The Walt Disney Company recently announced a new rescheduling of several of its key releases for next year. Within them are, nothing more and nothing less, than a handful of the productions developed together with Marvel and a new story about Indiana Jones. They are not the only ones films that fall within this reprogramming. Although at first it seems bad news for Disney and Marvel, it may not be.
The film industry has lost savage amounts of money due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To such an extent that, as long as it is not officially declared that the health alert is no longer in that category, the sector will continue in alert mode. It must be taken into account that, although in dozens of countries “normality” has been regaining, inequality in relation to others makes it difficult for everyone to march at the same pace.
Bruce Aylward, one of the leading specialists at the World Health Organization, commented that the pandemic will last a year longer than it should due to problems in the distribution and accessibility of the vaccine, among other aspects. Although the film industry is strong in the main cities and economic regions, the context continues to be a determining factor, taking into account that new variants may arise. Therefore, from a business point of view, delaying key releases makes sense.
But that may not be the only benefit.
Disney and movie delays:
may be a necessary pause
During 2021, Disney and Marvel released the following productions, between series and films:
During the first six months of the year, there were few spaces in which Disney and Marvel did not present some chapter or news related to their productions. In defense of the studies, it can be argued that some projects, such as Black widow, were scheduled for the year 2020. However, it should not be forgotten that these projects are key in the collection of each of the production firms.
So yes, it is valid that they wait for normality to be much more regular and the film industry to rehabilitate itself to generate more income. But there is also another factor: prolonging the premieres is giving a little air to the narratives, freeing up the billboards and the options of streaming from so much superhero.
The rescheduled premieres
Within the Disney and Marvel productions that now have another release date, there are two that are presented as keys within their narrative. Next, the whole list:
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessby Sam Raimi runs from March 25, 2022 to May 5.
- Thor: Love and Thunder, by Taika Waititi, moves from June 6, 2022 to July 8.
- Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverby Ryan Coogler moves from Aug. 7, 2022, to Nov. 11.
- The marvels, by Nia DaCosta, goes from November 11, 2022 to February 17, 2023.
- Indiana Jones 5, under the direction of James Mangold, is rescheduled from July 29, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, by Peyton Reed, runs from February 17, 2023 to July 28.
- Another Marvel Studios production, still unnamed, goes from October 11, 2023 to November 3.
- A feature film live action untitled, scheduled for July 14, 2023 is removed from the established calendar.
- Two other Marvel Studios films, set for July 28 and October 6, 2023, are also missing.
- An untitled film set in the 20th century, which was planned for October 20, 2023, was also deleted.
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Upcoming Disney and Marvel releases,
and a detail to take into account
During the remainder of 2021, Disney and Marvel will premiere the following productions:
- The Eternal (November 5th)
- Hawkeye (November 24)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17)
In total, there will be nine productions in a year. Within these three, it is intuited that two will have a key impact on the development of the global story, with the incorporation of new characters (The Eternals) and the Multiverse (in Spider-Man). In this sense, it is convenient to take into account the latest events in Venom: there will be carnage, which are also being integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ten stories integrating in one way or another.
Although for fans of Disney and Marvel such expansion may be attractive, Disney and Marvel run the risk of saturating the superhero cinema. Most likely, the latter will not happen and, if it does, it may be a not so large audience. However, being able to give time to the narratives, let the stories rest, “be surprised” within the audiences, does not seem like a bad idea. More expectation is generated at the same time as each premiere, beyond being in series or film, you can have your own temporary space for enjoyment and performances.
Beyond entertainment and immediate stimuli, that’s also what cinema and television are about. It is about preserving the possibility of exciting the audience, instead of constantly bombarding it with more and more productions, perhaps limiting the possibility of others entering an ever wider universe, but also limiting the diversity of stories.