With the release date of Black Widow getting closer and closer, we're still wondering whether the movie will get a theatrical or Disney Plus release. It looks like we'll be wondering for a while longer – Disney CEO Bob Chapek revealed that the decision will be made at the last minute.
"Our situation and our conditions change,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "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 the last few months, Disney has opted for Premier Access releases on its streaming platform for titles like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon, while Pixar's Soul was free for Disney Plus subscribers to watch upon release. There have been rumors of a hybrid release for the Scarlett Johansson-led superhero flick, but the House of Mouse has always kept its answers vague.
"We love the theatrical window," Chapek continued. "We think it’s important for building our franchises. At the same time, we don’t think it’s the only way to do it… We’ll see what happens over the next couple of months. So much is changing, it’s such a dynamic environment. It’s really hard to predict what’s going to happen with consumer behavior in the next month as it comes to re-emergence back into the world of normal. We’ll be watching the call carefully and make the call when we have to."
Alongside Johansson, Black Widow stars Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour. Set in the aftermath of 2016's Captain America: Civil War, the long-awaited movie sees Johansson's Natasha Romanoff (AKA Black Widow) on the run and forced to confront her past.
While we wait for Black Widow to finally hit the big (or small) screen, you can catch up on the MCU with our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.
