Disney Delays ‘Black Widow’ Release Due to Coronavirus
Black Widow, Scarlet Johansson’s upcoming solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is not going to be in theaters on May 1. Disney has decided to delay its release amid the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus.
Around the world, mass gatherings in movie houses, among other sites, have been discouraged to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. All major productions and releases in Hollywood have been shutting down as a result. These precautionary measures have been necessary to ensure the health safety of the cast and crew as hospitals are overrun with coronavirus cases.
Disney has yet to announce the new release date for Black Widow. However, the delay may also affect the rest of the releases in the MCU.
According to Comic Book, Black Widow‘s story has been carefully connected to the upcoming releases of the next phase of the MCU, such as Eternals, slated for a November 2020 release, and Shang-Chi, set for February 2021. It’s unclear at this point if the studio will also be pushing back these movies’ release.
Marvel fans, however, are calling on Disney to release Black Widow on its streaming platform Disney Plus. Since most people are in quarantine in the next few weeks then watching the film at home may be a more feasible idea.
Fans have also suggested the release of live-action Mulan film on the streaming platform. The movie was supposed to be in theaters on March 27 but Disney has also pushed back its release.
Black Widow will follow the events of the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War. Natasha Romanoff (Johannson) is affected by a conspiracy about her past as forces try to bring her down. To save herself, Romanoff must confront her former life as a spy before fully immersing herself in the Avengers.
Meanwhile, Disney’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which is also connected to the MCU franchise, has a Disney Plus streaming date set for August. Production, however, has been shut down in Prague because of the coronavirus scare.
