There used to be a time when movie sequels were announced after the preceding film came out. That time is clearly behind us, as studios are now releasing more big budget tentpole films each year than they know what to do with, and therefore have to battle for release dates, announcing them years in advance. We already know when Marvel’s Phase Three films will arrive (and don’t even know what they all are yet), we have our calendars marked for two more Amazing Spider-Man sequels, and are currently waging bets about who will win the box office battle between Captain America 3 and Batman vs. Superman.
20th Century Fox joined the release date game earlier this year by announcing X-Men: Apocalypse for May 2016, months before Days of Future Past even hits theaters. Now, in an effort to secure some more spots, they’ve locked down dates for two more superhero movies. The next solo Wolverine film will arrive on March 3, 2017, and the sequel to their upcoming Fantastic Four reboot will land on July 14, 2017.
Fox also has an “Untitled Fox/Marvel Film” slated for July 13, 2018 but at this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what that could be. Perhaps it’s the long-rumored Fantastic Four/X-Men team-up, unless of course it’s a sequel to Apocalypse? It’s also entirely possible that Fox may not even know what the film is and are simply just locking down the date so that Marvel or DC can’t swoop in and grab it first. DC does love that third week in July, so it’s a smart move on Fox’s part to jump ahead and call dibs for 2017 and 2018.
In other release date news, the studio also announced that Matthew Vaughn’s The Secret Service will arrive on October 24, 2014, while Frankenstein will open on October 2, 2015.
Tell us, are you excited to hear that Fox is planning not only another Wolverine, but are confident enough in Fantastic Four to already order a sequel? Sound off below!