With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic affecting everyday business, Hollywood is definitely feeling it too, and having to restructure plans for the year. Major studios have already moved releases to later in the year, or in some cases postponed until 2021. Now, Disney has decided to make some major changes with their big budget releases, including the Marvel Studios films. We’ve got a rundown of those changes, and in some cases info on movies moving to Disney+ and skipping theaters entirely.
The long-delayed ARTEMIS FOWL, based on the hit book by Eoin Colfer, is now going straight to Disney+, though the studio hasn’t decided on the release date just yet – it was originally scheduled for a May 29th theatrical opening. Part of the problem on this release may be the lukewarm response to the marketing, a little surprising considering the book’s large fan base… Disney may have released that in this case, going straight to streaming might actually make more sense, as a theatrical release could have meant a major bomb for the studio. As for when you can watch it, we’re guessing they’ll choose a window where there’s no other major content for their streaming channel, which honestly isn’t a bad idea as it keeps the service exciting. Disney’s live action MULAN has now been pushed to a July 30 release date, though some may wonder if summer is still too soon to expect movie theaters to re-open. 20th Century Studios and Fox Searchlight movies including FREE GUY and Wes Anderson’s THE FRENCH DISPATCH have also shifted to late 2020 release dates, and the upcoming INDIANA JONES movie (the fifth in the series) has now been rescheduled for a July 29, 2022 release date (originally intended for 2021).
As for the Marvel Studios side of things, there’s been a lot of shifting. BLACK WIDOW just took the November opening weekend intended for THE ETERNALS, which is now pushed to 2021. THE ETERNALS took the February spot intended for SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE 10 RINGS, which will now move to a May release. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS was intended for May, and now moves to a November 2021 release, and that pushes THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER back to a February 2022 release. As of right now, BLACK PANTHER 2 and CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 are still on track for Summer 2022. The biggest question now is whether or not the coronavirus threat will be over in time for these dates to hold, and a lot will depend on the state of the economy as well. If everyone is broke when Covid-19 subsides, then going to see movies would certainly not be priority.
Here’s a listing of “new” release dates, so far:
MULAN – July 24, 2020
JUNGLE CRUISE – July 30, 2021
THE FRENCH DISPATCH – October 16, 2020
BLACK WIDOW – November 6, 2020
FREE GUY – December 11, 2020
THE ETERNALS – February 12, 2021
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE 10 RINGS – May 7, 2021
DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS – November 5, 2021
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER – February 18, 2022
BLACK PANTHER 2 – May 8, 2022
CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 – July 8, 2022
INDIANA JONES 5 – July 29, 2022
How do you feel about these date changes? Do you think it’s safe to say people will be returning to movie theaters by July of this year? Sound off and let us hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
