An Anticipated Sony Spider-Man Movie Was Just Removed From Their Lineup
Sony has removed El Muerto from the release calendar and production no longer has a start date.
Right now, it seems that any Spider-Man-centered property is going to climb – nay – swing itself to the top of the charts. Just as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse moves into yet another box office-topping week, Sony has announced that one of its other Spidey spin-offs is being pulled from the slate. According to Deadline, the Bad Bunny-led feature, El Muerto, is being shelved.
Sony Pictures broke the news today that audiences would need to keep waiting for a Latino character to stand at the front of a Marvel live-action feature. Announced to be helmed by Jonas Cuarón back in October, El Muerto won’t be jumping into the ring as expected. But, along with the bad news comes a silver lining.
According to the initial reports, there’s still a chance that El Muerto is on the way – just not in the time frame that was expected. With the WGA strike still in full swing, the Sony and Marvel flick is the next title in a long list of others, including Marvel’s Blade, Thunderbolts, Avengers: Secret Wars, and more which have been pushed back from their original arrival time.
Initially slated for arrival in January 2024, the writers’ strike and the Grammy Award winner’s touring schedule have put a halt to what was initially thought possible.
A lesser-known Marvel character, El Muerto tells a Spider-Man universe story that introduces audiences to a young luchador who finds himself as the next member of his family to step into the powers of “El Muerto.” Labeled as an antihero, we can eventually expect the film to lay out a deeper storyline than just great power and great responsibility.
Beyond Bad Bunny’s involvement as the titular hero, El Muerto hadn’t yet released any other casting announcements as it was still in the early stages of development. Along with director Jonas Cuarón, the film tapped Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer to pen the script. No stranger to superhero films, Dunnet-Alcocer’s next project to hit the big screen is DC’s Blue Beetle.
As mentioned, El Muerto isn’t the only Marvel-based feature facing slowdowns. Giving many of us flashbacks to the COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020, Disney announced that a slew of titles has pushed production back. Audiences will now have to wait longer for not only the films mentioned above but also titles including Avengers: Kang Dynasty, Captain America: Brave New World, and Fantastic Four.
Even non-Marvel movies aren’t safe from the current standings as the rest of the Avatar franchise have all been given a healthy shove, with the fifth installment now not dropping until 2031. Things also aren’t looking great for Star Wars fans, with the studio announcing that they won’t be expected for another few years as well.
While we’re certainly mourning the possible loss of El Muerto and the temporary hold on so many other terrific productions, it’s worth noting that Deadpool 3 somehow managed to receive an early release, arriving in theaters on May 3, 2024.
