Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently dominating the Labor Day weekend box office for Marvel which should make them feel pretty confident about their future releases, or so it seems. Despite this box office success, Disney and Marvel reportedly still need to decide if Eternals will be an exclusive theatrical release or go day-and-date streaming as well and they have very little time to mull it over.
According to a report from Yahoo, via MovieWeb, Disney still has not made a final decision on a release strategy for Eternals and they only have three weeks to determine what their choice will be. Disney and Marvel Studios are reportedly considering the same hybrid release as Black Widow in July but a lot of this decision will be determined by Shang-Chi’s opening weekend. Things are currently looking good for that film as it’s estimated to clear $60 million in its first three days of release.
Rising cases of the Delta variant that is continuing to spread around the United States is also a deciding factor. The rise in numbers is making some moviegoers more cautious about going to the movie theater in person. As you’ve already seen, Paramount Pictures pushed Top Gun: Maverick and Jackass Forever to 2022 because of these concerns. For Disney and Marvel, nothing is off the table as the release date for Eternals draws closer.
As per the official synopsis, “Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” welcomes an exciting new team of Super Heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The epic story, spanning thousands of years, features a group of immortal heroes forced out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s oldest enemy, The Deviants. The outstanding ensemble cast includes Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Kumail Nanjiani as cosmic-powered Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Salma Hayek as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-soul Sprite, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as aloof loner Druig, and Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena. Kit Harington plays Dane Whitman.”
Do YOU think Eternals will be an exclusive theatrical release or will it also go streaming?