Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi Delay Release Dates Deep into 2021

Marvel’s Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi movies have pushed their release dates deep into 2021. Marvel’s Black Widow will now release on May 7, 2021. Eternals will release on November 5, 2021. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will release on July 9, 2021. The films have been subjected to several delays due to the coronavirus pandemic which left theaters having their doors closed for much of 2020, reopening in most of the country recently to lackluster box office numbers. This ultimately delays Black Widow and Eternals a full year by comparison to their original release dates.

The move does not seem to impact the Marvel films scheduled for 2022 and beyond. The third Spider-Man movie is a Sony film, so if it is going to delay beyond its already-moved-to December 2021 date, such news would have to come from Sony rather than Disney and Marvel Studios. Disney+ recently pushed The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to 2021 but promised WandaVision would be arriving on the streaming service in 2020. 2020 now officially marks the first year since 2009 that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have not released a new movie.

WandaVision is officially the first title in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will most likely be dropping only one episode in 2020, as The Mandalorian will premiere new episodes every Friday until December 18. A December 25 premiere for WandaVision looks like a likely possibility.

Still to come on the movie front from Marvel Studios is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, a Captain Marvel sequel, Black Panther II, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Disney+ platform will soon house Loki, What If…?, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel.

How do you feel about the Marvel Cinematic Universe delaying its major movie title deep into 2021? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram.