Kevin Feige is pushing for Black Widow to debut in theaters
With summer rapidly approaching, it’s getting close to the time when Disney will have to pull the trigger on whether or not to release Black Widow in theaters only or with some form of hybrid combination of Disney+ and theatrical release. The movie is currently slated for a May release to kick off the summer blockbuster schedule.
As we approach one year of dealing with COVID-19 in the United States, and as vaccine rollout continues to struggle, the picture of what could happen over the next few months remains murky.
Studios optimistically set their 2020 movies for 2021 dates thinking things would be better, but it’s still dangerous as cases keep spiking and hospitals continue to be overwhelmed. Though vaccines are available, it could be much later this year before everyone has had a chance to be vaccinated and even then it’s hard to say how comfortable people will be going into theaters again.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wants Black Widow to have a theatrical release, but there’s a chance Disney could overrule him and give the movie a hybrid release to avoid pushing it back again.
Will Disney overrule Marvel’s Kevin Feige and put Black Widow on Disney+?
HBO Max has already gone all in with its 2021 lineup, which will release on the streaming service and in theaters on the same day. It’s a gamble, but it seems to have paid off if Wonder Woman 1984’s record-breaking debut is any indication.
Wonder Woman 1984’s director Patty Jenkins wanted a theatrical release for her film as well, but when she announced the HBO Max deal on her social media she admitted it was more important for fans to see it. After moving the release from 2019 to summer 2020, and then pushing through the summer to the fall, she knew she had to go with a Christmas 2020 release because fans had been waiting patiently.
Disney+ could opt for a paid viewing model for the movie, or they could release it for free. To date they have used both models and it seems to work well enough that they continue to use them both. With May fast approaching, though, they will need to make a decision soon.
Next. Marvel's decision to delay Black Widow is absolutely the right move. dark
Though Feige is opposed to a home release, Disney might be forced to make the move because the future is so uncertain and fans have been waiting a very long time to see Black Widow. If they don’t release it soon, it will start running into other Marvel movies and that could upset Feige’s carefully constructed timeline.