Eternals is reportedly keeping its theaters-only release after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' recent success. The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film from director Chloé Zhao, whose Nomadland won her Best Picture and Best Director at this year's Oscars, is scheduled to release on November 5, 2021. Its Marvel predecessor, Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi, released last weekend to critical acclaim.

Shang-Chi was put in a complicated position when Disney decided not to release it simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+, as they had done with other films during the pandemic, including the MCU's Black Widow. Disney CEO Bob Chapek referred to the Shang-Chi decision as an "interesting experiment," and while the comment was considered controversial because the film is Marvel's first to be centered on an Asian superhero, it accurately captured what was riding on its performance at the box office. The studio was reportedly considering delaying Eternals, and therefore the rest of its MCU slate, should Shang-Chi underperform.

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Now, former THR editor Matthew Belloni is reporting via his newsletter that Zhao's Eternals will not only stick at its current date, but enjoy the same theatrical exclusivity as Cretton's film. Despite being released over Labor Day Weekend, a notoriously difficult time at the box office, Shang-Chi did big numbers, more than tripling the previous record for that 4-day period. That success, according to Belloni, meant Chapek's hands were pretty much tied:

After Disney C.E.O. Bob Chapek basically dared Shang-Chi to perform in theaters over Labor Day weekend, and it did $94 million domestically, he couldn’t possibly put Eternals on Disney+ day-and-date, right? I’m told Chapek and distribution chief Kareem Daniels have made their decision on the November movie’s fate, and it will indeed receive an exclusive theatrical run. (Disney declined to comment.)

Kumail Nanjiani dancing as Kingo in the Eternals

The decision to release Eternals exclusively in theaters is an important one, and not just for the cinemas themselves that need the kind of turnout a Marvel movie can provide. Like Shang-Chi, Zhao's film is another that champions diversity - besides having an Asian woman behind the camera, the cast is a healthy mix of ages and ethnicities, and will reportedly feature the MCU's first gay superhero. Should Shang-Chi not have met the studio's expectations, particularly given Chapek's comments, an Eternals delay would only have significantly cheapened Marvel Studios' efforts to improve their representation post-Black Panther.

With this move, Disney not only delights fans and movie theater owners eagerly anticipating Eternals, but avoids a heap of further, unnecessary controversy. Instead, the studio gets to ride the high of Shang-Chi's record-setting performance, and audiences get treated to a Marvel film that reportedly shares DNA with the Oscar-winning Nomadland. Whether Eternals will stick its superhero-landing as well as Shang-Chi did remains to be seen, but at least it's getting a genuine shot to succeed.

More: Every Deviant In The Eternals Trailer Explained

Source: Matthew Belloni

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