While it does seem as if there's light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic, it's impossible to say when movie theaters will be able to operate as normal. The hope is that they could re-open their doors by the end of the summer, but that could be easier said than done, especially when there's thought to be a risk of a second peak of infections.
With Warner Bros. holding on to tentpole-movies like TENET and Wonder Woman 1984 and Disney banking on the likes of Mulan and Black Widow, there are certainly some compelling reasons for film fans to return to multiplexes. Whether they will is another matter, but Thor: Love and Thunder star Chris Hemsworth reckons Marvel movies will bring people back.
"I hear those concerns, too," he started when asked by Inquirer about how superhero movies dominate theaters. "That [the MCU] takes up so much real estate, [and] is there enough room for the other things to exist, the art house films and the smaller films we love and admire equally."
"Films [like Marvel] that you can best appreciate on the big screen, those will draw people out of their homes again," the Australian actor said of the current crisis. "I’m with you on that."
It's a valid argument, but the box office is bound to suffer for a while thanks to the global pandemic. Until a vaccine is found, many people won't feel safe sitting in any crowded areas, so if nothing else, you have to believe that the release window between theatrical and Digital releases will be shortened.
What do you guys think?