Writers Guild Of America's Officially On Strike - What Impact Will It Have On Future Marvel And DC Projects?

There's been talk of this happening for several months now, but the Writers Guild of America is officially on strike as of midnight last night. 

As with most things, it ultimately came down to money, with the Guild unable to come to acceptable terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The former was seeking a new contract that would increase pay and benefits for writers by $429 million over three years, only to receive an offer of $86 million in return. 

Another, arguably even more important goal, is ensuring the art of writing itself is preserved. Those demands range from stopping projects being "written" by A.I. to the role of writers' rooms from start to finish on TV shows (which is complicated by the fact some have only a single credited scribe). 

So, what does this mean for you, the fans? 

In the first instance, late-night shows will shut down, and if this strike lasts as long as the last one in 2007 - 2008 (100 days), then expect the fall premieres of your favourite network TV shows to be heavily delayed and seasons significantly shortened. Many streamers have episodes already in the bank due to how far in advance they're produced, but work on something like The Last of Us season 2, for example, has now halted. 

In terms of Marvel and DC, a strike of a few weeks is unlikely to have a major impact but could still be a headache for both Marvel Studios and DC Studios. For the time being, James Gunn is no longer able to work on Superman: Legacy, while production will also be halted on Blade's rewrites and the next two Avengers movies.

A movie like Thunderbolts, which presumably has a mostly completed script, could begin production in June as planned. However, with no writers on hand to make last-minute changes, the creative process will be heavily disrupted. 

Many projects like those are far out enough that the impact of this strike could be minimal, but if this strike lasts for months, release date delays are all but guaranteed. 

Needless to say, we'll keep you updated as this situation develops.