No, Black Widow still isn’t releasing on Disney Plus – but could that change?
A theatrical launch remains Disney’s priority
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Disney still isn’t going to debut Black Widow onDisney Plus, sticking to its guns on a theatrical release on May 7. The movie, alongside several otherMarvelprojects,had to be pushed back into 2021due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek implied that the company is keeping its options open depending on the availability of theaters across the US, though.
As part of an investor’s call,Chapek said: “We are still intending for it to be a theatrical release.” He also added: “We are going to be watching very carefully to see whether that strategy needs to be revisited.”
Caught in a spider web
Chapek’s comments don’tentirelyrule out the possibility of Black Widow coming to Disney Plus down the line, then. Clearly, the next few months will be crucial, as vaccines roll out across the world, and theaters start to figure out what a comeback plan looks like.
Black Widow was meant to release in Spring 2020, before being bumped down the release schedule to the currently slated May 7. Other Marvel projects, likeThe Eternals, suffered a similar delay, with that movie being pushed back further to November 5. The Eternals was first delayed to February 2021, after its originally intended release date of November 6 2020.
With an end to the pandemic still being uncertain, Disney might want to keep its options open with regards to its lucrative streaming service. Black Widow is rumored to tie in to this year’sHawkeyeseries, with Florence Pugh apparently set to reprise her role as Yelena Belova – maybe that starts looking complicated if another year goes by without its release. This is the drawback of having an interconnected universe.
Disney Plus has been a huge success for the company. With big-name franchises like Marvel,Star Warsand Pixar under its umbrella, its shows and movies haveboosted subscription numbersclose to 100 million.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
This strong performance was led largely by debuts on the Disney Plus platform, includingThe Mandalorianand Pixar’s Soul. Clearly, aiming high with its big brands is cementing Disney Plus as a competitive rival to the likes ofNetflixandAmazon’s Prime Video.
We’ll just have to wait and see on Black Widow.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
How to watch Gangnam B-Side online – stream the South Korean drama from anywhere
‘The stakes are so different’: Endurance filmmaker on finding Ernest Shackleton’s iconic lost ship in a new documentary on Disney Plus
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
