‘Black Widow’ Delayed
by Erik Amaya
It was bound to happen. Black Widow will not be released on May 1st.
Deadline reports the Marvel Studios picture has been delayed due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the slowed box office, and the possibility that some movie theater chains may still be closed at the beginning of May.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, the film fills in the gap of Black Widow’s story between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. She returns to the former Soviet bloc to visit her ersatz family of spies. But when she learns the Red Room — the brutal training facility which trained her — is producing new agents, she and her family set out to stop it once and for all. The film also stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz.
The is film is also the first of the Phase 4 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will, presumably, set up some of the recurring ideas for the rest of the phase. But with production on those subsequent films also delayed because of the outbreak, holding the film back until it is safe to go to the movies is the best choice.
Besides postponing the film’s release, Marvel has also stopped production on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings after director Destin Daniel Cretton went into isolation with a possible COVID-19 exposure. Subsequently, the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki also suspended filming. The other Disney+ shows, which include Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Moon Knight, are still in pre-production as much of the development can be done as work-from-home assignments.
As in all cases of delays caused by the outbreak, it is hoped a new schedule can be announced soon.
