By After months of rumors and speculation, Disney has finally confirmed that Black Widow has been delayed again. In what is likely to be its final setback to release, the Scarlett Johansson starring film will be released into theaters on July 9, 2021. If you don’t want to play fast and loose with your life, there is another option you can take: Disney+ “Premier Access.” It remains to be seen if other Marvel films will adopt this same model (Shang-Chi is still set for theaters) going forward.
Black Widow in theaters July 9 and on @DisneyPlus with Premier Access. Additional fees required. pic.twitter.com/MSLHxk6Eez
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 23, 2021
I guess the results of both Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon have proved fruitful enough for Disney to slap its ridiculous pricing structure on yet another film. For the “low” price of $30, you can get three months of early access to the film before it hits the service for all subscribers. That’s 100% not worth it for any movie in my book, but I’ll let you decide if you want to take that plunge.
The same model is also being used for Cruella, the origin story of 101 Dalmatians antagonist Cruella Deville. The film will release on May 27, 2021, and offer the same structure as Black Widow: a theatrical run and a paid Disney+ release. In a weird way, I feel that’s something the devilish lady would want for her big-screen debut.
Not everything is a wash, however. The upcoming Pixar film Luca will be available to all Disney+ subscribers on June 18, 2021, for no additional charge. This is similar to what the company did with both Onward and Soul last year. I appreciate not being nickel and dimed for the privilege of viewing something earlier than everyone else.
I suppose we’ll have to take the good with the bad here. Premier Access is clearly doing well enough for Disney that it won’t be going anywhere. Hopefully, it stays limited to “big” movies and doesn’t become the norm.
