Black Widow delayed again but this time there is a major twist

Black Widow has been delayed again, but with a major Disney Plus twist.

The Black Widow release date has been pushed back yet again, news broke Tuesday afternoon, March 23.

The Scarlett Johannson-led film, which takes place in between Captain America; Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline (roughly 2016-2018), will still lead the movie half of Phase Four; however, it will now have to wait until July 9.

Natasha Romanoff’s first solo adventure will debut simultaneously in movie theaters (where available) and on Disney Plus – but will be held back behind the Premium tier for an initial time period for an additional $30 fee, similar to the live-action Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon.

Kareem Daniel, Disney Media and Entertainment chairman of distribution, said in a press release:

"“By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world.”"

While moving back the Black Widow release date makes sense from a public health perspective, as the pandemic is still ongoing, as a fan of superheroic deeds, the MCU in general and Johannson as an actress, this is very disappointing news.

The Black Widow release date has been moved back to July.

As reported by Collider, this also shoves back the release date of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to September 3, with possible additional shuffling to be announced.

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Robert Downey Jr will make an appearance in the Black Widow movie as Tony Stark. Other stars appearing in the film are Florence Pugh (Fighting with My Family) as another Black Widow and Nat’s “adopted” sister named Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz (Definitely, Maybe) in an unknown role, and David Harbour (Stranger Things) as the Red Guardian, a Russian version of Cap.

Pugh will also appear in the upcoming Disney Plus TV series Hawkeye, starring Jeremy Renner and Haillee Stenfield, which will debut sometime in fall 2021.

Additionally, the Emma Stone-led Cruella prequel has also been deemed a simultaneous release in movie theaters and on Disney Plus Premium tier, according to Variety.

Black Widow was originally supposed to hit theaters on May 1, 2020, pushed back to May 7, 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic.