There reportedly are no plans for a surprise announcement of Black Widow releasing on Disney+ during this year's Super Bowl. At one point, Black Widow was supposed to kickoff the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4, as it was originally scheduled to premiere in May 2020. However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic disrupted those plans, and Black Widow was one of the many Hollywood projects that had its release date delayed. Initially, it was pushed back to November 2020, before being delayed again to May 2021. That is where it's currently slated.
Despite hope the health crisis would have improved by this point, moviegoing in 2021 is as uncertain as it was for most of 2020. Due to new COVID-19 cases spreading and a slow vaccine rollout, a majority of U.S. theaters remain closed - including those in key markets like New York and Los Angeles. As a result, several 2021 titles have been delayed, with Black Widow expected to be one of the next to move. With the film's release date in question again, it's led to speculation Black Widow will go to Disney+ as part of the streamer's Premier Access program. Disney maintains that isn't in the cards, and they aren't planning any surprises for this weekend's Super Bowl.
In a Deadline report on what to expect from movie studios during the Super Bowl, it's mentioned "there won't be any surprises during the Super Bowl about Black Widow jettisoning to Disney+." Disney is said to have between two to four Super Bowl spots this year, and the outlet lists Black Widow as one of the possibilities.
It's been said Black Widow going to Disney+ would be a last-ditch effort on the part of the studio. They're obviously determined to give the film a proper theatrical release. While Disney has used Premier Access for select titles (Mulan, next month's Raya and the Last Dragon), they'd rather keep waiting for something like Black Widow. From their point of view, this makes sense for a couple of reasons. Disney+ will have a large Marvel presence this year thanks to shows such as WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, so it's not as if the streaming service will be in need of high-profile content to attract subscribers (which partially spurred WB's decision to put their entire 2021 slate on HBO Max). Also, a massive blockbuster like Black Widow is dependent on ticket sales to recoup costs. Disney is banking on theaters becoming safer down the line, which ideally will give Black Widow a better chance to turn a profit.
This isn't to say Disney won't reverse course and make Black Widow a Disney+ release at some point. One of the risks of constant delays is the movie potentially becomes stale, and Phase 4 is already underway. For now, this lines up with Disney's current strategy. As for Black Widow receiving a Super Bowl spot in general, that will be interesting to see. The movie's release date is hardly set in stone, so Disney may balk at the notion of paying $5.6 million for a 30-second spot that highlights the May 2021 premiere. Especially after last year's Black Widow Super Bowl commercial was for naught, Disney may wait until they have a better read on things before forging ahead with a formal Black Widow marketing campaign.
Source: Deadline
