Remember when Marvel was supposed to release Black Widow in May 2020?

Then remember when she would arrive last November?

And then remember when Disney vowed to bring her in theaters in May, and she wasn’t coming to Disney Plus?

So much for that.

Disney and Marvel have announced Natasha Romanoff’s time in the spotlight will happen on July ninth in theaters and on Disney Plus for subscribers (with a 30 dollar surcharge)
This may be a big test for the streaming site on whether Marvel movies will be just as strong with a hybrid release as they could be with a theaters-only rollout. In fact, Cruella, with Emma Stone starring in a story that recalls the early days of the 101 Dalmatians villainess, will be released on May 28th the same way. An official for Disney says the traditional way of releasing movies is all but over, and Marvel adopting the hybrid release method may confirm that.
After all, HBO Max has already rolled the dice on this idea with Wonder Woman 1984, and will do so again as soon as next week with Godzilla vs. Kong. Deciding to stream these films for 30 days before having them only in theaters sure helps.

Anyway, the movie is about Natasha’s early days with her sister Yelova (Florence Pugh) and Alexei aka Red Guardian (David Barbour), and their reunion when a new threat emerges. This takes place sometime after Captain America: Civil War.

A lot of BW fans have been waiting a long time for this movie, and some pay pay a little extra to see it at home. Theater chains (especially in New York and L-A) may not be happy, as they were hoping such movies would get movie fans back to their theaters quickly. It may still happen, depending on whether fans have the option of theaters once the coronavirus pandemic is finally under control.

It also sets off a crowded Marvel movie schedule in the latter half of this year that will include Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home