Looks like even Disney isn’t immune to the pull of the changing tide. They announced yesterday that they would be pushing Black Widow, the next movie in the MCU, to July 9 2021 to premiere in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously. However, the film will be under Premier Access, which means that in order to watch it, users will need to pay an additional $30 on top of their existing subscriptions.
Other films have also gotten a shift as well. Their other big spring film, Cruella, will also be coming out in the same theater/Premier Access format on May 28, 2021. Luca, Pixar’s latest feature, will be only on Disney+ at no extra fee on June 18, 2021. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, another MCU movie, will have a traditional release only on September 3, 2021, at least at the time of writing.
Other schedule shifts for Disney/Fox include (though all are planned for theater release only):
- Free Guy – August 13, 2021
- The King’s Man – December 22, 2021
- Deep Water – January 14, 2022
- Death on the Nile – February 11, 2022
Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment distribution, framed the decision more about audience preference than the global pandemic, according to Variety:“By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world.”
More likely than not, Disney saw how well Raya and the Last Dragon did and decided it was time to get the great MCU machine turning once more. It makes sense that, given how many countries are struggling to get enough vaccines out for their populations and new strains still being catalogued, to offer both formats for spring and summer releases. Will this continue past these pandemic days? Only time will tell.
