Hollywood has shut down, so the biggest productions will stop until things are resolved. Deadpool 3 is the latest production to shut down due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which has begun today. Before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Deadpool 3 was the only Marvel film in production since the WGA strike began. This is one of the first movies to close due to the actors’ strike; meanwhile, others have already pumped the brakes due to the WGA strike.
Films like Blade and Thunderbolts had to stop before filming started. Meanwhile, the Ryan Reynolds-led movie moved forward despite writers hitting the picket lines for the last two months. The cast stuck to the script without improvisation to avoid crossing the picket line.
Deadpool 3 Shuts Down Production Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike
SAG includes over 160,000 workers. This goes beyond actors, as the umbrella covers announcers, DJs, hosts, stunt performers, and broadcast journalists. They join the writers as they fight studios for improved pay, residuals, information on a show or movie’s performance on streaming services, and to prevent AI from replacing their jobs.
While Deadpool 3 stopped due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, not all productions will follow suit. House of the Dragon season 2 and Dune: The Sisterhood, the prequel series of the Denis Villeneuve film, will continue filming amid both strikes. Due to the casts of both HBO series being primarily British, they are under a different union, Equity, that cannot strike in solidarity with American performers.
Due to the WGA strike, Marvel has pushed release dates for projects from 2024 and beyond. Before SAG-AFTRA voted to go on strike, Deadpool 3 was the only one looking to make its release. The confidence and need to put something in the pipeline led to the film being pushed to release on May 3, 2024. It was previously set to release on November 8, 2024. Now, it will likely miss the date and need to be delayed.
