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It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has been wreaking havoc on the theatrical calendar, with movies that were supposed to be hitting the big screen soon before forced to vacate their slots. Disney couldn’t escape taking this course of action, delaying movies like Black Widow and Mulan due to the coronavirus craziness.
Well, now the Mouse House has finally given new dates for those movies and plenty more. First off, Mulan, which was originally supposed to come out on March 27, is now slated for July 24, and Black Widow, which was primed for May 1, will now open on November 6. Then there’s Jungle Cruise, which had been the movie occupying Mulan’s new date and has now been pushed back to July 30, 2021, i.e. basically a full year.
While there had been speculation on if any of the above movies would have their theatrical release scrapped and be moved to Disney+ (which is offering a free seven-day trial), that will not be the case at all, and you’ll still be able to enjoy them on the silver screen. Artemis Fowl, on the other hand, is now directly debuting on Disney+, with the film adaptation of the same-named, Eoin Colfer-penned fantasy novel having its May 29 theatrical release tossed aside.
Looping back to Black Widow, that November 6, 2020 date might sound familiar to MCU fans. That’s because that’s when The Eternals was supposed to open, but because Black Widow has that slot now, not only has The Eternals been pushed back, but the entire MCU release slate has shifted.
The Eternals will now come out on February 12, 2021, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings moving to May 7, 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness moving to November 5, 2021 and Thor: Love and Thunder moving to February 18, 2021. Black Panther 2 is still slated for May 6, 2022, and it was also mentioned that Captain Marvel 2 will come out on July 8, 2022.
Other notable delays coming from Disney’s corner of Hollywood include the Ryan Reynolds-led Free Guy moving from July 3 to December 11; Bob's Burgers: The Movie moving from July 17 to April 9, 2021; Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch moving from July 24 to October 16; and Indiana Jones 5 moving from July 9, 2021 to July 29, 2022. Previously delayed movies The Personal History of David Copperfield, Antlers, Woman in the Window and The New Mutants all remain undated for now.
With this major shakeup, that means that Pixar’s Soul is the next Disney movie slated to hit theaters, although it’s possible that its June 19 release could end up being pushed back just like all these others have. It was also noted that Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel are staying put in their respective December 18 and December 25 slots, but again, those could be subject to change in the near future.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the major motion pictures that have been delayed, so be sure to look through our comprehensive guide detailing all the recent calendar changes. And as always, stick with CinemaBlend for all the biggest movie news items.
