New Eternals TV Spot Reaffirms Theatrical Release Plan

A new trailer for Marvel's Eternals reaffirms Disney's plans to release the film exclusively in theaters this November. Eternals will be the MCU's third Phase 4 release in 2021 and the second film to introduce an entirely new group of heroes into the franchise. The film will follow the titular immortal alien race, led by Richard Madden's Ikaris and Gemma Chan's Sersi, as they make their presence known after being on earth for thousands of years. Angelina Jolie, Kumail Najiani, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan round out the cast.

In the past year, Disney has altered the release format for some of their most high-profile projects due to the pandemic. Mulan was released via Disney+'s Premier Access platform, charging subscribers an extra $29.99 for access to the film. Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella, Jungle Cruise, and, most notably, Black Widow, were released the same way, while Pixar's Soul and Luca were released for free on the streamer. Black Widow's hybrid release was maybe the biggest surprise of all as the Marvel franchise is the studio's most popular property, but it was clear that, as the studio moved deeper into Phase 4, they needed to get rolling on the theatrical side of their Phase 4 slate lest the films fall behind the television shows.

That doesn't seem to be a worry for the studio anymore as they gear up to release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in a little over a month, followed by Eternals in November. A new trailer for Eternals that aired during the Olympics (via Marvel Updates on Twitter) takes time to reaffirm the movie's exclusive theatrical release. The clip features no new footage that hadn't already been seen in Eternals' first trailer, but it does include a tag at the end that says, "Only in Theaters." Check it out below:

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Eternals first trailer gave away very little on purpose, as Marvel is saving the bigger reveals for either a full trailer or the film itself. Audiences will have to see those big reveals and Chloé Zhao's stunning direction in theaters and that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the saga around Black Widow and the industry's shift towards streaming. Black Widow's surprise release on Disney+'s Premier Access platform came after months of speculation as to whether or not Disney would decide to put their most anticipated film on the streamer and while this solved the problem about Phase 4's theatrical slate, it's only led to different problems for the studio.

Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over Black Widow's release, claiming a loss of backend profits in the $50 million range. Disney fired back at Johansson with a statement that many have blasted as an obvious attempt at redirecting the conversation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Johansson's already massive salary. It seems the battle will continue to play out publicly in the months to come. It's no surprise that Marvel would want to avoid the same problem with Eternals while simultaneously maximizing box office profits for one of their most anticipated films.

More: What Scarlett Johansson's Lawsuit Means For Disney, Marvel & Hollywood/Streaming

Source: Marvel Updates