Black Widow has no reason not to be on Disney Plus
One of the biggest films under Disney that’s in a similar position that Wonder Woman 1984 was, is Black Widow. This film was supposed to release in May 2020, but it has obviously been pushed back.
The future of how moviegoers will consume new releases is forever changed, with the news of Warner Bros.’ 2021 films releasing day and date on HBO Max and theaters. The film community was polarized by the news when it came to the implications of what could possibly happen to theaters and whether they could survive.
No matter how polarizing this news is, it gives consumers options which can be seen as a positive when a majority of theaters are closed or attendance just not being where it used to be before the pandemic.
The HBO Max news surely has WB’s competitors watching. If the release strategy proves to be successful and it gradually increases HBO Max’s subscription base, then other studios will most likely follow suit.
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While Disney+ has been a runaway success for the House of Mouse, they have lost tremendous amounts of money with theaters and parks being closed.
The argument against releasing a highly anticipated project like Black Widow straight to streaming is the fact that the Marvel Studios brand is the most valuable thing on film at the moment. In a world full of uncertainty, a Marvel Cinematic Universe film being profitable is almost 100% certain.
In normal circumstances, Black Widow was shoo-in to gross over $1 billion worldwide, but that isn’t the case anymore. A film most likely won’t pull those numbers any time soon, with the fate of theaters up in the air.
There’s also the possibility that Scarlett Johansson and other talent in the cast and crew signed contracts with backend deals and points based on the box office success of the film. If Black Widow made $1 billion, those who signed those specific deals would get a huge payday. So a successful film on streaming just wouldn’t pull in the same revenue as a successful theatrical release.
But all of these arguments against its release on streaming are valid except the fact that Disney has already spent a lot on marketing this movie already. There have been trailers, promotional spots, posters, etc. with the intention of releasing it in May 2020. Another promotional cycle would just feel redundant and would most likely be really expensive.
Disney’s backlog just keeps growing, with multiple projects already done with production or in the middle of it. Instead of prioritizing films that should’ve released over a year ago, focus on the new projects.
Disney can learn from WarnerMedia’s mistake and actually consult everyone involved with Black Widow and make sure they’re fairly compensated before announcing anything. If deals can be made successfully, then a Black Widow release could help boost Disney’s crown jewel streaming service to new heights.
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