Kingsman 2 pushed to October 2017; Fox teases two new Marvel release dates

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Have a good holiday? Filled with food, love and warmth? Good, then here’s a swift kick to the shin to remind you the world is not a fair place. Fox has announced (via Collider) a series of new release dates for upcoming movies, and though two have been applied to unknown films, one will be filled by a highly-anticipated sequel originally set for this summer: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

The movie was supposed to come out June 16, 2017, but will now be released five months later on October 6. This news comes hot on the heels of the big ALIEN: COVENANT announcement that moved that movie's date up four months to May 19. This makes the CIRCLE bump seem more reasonable (though still mildly disheartening), as it doesn’t force the studio to release two big movies so close together, and gives them a foothold in the fall market. Though the move could be good for Fox, it could prove a massive conundrum for fans, as the move will now put CIRCLE in direct competition with another huge 2017 flick, BLADE RUNNER: 2049.

What seemed like a wide open race at the box office for 2049 will now be met with stiff competition from CIRCLE, which itself just avoided the clustered June schedule which features THE MUMMY (June 9), CARS 3 (June 16) and TRANSFORMERS 5 (June 23). But for those of you on a budget, and can't afford to go to all the movies you want to see, this October is shaping up to be your greatest test yet.

On a brighter note, Fox also dropped release dates for two of its Marvel comic properties: November 2, 2018, and February 14, 2019. Though I’m sure many were anticipating DEADPOOL 2 would take advantage of another February release come 2018, at this point it could make more sense to release it that November. Lest we forget, February 2018 is shaping up to pretty big, not just because of another Fox property (THE PREDATOR on February 9), but also because of the BLACK PANTHER solo movie set for February 16. Not only would DEADPOOL force the studio to compete with itself, but it would also have to go up against another huge comic property. A November release, though also packed, would offer plenty of alternate content during a season of family films (Disney's planned live-action MULAN is set for then)—plus would give the movie’s advertising plenty to spoof.

As for the 2019 date it could be anything. Simon Kinberg has hinted at a new X-MEN movie that would act as a soft reboot for the franchise, but that month seems too low-key for an established franchise. Spring months are proving to be great testing grounds for new hopeful franchises, so something along the lines of Fox’s planned NEW MUTANTS would make more sense to fit into the slot. What could be taking the spot as well is the seemingly-cursed GAMBIT movie with Channing Tatum, a film that’s been bumped and dumped for years, but may be sorting out its kinks as we speak.

As for the KINGSMAN news I am a little more bummed than I have been regarding other date shifts, but I understand. The plus-side regarding any news like this is that they have more time to tinker with the flick, which is always good, even though my summer just got a lot less bright. When it comes to the other release dates speculation is the name of the game, but I think DEADPOOL 2 is a safe bet for the November time slot, even though the March 2, 2018 slot is also up for speculation. But I could be wrong, and it turns out Fox is giving FANTASTIC FOUR a sequel after all. Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

Fox's ALIEN: COVENANT is set for this May 19 and KINGSMAN 2 will follow on October 6.