Could this be a sign of things to come? Before theaters were forced to close their doors, Universal Pictures announced plans to release Trolls World Tour simultaneously on the big and small screens (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic). However, it wasn't long after that lockdowns started, and theater chains ended up shutting down for the foreseeable.
Much to the chagrin of exhibitors, Trolls World Tour was still released on Digital, but it's done bigger numbers than anyone could have ever imagined.
As you can see below, the movie earned more money for Universal Pictures over a three-week period on Digital than the first instalment did during the five MONTHS it spent playing in theaters. Would these numbers have been different had theaters still been open? It's certainly possible, but this is surely something other studios are now going to take note of.
Warner Bros. has already decided to have Scoob head straight to Digital, and should these lockdowns continue, perhaps there is now a greater chance of seeing blockbusters like Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Widow head straight to our homes rather than being held back for the big screen!
What do you guys think?
Click on the "Next" button below for a recap of the biggest changes
which have been made to the MCU due to COVID-19!
10. Spider-Man 3 Remains Untitled; Coming Later Than Planned
When Venom 2 was delayed from this October to next June, we learned that the sequel is titled Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Unfortunately, following Spider-Man 3's recent delay, there's still no word on what the threequel will be titled, but at least it's still coming our way in 2021.
Production was supposed to begin this July, but that's not going to be possible thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it's slipped from that prime July 16th release date to November 5th.
That's not a time of year we've ever seen a Spider-Man movie in, and while it will likely still succeed, it's hard not to wonder how moviegoers will respond to the web-slinger outside of summer.
9. Doctor Strange Sequels Slips Into 2022
The downside to Spider-Man 3 still coming our way in 2021 is that it's taken Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' release date and pushed the Sorcerer Supreme's sequel to March 25th, 2022. That sucks, and it's hard not to wonder whether there's another reason for the change.
When Disney reached a new deal with Sony Pictures, they agreed to work on another solo outing for the web-slinger and agreed that Tom Holland's Peter Parker would appear in another MCU movie.
Could it be this Doctor Strange sequel? Well, there have already been rumblings that the Spider-Verse and even Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man could somehow factor into Sam Raimi's film, so it's feasible that Spider-Man 3 needs to be released before In The Multiverse of Madness.
8. Thor: Love And Thunder Gets An Earlier Release Date
When the entirety of the Phase 4 slate was delayed, we finally got a release date for Captain Marvel 2. Following Friday's delays, Marvel Studios shared some more good news with the bad when they confirmed that Thor: Love and Thunder is coming our way sooner than expected.
Don't get too excited, though, as it's not the biggest change. Whereas Taika Waititi's movie was originally coming on February 18th, 2022, we'll now see it a week sooner on February 11th, 2022.
That's not much of a change, but it's something. Chances are it was done to create a bigger gap between the Thor: Ragnarok sequel and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' debut.
7. Four Movies In The Span Of Six Months
While we were previously looking forward to four Marvel Studios movies in 2021 (after just Black Widow and Eternals in 2020), there will now be only three: Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man 3. Honestly, it's a solid line-up, so we can't complain too much.
However, things are going to get intense in 2022 with the release of four movies in the span of six months!
Those are Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther II, and Captain Marvel 2. They're coming out between February and July, so we have a lot to look forward to in what's shaping up to be an extremely busy year for the MCU.
6. Black Widow Is Still Coming In 2020 (For Now)
There are conflicting reports about plans for theaters. Right now, the only major summer blockbuster with a release date is TENET in July, and while Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled for August, no one is entirely sure whether they'll actually be able to re-open their doors by then.
Right now, there's plenty of time until Black Widow is supposed to be released in November, but what if that dreaded second peak of COVID-19 happens when the Fall/Winter gets here?
That could have a serious impact on plans for a theatrical release, and either means Black Widow will just head straight to Digital platforms...or be pushed back and saved for 2021.
5. Plans For The Disney+ TV Shows Remain Unclear
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is supposed to arrive on Disney+ this August, while WandaVision is scheduled for December. Given what little we know about each production, it's hard to say whether they'll meet those release dates, but it admittedly seems unlikely.
Marvel Studios has been saying nothing, of course, and it's hard not to wonder whether that's because it would be bad news! There's no way COVID-19 hasn't impacted the Marvel TV shows coming to Disney+, and with the way everything ties together, they may have to be postponed to still link up to what we (eventually) see on the big screen.
Either way, expect some sort of update soon as Disney can't keep us in the dark with these forever.
4. There Are Four Untitled Marvel Movies On The Way
With the Phase 4 slate finally taking some sort of semi-permanent shape, at least some of Marvel's future plans have become clear. Just like 2022 has four movies, so too does 2023 as of now.
They're all "Untitled," but we do know that they're coming on February 17th, May 5th, July 28th, and November 3rd. That means Marvel Studios has pretty much the entire year covered, and it's hard not to speculate about what could be coming our way in these mysterious release dates.
Here's a possible line-up for you: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, New Avengers, Spider-Man 4, and Blade.
3. Still No Sign Of The X-Men And Fantastic Four
This isn't surprising, but it is disappointing. There's still no mention of plans for the Fantastic Four or X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while we know reboots are coming, Marvel Studios is clearly taking its time to ensure enough time has passed since Fox's awful efforts.
The problem with the entirety of Phase 4 being delayed is that we'll also be waiting that little bit longer to meet the MCU's version of characters like Reed Richards, Wolverine, The Thing, and Cyclops.
You have to believe that Kevin Feige has a lot of big ideas, and the groundwork for the respective big (or small!) screen debuts is likely to be laid over the coming years. With any luck, that won't be delayed.
2. Sony's Marvel Universe Also In Flux
While Sony Pictures is still doing its own thing with their Marvel movies, it's still worth mentioning what's happening in their own Marvel Universe (a.k.a. Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters, the SUMC).
Just like Spider-Man 3's release date has shifted, the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel has moved from April 8th, 2022 to October 7th, 2022, a slot previously reserved for a Marvel Studios movie.
That proves the two studios are working together and, as we previously reported, both Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius have recently gone from being 2020 releases to 2021 releases.
1. What About The Avengers?
This is the big one! Avengers: Endgame is the highest-grossing movie of all-time, so there's no way this franchise is being left on the shelf for the foreseeable future. As we previously mentioned, 2023 could work, especially as a ton of new heroes will have been introduced by then in films and on TV.
For us, the best option would be to use the next Avengers movie as a launching platform for either the X-Men or Fantastic Four franchises, as there's nowhere else better to reboot those teams.
We'll have to wait and see, but it's about time we see more of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and a recent rumour claimed that the next iteration, the New Avengers, will end up being led by Captain Marvel.