Now that Black Widow has officially been delayed, Marvel fans are calling for the film to be released on Disney+. However, there's a big reason why that's unlikely to happen. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a massive shift in the entertainment industry as film studios work to remain profitable amid movie theaters shutting down and people staying indoors. Major 2020 films like No Time to Die, Mulan, F9, and The New Mutants have all seen their release dates postponed either to very far in the future or indefinitely. Today, Black Widow was the latest to join this ever-growing list, a move that many had anticipated for a while now.

With more and more people staying safely indoors, some studios have found ways to provide entertainment to those self-isolating. Universal announced yesterday that several of their recent releases, including The Invisible Man and Trolls World Tour, would be available on VOD early. Warner Bros. soon followed suit with Birds of Prey and The Gentlemen. While Disney has yet to do anything along those lines, the Mouse House still sent Frozen II to Disney+ months earlier than initially planned and released Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on digital a few days ahead of schedule.

Related: How Coronavirus Will Affect The Marvel Cinematic Universe

These efforts have led Marvel fans to think the same could be possible for Black Widow. As noted by ComicBook.comMarvel fans have begun campaigning for Black Widow to be released on Disney+. They've cited the recent push by studios to make their films available on home release as a major reason why Disney should do the same, but they are forgetting that the situations are vastly different.

Black Widow Natasha Romanoff header

In the case of films like The Invisible Man and Birds of Prey, they have already been in theaters for several weeks and were winding down their runs when the coronavirus began to impact moviegoing in earnest. Additionally, those films will cost $20 once available on-demand, giving the studios a chance to make a bit of a profit. Black Widow's arrival on Disney+ wouldn't give Disney that same financial boost, as a person would only need to pay the $6 subscription fee to watch the movie. Putting Black Widow on Disney+ would likely led to a great financial loss for the film.

While it's understandable that fans are disappointed with Black Widow's delay, sending it straight to Disney+ doesn't seem like the answer. No other major releases that have been delayed are forgoing their theatrical run (aside from Trolls World Tour, it seems), so it's unlikely that Black Widow would. Disney wants to give the film its best shot at being seen by all audiences, so for the time being, Black Widow fans will probably have to wait.

More: Coronavirus: Every Movie and TV Show Production Delayed

Source: ComicBook.com

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