Black Widow is being delayed from its May 1 release date until further notice, Marvel has announced today (thanks, Deadline). It follows as cinema chains around the world have been closing due to coronavirus.
Black Widow's delay was looking like a dead cert after two major US cinema chains announced they were shut for the time being, with AMC saying it'll be closed for "at least 6-12 weeks". Regal, meanwhile, has released a statement that all theaters will be closed "until further notice". In the UK, cinema chains Cineworld and Odeon are closing until further notice, too.
AMC's timeline crosses over with Black Widow's previous May 1 release date, which hurt the movie's chances of releasing in its original timeframe.
While Black Widow's final trailer was released on March 9, the situation around coronavirus has escalated drastically in the US since then. Disney previously moved Mulan and The New Mutants off the release schedule, but now Black Widow is joining it.
Here's what could happen next with the latest Marvel movie.
- Marvel movies in order: catch up on the superhero hits
- Every movie delayed by coronavirus
- Black Widow: trailers and what we know
What will happen to the MCU now Black Widow has been delayed?
This is an interesting conundrum for Marvel, but the truth is it's likely that all MCU movies and shows will be pushed back by coronavirus. All Marvel Disney Plus shows shooting right now have shut down production for time being, which includes The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and WandaVision.
A Deadline report from March 4 mentioned a rumor heard among exhibitors that Black Widow could move back to November 24, which is when fellow MCU movie The Eternals is due out. But for now we can't be sure what will happen while the situation is developing.
Coronavirus, too, means upcoming MCU movies won't actually be able to start shooting, so it's likely this will have a ripple effect on the entire set of Marvel projects.
