will change as a result of the production delay. It stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Jake Schreier is attached to direct.