It looks like the war for the Marvel Cinematic Universe will begin sooner than expected. Disney and Marvel have announced that they’ve moved up the release of Avengers: Infinity War a full week to April 27th.
Originally scheduled for May 4th, the late-stage release date shift is a rare move by a major studio for a tentpole blockbuster. Speculation is already buzzing that the studios wanted to put a bit more distance between Infinity War and FOX’s Deadpool 2, which earlier this year was bumped up two weeks to May 18th. With Solo: A Star Wars Story following on May 25th, it’s possible Marvel/Disney are hoping to maximize their profit potential by giving their star-flooded event film three solid weeks without comparable competition.
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The latest MCU entry, Black Panther, is still atop the box office as it nears its third weekend, so the studios may have made a wise choice getting their next film away from Merc with a Mouth, who’s sure to be a big draw.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and just about everyone else.