Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film ‘Black Widow’ hits the theatres in North America and several other countries on Friday, July 9. It will simultaneously also release on streaming platform Disney+ under its Premiere Access section for $30 on the same date. However, Indians are in for a disappointment since the movie might take months to release in the country. MCU fans who wish to see the Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff cast her magic on screen one more time, will have to wait a little longer, and the pandemic, especially the deadly second wave of COVID-19, is to blame for that.
Initially, the film was supposed to release in India at the same time as the rest of the world but due to the alarming second wave and the consequent restrictions that were put in place to curb the havoc, it was wreaking, leading to the makers delaying Black Widow’s release in the country. However, on Disney+Hotstar, the film is expected October 8 on the streaming service, in line with its general availability on Disney+. That’s because Premier Access is not a thing on Disney+ Hotstar.
For the unversed, Mulan wasn’t released in the theatres owing to the pandemic. It was dropped on Disney+ only. So far, Cruella, Black Widow and Jungle Cruise, are the only films that have hit theatres and streamed on OTT, under Premiere Access, on the same day. Disney’s move came as last year rival studio Warner Bros made waves across the world of entertainment last year when it announced that all its 2021 movie releases would hit theatres and HBO Max on the same day.
For the uninitiated, all the Premiere Access movies are made available for free by the studio after a few months. That’s when Disney+ Hotstar will release them in India. So, Indian fans have a little longer to wait, before they catch a glimpse of the Black Widow on screen.
