Marvel’s Shang-Chi still isn’t airing on Disney Plus

by marvel Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings has become one of the biggest box office successes of the pandemic. Riding a wave of critical praise and buzz about his martial arts fight scenes, he grossed more than $ 160 million worldwide in theaters in his first week on the big screen, since 3 September. A major factor in this success has been the movie’s streaming strategy for … not streaming at all.

Unlike other Disney movies released during the pandemic, Shang-Chi was not available to stream on Disney Plus. While this surely helped bolster Shang-Chi’s box office, the strategy narrows down the options for fans who have become accustomed to streaming movies on the same day or for anyone. nervous about going to the movies because the delta variant is fueling a resurgence of COVID-19.

Is Shang-Chi streaming on Disney Plus?

No. It became available only in theaters on September 3.

The theatrical exclusivity is a big departure from Disney’s new normal during the pandemic. As cinemas closed or reduced capacity, Disney plus has become an outlet for society to make films accessible to a wider audience, especially as the stock of overdue films increased.

Some Disney movies – typically low-budget live-action movies and its latest Pixar, Luca, and Soul movies – skipped theaters completely and were available to stream on Disney Plus at no additional cost. For bigger movies, Disney Plus introduced its Premier Access model to sell streaming access to new movies on the big screen. Disney Plus members could stream brand new home movies for $ 30 on top of their subscription price, a model called Premier Access. Disney has released five films, including Marvel’s Black Widow in July.

Then, as vaccinations widened, Disney reintroduced plans for theatrical exclusives. The first movie to hit theaters this way was Free Guy, a 20th century video game comedy from Disney Studios. It hit theaters on August 13, with a 45-day pledge to be only available in theaters.

But the delta variant threw a wrench into all of the studios’ release plans, which they crafted at the height of optimism for a box office revival. Surveys have shown that consumers feel less comfortable going to the movies again.

In the mess of all of these factors, Shang-Chi hit theaters last week. It was the first Marvel movie released in theaters only since Sony’s Spider-Man: Far from Home release in July 2019.

What is Shang-Chi’s release date on Disney Plus?

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are set to land on Disney Plus to air in mid-October, likely at no additional cost to subscribers.

However, Disney has repeatedly said that it values ​​flexibility above all else as it decides how to release movies during the pandemic. The company has yet to give full confirmation on how Shang-Chi will be released on Disney Plus, so those expectations may change.

Shang-Chi agrees to be in theaters exclusively for at least 45 days. At this point, in mid-October, the film is expected to hit Disney Plus. If Disney is sticking to precisely a 45-day movie window, it would be Monday, October 18. It’s much faster than Disney movie movies would have hit the streaming service before the pandemic, when it typically took them five to eight months to start streaming.

And Shang-Chi is expected to stream on Disney Plus at no additional cost, in large part because Disney Plus has never charged a fee for anything on its service except for a brand new movie. Every other $ 30 Premier Access release has been a movie available in theaters and on Disney Plus the same day.

But again, these expectations are subject to change. The Disney CEO indicated this exit plan for Shang-Chi in mid-August. At the time, he stressed the company’s commitment to a theatrical exclusivity for Shang-Chi, but he was less concrete about what happens after the 45-day movie. He indicated that Disney Plus was Shang-Chi’s destination after the 45-day window, while reiterating that the company wants to remain flexible.

What will happen when the next Marvel movie, Eternals, releases in November?

Disney has yet to confirm a streaming release date for Eternals, which is a star-studded Marvel movie set to hit theaters on November 5. But here’s what we know and some educated guesses on what to expect.

• Disney expects Eternals to be in theaters exclusively for at least 45 days when it first releases on November 5.
• Disney Plus will be the only service that (eventually) airs Eternals when it becomes available to stream, but we have no real indication of when Eternals will air on Disney Plus. It may arrive at Disney Plus immediately after the 45-day cinema window, or it may take longer while Eternals is first released for rental online and in other formats.
• Shang-Chi’s streaming timing can be a strong indicator of how Disney will approach Eternals’ streaming release plan. Shang-Chi is currently slated to hit Disney Plus immediately after its 45-day theatrical window, likely available to subscribers at no additional cost – but that may change.

Eternals’ arrival on Disney Plus could come 45 days after its theatrical release, or it could take several months. Before the pandemic, new Disney films would make their way to Disney plus approximately five to eight months after their premiere in theaters. If Disney returns to this standard, it’s possible that Disney Plus subscribers will wait until summer 2022 to start streaming Eternals.

We won’t know for sure until Disney confirms a streaming plan. And that won’t confirm an Eternals streaming plan until Disney gets to see how Shang-Chi behaves, both in theaters and on Disney Plus.

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