Black Widow is currently set to be released theatrically on May 7th, and while Disney is promoting Cruella (which is set to debut later that month), we haven't had any official updates on the Marvel Studios movie for a while now. That's likely because the live-action 101 Dalmatians adaptation would be a better fit for Disney+'s "Premier Access" service than a big budget Marvel Studios blockbuster.
As a result, it seems inevitable that if Black Widow can't be released in theaters as planned, then another delay is coming (likely to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' July 9th slot).
Recently, Bloomberg spoke with Disney CEO Bob Chapek, and he opened up on the current status of the first Phase 4 movie.
"Our situation and our conditions change," he explained. "Just a few weeks ago, theaters in New York and Los Angeles weren’t even open. Now, all of a sudden they’re open, so we’re waiting to see how prospective theatergoers respond to these reopenings."
"We’re going to remain flexible. We’ll make the call probably at the last minute in terms of how these films come to market, whether it’s Black Widow or any other title."
In other words, "wait and see." To be fair, it is only mid-March, so there's plenty of time for Disney to make a decision about Black Widow over the coming weeks. We'll likely know something by late next month, and we can only hope the world is normal enough to guarantee a theatrical release.
Are you excited for Black Widow? Would you be happy watching it on the small screen at home?