Black Widow release date: A timeline of Black Widow’s journey to the big screen
Black Widow is set to get the spotlight she deserves when her long-awaited solo movie is finally released.
Black Widow has been “on the horizon” for a very long time. The heavily-anticipated 24th Marvel Cinematic Universe movie would have been released on home media by now if things had gone to plan for Marvel Studios but multiple delays, many of which were the result of the coronavirus pandemic, prevented it from hitting the big screen.
Starring Scarlett Johannsson in the titular role, the film brings Natasha Romanoff back to the silver screen for what could very well be the final time in the MCU. A prequel to some of the more recent Avengers offerings, Black Widow takes place after 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and delves into the backstory of one of the MCU’s most mysterious characters.
The film is almost upon us, but when can we expect it to arrive on any of our screens?
Black Widow release date
Black Widow is released in movie theaters and on Disney Plus Premier Access on Friday, July 9. That means that those who feel comfortable returning to cinemas can see the movie on the big screen after all this time, while those who would prefer to watch it from the comfort of their own homes can do that instead.
While Marvel Studios’ original TV shows can be enjoyed on Disney Plus for no extra cost outside of subscription, Black Widow can be watched for an additional $29.99.
Why was Black Widow delayed?
Black Widow has had quite the journey getting to the big screen. Originally a Lionsgate project, a Black Widow movie was in development back in 2004. However, after being shelved the rights reverted to Marvel Studios.
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Upon the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character was one of the earliest to be introduced, debuting in Iron Man 2 in 2010 with Scarlett Johannsson in the role. There had been talks about Johannsson reprising the role in a solo movie for years before it was officially confirmed in 2017.
Black Widow was originally planned for release on May 1, 2020. But the outbreak of the novel coronavirus made that impossible. Though Disney initially stuck by that release date, the studio eventually moved it to November 6, 2020 – giving it the release date originally planned for Eternals. However, come September time, the schedule was reshuffled again as all of the Marvel Studios movies were delayed once more, with Black Widow being moved to May 7, 2021 – just over a year after its original release date.
In March, however, plans changed again as Disney moved it to July 9, announcing that it would also make its presence felt on Disney Plus Premier Access so that fans could choose if they wanted to see it in theaters or in their homes.
It’s been a long time coming so you can rest assured that fans are eager to see Natasha Romanoff back where she belongs.
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