Guardians of the Galaxy 3 gets disappointing Disney Plus release update

Disney Plus fans are going to have to wait longer than expected for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 to arrive on Disney Plus. Here is the latest update.

When Black Widow kick-started Phase 4 of the MCU, the dynamic between theaters and Disney Plus was more of a symbiotic relationship. MCU movies were available for streaming on Disney Plus the same day as their digital purchase, with physical releases happening a few weeks later. That seems like a whole different universe now.

The release of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania saw a break from this trend. The movie did the Marvel equivalent of disappearing into the Quantum Realm for an almost three-month wait before it popped up on Disney Plus. Sadly, it looks like Marvel might be taking a unique approach with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 as well.

Marvel Studios’ recent announcement that the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is slated for a digital release on July 7 and physical release (including Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD formats) on August 1 is surely a galaxy-sized shift in the Disney+ distribution strategy.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Disney Plus release updates

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is being marketed specifically for an “only on digital” release on July 7, and just like the quantum-sized Ant-Man 3, this space epic won’t be available on Disney Plus until sometime after the physical release on August 1. This has been seemingly confirmed by the Disney Plus July schedule which does not include the third Guardians movie, thus hinting at an August release for the movie.

This could be a fresh move from Disney Plus’ playbook, designed to boost home entertainment sales and revenue. The change in the streaming strategy might be due to the change of guard at Disney. Since Bob Iger replaced Bob Chapek as Disney’s CEO in November 2022, there’s been a noticeable shift in the way MCU movies make their journey from the big screen to the small one.

Following the pattern set by Quantumania, we could speculate on a possible release date for Guardians 3 on Disney Plus. Quantumania made the jump to Disney Plus just a day after its physical release. If Guardians 3 follows suit, fans could possibly mark their calendars for an August 2 release.

That date would play out rather nicely for Marvel Studios, creating a smooth transition for MCU fans, coming just a week after the conclusion of Secret Invasion, and maintaining the steady stream of Marvel magic on the platform. It would also tie with Ant-Man 3‘s record for the longest wait from a theatrical to Disney Plus release with a solid 89 days.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be available for digital purchase on July 7 and physical formats (Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD) on August 1. As for Disney+, we wait with bated breath for an official announcement.