Black Widow was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+'s Premiere Access service, and Disney was quick to tout big opening weekend numbers. Whether that will also be the case for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is hard to say, especially as it has a 45-day exclusive run on the big screen.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to cause problems in Hollywood, and with cases on the rise, it's hard not to wonder whether we could be facing another series of release date delays.
For now, Marvel Studios is seemingly looking to avoid pushing its Phase 4 slate back any further, leaving Eternals on course for its November release. Studios have to be flexible, though, and it sounds like some sort of dual release has at least been discussed for the highly anticipated Phase 4 blockbuster.
"I think a theater would be my preference and [Eternals director] Chloe [Zhao's] preference," Feige explained. "We will see where we go with it."
"I love the movies. I love going to the movies," he continued. "I love making movies for people to see in a shared environment in a theater together. To us, that's what it's about. The hybrid release can also be good 0 you want customers to have a choice. In this case, the choice is in theaters for 45 days. Here's what I know: there's an opening weekend, and you can go see a movie."
Insiders have claimed that Feige didn't want Black Widow to go straight to Disney+, but should Shang-Chi underperform as badly as The Suicide Squad, for example, Disney might decide that these hybrid releases are best for business until the worst of COVID has passed and the world is a little more normal.
Check out his comments about Eternals in full below:
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