Last month, we heard that a decision was imminent regarding the release strategy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow, with Kevin Feige reportedly locked in talks with his corporate overlords at Disney. We now know how the negotiations panned out, with Scarlett Johansson’s solo debut coming to Disney Plus Premier Access the same day it hits theaters.
Black Widow has been pushed back to July 9th, but at least fans can rest easy in the knowledge that they’ll be guaranteed to see it from the comfort of their own homes. Of course, Disney Plus subscribers had been campaigning for Cate Shortland’s superhero prequel to head straight to streaming since last summer, and they’ve finally got their wish in a roundabout sort of way.
This is big news for Marvel Studios, with all previous reports on the matter claiming that Feige was adamant Black Widow be a theatrical exclusive, but if that was the case, then it appears he’s lost that particular battle. In the grander scheme of things, it also signals that Hollywood has accepted that business won’t be anywhere near normal levels by the summer, and this could be just the first of many Mouse House blockbusters being awarded a hybrid release, with Emma Stone’s Cruella already being announced for the same treatment.
There’s every chance that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals could wind up suffering a similar fate should business remain in the doldrums, too, but Spider-Man: Far From Home will only be seen on the big screen given Sony’s involvement. At least we now know for sure that Black Widow has a locked in release date, one that’s going to generate plenty of revenue for Disney Plus.
