As many have predicted, “The Batman” isn’t hitting theaters next summer, as originally intended. It appears that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only delayed 2020’s summer release slate, but the global outbreak has now officially delayed some of next year’s biggest films.
According to Variety, Matt Reeves’ highly-anticipated superhero reboot, “The Batman,” has now vacated its June 25, 2021 release date and will be hitting cinemas on October 1. Obviously, this is the result of the pandemic shutting down production on the film (and almost every other TV series and film project being produced at this time) for an extended period of time. When the production was first halted, many assumed it may only last a few weeks, but as COVID-19 continued to spread, it became clear that productions such as “The Batman” were going to be on hiatus for a long time. Now, that delay has caused a ripple effect where the film won’t be able to arrive next summer.
But Batman isn’t the only superhero that is getting hit with a delay. “Shazam 2,” which sees the return of Zachary Levi as the man-child that’s basically Superman but with the mind of a teenager, has now been scheduled for November 4, 2022, moved months later than its original April 1, 2022 release date. The oft-delayed ‘Flash’ solo film starring Ezra Miller and helmed by director Andy Muschietti (“IT”), is moving dates, but it’s not getting pushed back. In fact, “The Flash” is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 2, 2022, up two months from its date of August 1, 2022. So, hey, it’s not all bad news!
In addition to Reeves’ film, the ‘Shazam!’ sequel, and “The Flash” getting new dates, the ‘Sopranos’ prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark,” has also moved. The crime drama was originally scheduled for September 25, 2020, but has now moved all the way to March 12, 2021, a month that is becoming more and more crowded with high-profile films.
Obviously, as this story with COVID-19 continues to unfold, we are likely to see many more changes to the theatrical release calendar.
