With Marvel set to have a major presence at Comic-Con starting next week, they're firming up the release dates for one of their future films. With Captain America 2 set for April 4th 2014, there's been that mystery film occupying the May 16th slot. Just last week we learned it may be the space-faring Guardians of the Galaxy, and while nothing has been confirmed yet, Marvel has taken that release date and bumped it to August 1st.
Whether it's Guardians of the Galaxy or not, this is a smart move for Marvel. We've already talked about how the upcoming Ninja Turtles film would have released on May 16th, which would have split the audience of comic book fans. But also it gives Marvel some separation from The Amazing Spider-Man sequel which arrives on May 2nd. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes would have arrived on May 23rd, and Pixar's The Good Dinosaur on May 30th. That's a 'Murderer's Row' of flicks that would take a bite out of any studio's bottom line. Don't be surprised to see some of these movies shuffled around as well.
We'll find out probably in the next few days if the film is Guardians of the Galaxy, but let's just go ahead and assume it is. August is usually the weakest month of the summer, and since the team is generally unknown to most people, a wide open release date is a must. Marvel will likely tie the film in pretty heavily to The Avengers, and with Thanos lurking as the big baddie, they have a built-in association.
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