We knew that the continued uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic was going to cause havoc with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given that the delay of Black Widow had a real chance of creating a knock-on effect that would ultimately affect all of the studio’s plans for Phase Four, and today our worst fears were confirmed as Disney announced that every single one of the MCU’s upcoming big screen projects was set to be delayed.
There was one silver lining for the fans with Captain Marvel 2 being given an official release date – even though that gives certain sections a definitive date to have their pitchforks sharpened – but the news that the studio’s post-Avengers: Endgame lineup won’t start rolling out until November will be a hard pill to swallow for those craving their latest fix of superhero shenanigans.
In fact, now that we won’t be seeing Black Widow until November, that means there will have been sixteen months following the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which is a huge gap for a franchise that has recently accelerated their business model to three movies a year. Plenty of fans took to social media once the news broke as well, and it would be fair to say that they aren’t too happy about it.
omg #blackwidow in november 6th means scarlett celebrating her birthday with the movie she waited 10 years for nobody touch me pic.twitter.com/UXyHXOEwFH
— amanda (@natasharromanof) April 3, 2020
Release on Disney+, we are all depressed as shit over here
— SellTheTeamJosh (@Sixers2017Draft) April 3, 2020
the eternals got pushed back to feb 2021 which means i have to wait an entire year to see the cast in their suits I HATE IT HEREpic.twitter.com/sSkyrbn8uq
— kanna ʬ⁸⁴ (@buckysblush) April 3, 2020
so the eternals got pushed to february 2021 i can’t pic.twitter.com/ofLS3j0xUE
— ????|??????? ??????’? ???? (@falamaddercriss) April 3, 2020
So Shang-Chi is now a summer tentpole movie, vs some late winter release?
— Anthony Dean (@diversetechgeek) April 3, 2020
DOCTOR STRANGE 2 NOW COMES OUT NOVEMBER 5TH 2021 AND THOR LOVE AND THUNDER COMES OUT FEBRUARY 18TH, 2022 LEMME HAVE A FUCKING CHAT WITH MS. RONA pic.twitter.com/Ya8gGYXVRW
— Evan (@realityiconsss) April 3, 2020
i have to wait two entire years to see thor love and thunder and i dont know how i feel about that
— sof (@sebsquake) April 3, 2020
thor: love and thunder got pushed back to 2022 as if it wasn't far enough already,, i'm just trying to see jane as mighty thor IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FORpic.twitter.com/bOgzGGLIAy
— kanna ʬ⁸⁴ (@buckysblush) April 3, 2020
ive had a fucking countdown for thor love and thunder going since the movie was FIRST FUCKING ANNOUNCED and now theyre changing the release date??? crying
— kath / 581 (@spideykath) April 3, 2020
doctor strange 2 really got pushed back 6 months ?
— emily (@em_ily2000) April 3, 2020
fking coronavirus i wanted doctor strange 2 so bad ??
— marce ⁷⁺⁹?¹⁹⁹⁶ (@vanteyeons) April 3, 2020
We’re in a 16 month gap between MCU movies right now ?
— yam ✵ (@carolbinary) April 3, 2020
Every MCU film has been pushed back. ? And Black Widow being released in November means it's the first time in a really really long time that there will be no MCU film in span of one year. But it's for the best though. It really is. ?
— Cris Bordon (@bordlove) April 3, 2020
Black Widow’s rescheduled November release pushes The Eternals back to February 2021, which in turn moves Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to May and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to November, with Phase Four finally set to conclude with the debut of Thor: Love and Thunder in February 2022. And even though there’s been no mention of the still-untitled Spider-Man 3 as of yet, with the domino affect caused by the global crisis set to be felt in the MCU for years to come, it might be delayed, too.
