Deadpool 3 has stopped production amid the SAG-AFTRA strike

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Deadpool 3 has shut down production as the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike gets underway.

The news comes courtesy of Variety, which notes that the blockbuster is one of the first major movies to be impacted by the shutdown – others include Gladiator 2 and Mortal Kombat 2.

Deadpool 3 was already continuing to film amid the WGA writers' strike, though this had the side-effect of meaning Ryan Reynolds couldn't improvise in his performance as the Merc with a Mouth.

Along with Reynolds, the Marvel film stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Jennifer Garner as Elektra, reprising her role from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005). Reynolds recently shared a first look at the film featuring Deadpool and Wolverine walking side by side, with Jackman's character clad in a traditional X-Men uniform.

Amid the dual strikes, some productions can continue to film; cameras are still rolling on House of the Dragon season 2 as the majority of the cast is from the UK and so part of the Equity union. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 managed to wrap production ahead of the strike being called.

At a press conference, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland talked about the studios' alleged AI proposal. "That 'groundbreaking AI proposal' – they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day's pay, and their company should own that scan, their image, their likeness, and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity, in any project they want, with no consent and no compensation," he said.

It's unclear at the moment when either the SAG-AFTRA or WGA strikes will be resolved, but in the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates for everything scheduled to release this year.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.