‘Black Widow’ has been pushed back until May 2021.
The upcoming Marvel movie – which will star Scarlett Johansson as the titular superhero – was originally due to be released in May this year, but after setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the feature was given a new release date of November 6.
And now, Disney bosses have delayed the project even further, as it will now open in cinemas on May 7 next year, one year after its first planned launch.
The new date means several other Marvel movies are facing a delay, including ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, which was due to be released on ‘Black Widow’s new date, May 7.
Instead, ‘Shang-Chi’ will launch on July 9, whilst ‘The Eternals’ – which was meant to follow ‘Black Widow’ in February next year – will hit cinema screens on November 5, 2021.
As part of the shuffle, a number of other Disney projects were also postponed, including Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’, ‘Kingsman’ prequel ‘The King’s Man’, and Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Death on the Nile’.
Meanwhile, lead actress Scarlett previously said ‘Black Widow’ is being released at the ideal time, despite making her debut as the eponymous hero a decade ago in ‘Iron Man 2’.
She claimed that the success of films such as ‘Captain Marvel’ and DC’s ‘Wonder Woman’ has created a trend for female characters to lead their own stories, making it the perfect time for a stand-alone Black Widow flick.
The 35-year-old actress said: "For anyone who said to me, ‘Oh this (‘Black Widow’ film) should’ve happened five or 10 years ago,’ I’m like, it would not have been as substantial. We just would not have been able to do it. The film is happening now as a result of what’s going on in the zeitgeist, and I think it’s pretty cool."