Marvel did it again: facing an unpredictable enemy, one of its Avengers is part of a story designed to keep fans guessing until the last moment, when a surprise turnaround may or may not happen. This is not a description of WandaVision, however, but the studio’s launch strategy for Black Widow, which has already been significantly delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and whose fate, apparently, will be a “last-minute decision” depending on what the theatrical landscape looks like in May, when the film is scheduled to finally hit the big screen. according to Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
The film will be in theaters, at least as far as we know. The question, really, is whether it will be “only in theaters” or if it will arrive at Disney + or some other platform at the same time. Of course, there is always the possibility that the film may be delayed again to accommodate an exclusive release date for the cinema in the future.
“Our situation and conditions change,” Chapek told Bloomberg. “Just a few weeks ago, theaters in New York and Los Angeles were not even open. Now, suddenly, they are open, so we are waiting to see how potential viewers will respond to these reopenings. We are going to remain flexible. We will make the call. probably at the last minute to find out how these films hit the market, be it Black Widow or any other title. “
The film, which was originally scheduled to be released in May 2020, has been postponed twice before – first to November 2020 and then to May 2021. The nature of the vast and interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, which launches at least two films moves years in cinemas, means that each new delay for Black Widow creates a cascading effect of delays for other Marvel media, which in turn forces other major Disney releases to move as well.
Up until this point, each new delay has raised questions about a possible digital release on Disney +, but Disney has firmly maintained that Marvel films would not go to Disney +, with Chapek only recently admitting that it could end up being a necessary evil.
WandaVision is currently broadcasting on Disney +. The rest of the 2021 schedule includes The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which is scheduled to debut at Disney + on March 19, Black Widow in theaters on May 7, Loki debuting at Disney + in May, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters on July 9, And if… at Disney + this summer, Eternals in theaters on November 5th, Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye coming to Disney + at the end of the year, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 in theaters on December 17th.
Are you looking forward to finally seeing Black Widow? Let us know in the comments how you feel about the latest development in one of Marvel’s oldest sagas.