Disney officially debunked speculation that the Marvel Studios film has long been delayed Black Widow would forgo theaters to debut directly at Disney +, with CEO Bob Chapek confirming that the company still “intends it to be a theatrical release”. This launch strategy is reportedly being disputed by the Marvel boss Kevin Feige, which is apparently resistant to the hybrid launch that Disney is employing in films like Raya and the Last Dragon.
Black Widow is scheduled to open in theaters on May 7, marking the start of this year’s summer film season. It would also be the first blockbuster of 2021 – a status that industry insiders are doubting as the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) progresses and 60% of U.S. cinemas remain closed, according to a new report by Variety.
CEO Bob Chapek, during Disney’s quarterly earnings conference on Thursday, declined to clarify whether Black Widow it would still be released in May as planned, but emphasized that, “We still intend it to be a theatrical release.”
It is a release model being contested by Feige who, according to Variety, “opposes a hybrid launch” of a daily release and date in both theaters and on a streaming platform. It is the launch model that Warner Bros. is employing throughout its 2021 theatrical trajectory and that Disney is testing with films like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon. However, Feige insists on a theatrical release for Black Widow, which probably means that Marvel’s support will be delayed again.
Variety describes the current theater situation as a chicken game, with Disney’s Black Widow and Universal F9 both are expected to switch from their May releases – it’s just a matter of seeing which one “blinks” first. If both are postponed again, as industry experts speculate, this means that we will be deprived of a summer film season once again. It is an increasing probability, with cases of COVID-19 still high and the vaccine launch going slowly. At this rate, people are simply not willing to go to the movies.
Insiders tell Variety that “Disney has three to four weeks before making a decision” about Black Widow, as the delay of the next Marvel movie would ripple the rest of Marvel Studios’ meticulously programmed list, which includes Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (currently scheduled for July 9) and Eternals (November 5). There are also Disney + Marvel programs that Disney should consider, with future titles like Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki set to debut soon.
For now, it’s just a matter of waiting – When Disney and Universal will announce delays in the film instead of And if.
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