'Deadpool 2' and other 'X-Men' projects see release dates changed after Disney and Fox shakeups

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A lot of the upcoming “X-Men” inspired movies are seeing a major shakeup in the wake of the Disney purchase of some 21st Century Fox properties. Fans excited for “Deadpool 2,” “New Mutants” and “Gambit” need to adjust their release calendars as the studio has done some shifting.

The biggest, and likely most-welcomed, news is for Ryan Reynolds' follow up to the massively popular 2016 film “Deadpool.” According to Variety, the sequel will see its release date pushed up by two weeks, from June 1 to May 18. The change puts “Deadpool 2” in direct competition with Sony’s “Slender Man,” but staggers it with Disney’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which will come out a week later rather than a week before. The move is a smart one as “Star Wars” films typically have staying power of more than two weeks, meaning Fox and Disney won’t cannibalize each other at the box office.

Channing Tatum is set to star in Fox's "Gambit" movie. (Reuters)

Additionally, Fox is moving its horror-themed X-Men movie “New Mutants” back 10 whole months from April 13 to Feb. 22, 2019. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the film, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton, was likely pushed back to avoid having two Fox “X-Men” properties, “Deadpool 2” and “New Mutants,”  in the theater at the same time.

Finally, the highly anticipated “Gambit” movie, starring Channing Tatum in the title role, had its release date changed as well. Instead of Feb. 14, 2019, the film will hit theaters on June 7, 2019. The news comes after Deadline reported that director Gore Verbinski pulled out of the long-in-the-works film due to reported scheduling conflicts, thus putting the fate of the slow-moving project in question for fans once again.