Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

"Deadpool 3" Halts Production as SAG-AFTRA Goes on Strike


Sat 15 Jul 2023 | 04:55 PM
Yara Sameh

Production on "Deadpool 3” has halted filming as the SAG-AFTRA strike gets underway, with performers joining Writers Guild of America members on the picket lines.

The Marvel sequel is one of the first major productions to be impacted by the new strike.

News of the production suspension comes only days after “Deadpool 3” provided audiences with a first look at the set, releasing a photograph of stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman suited up as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively.

News also recently broke that Jennifer Garner would appear in the film as Elektra, having previously starred in the role in 2003’s “Daredevil” and the 2005 spinoff movie “Elektra.”

The threequel reunites Reynolds with his “Free Guy” director Shawn Levy. The movie will be the first series entry released by the Walt Disney Company after the studio acquires 21st Century Fox in 2019.

“Deadpool 3” began filming in May, with a projected release date of May 3, 2024, but it has officially been determined that production won't continue until after the strike is over.

The threequel had managed to navigate the writers' strike, continuing production through recent weeks.

The sudden suspension of filming foreshadows the industry-wide stasis that’s now in store with screen actors on the picket lines.

When the WGA approved a strike order in May, television programs like NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and late-night talk shows were the first to cease operations.

The SAG-AFTRA union represents around 160,000 performers including actors, announcers, hosts, DJs, stunt performers, and broadcast journalists — all of who are currently seeking wage equity and improved working conditions amid an ever-changing Hollywood landscape altered by streaming platforms and artificial intelligence.

SAG talks came to an end on July midnight PT following a 12-day extension period after contracts were set to expire on June 30.