Marvel’s Eternals Confirmed For Theatrical Release By Disney

Marvel is committing to a theatrically exclusive release for Eternals. Marvel Studios' latest film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, broke all expectations and broke the Labor Day box-office weekend record, topping F9 to become the second highest-grossing opening weekend of the Covid-19 pandemic with a three-day total of $71 million dollars. Despite the pandemic, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings managed to top the opening weekend releases of Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Ant-Man.

The release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also carried a large number of expectations put upon it, as it was reported the box-office success of the film could determine how Marvel Studios chose to release Eternals. While both Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, and Eternals director, Chloé Zhao, have expressed interest in Eternals releasing in theaters, there was always a chance that the film could release day-and-date on Disney+ Premier Access like Black Widow. Given the legal troubles with Scarlett Johansson surrounding the release of Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being a bonafide box office hit, it seemed like it was only a matter of time until Disney and Marvel made an announcement on Eternals.

According to The Wrap, Disney is committing to a theatrical release for Eternals. The combined success of Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at the box office has given Disney the confidence to release Eternals exclusively in theaters. The film will release in theaters exclusively for 45 days before going to VOD. Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution released a statement on Eternals and the rest of the 2021 Disney slate that can be read below:

"Following the tremendous box office success of our summer films which included five of the top eight domestic releases of the year, we are excited to update our theatrical plans for the remainder of 2021. As confidence in moviegoing continues to improve, we look forward to entertaining audiences in theaters, while maintaining the flexibility to give our Disney+ subscribers the gift of ‘Encanto’ this holiday season.”

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Prior to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' box office results, many studios were worried about their film's success with audiences' fears of the COVID-19 delta variant. Paramount removed Clifford the Big Red Dog from their release schedule and delayed three other films to 2022. Following Shang-Chi's box office numbers, many studios have a new sense of confidence releasing films in theaters. Sony bumped up the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage to the first week of October after having delayed the film to October 22 a week prior. However, some studios are still adopting a hybrid release pattern, with the recent news that Universal will release Halloween Kills on Peacock and theaters day-and-date.

Eternals keeping its November 5, 2021 release date also helps solidify the year of MCU material fans can look forward to. Audiences can still enjoy Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters before it hits VOD 45 days after its theatrical release. What If...? is in the middle of its run and will wrap up on October 6th, 2021, just three weeks before Eternals hit theaters. Following Eternals will be the release of Hawkeye on Disney+ and then Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on December 17, 2021. Alongside WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Black Widow, there has been plenty of Marvel to make up for a year-long drought in 2020.