LOS ANGELES — In another setback for theaters, Walt Disney Co. has delayed the release of its highly anticipated Marvel Studios film “Black Widow” until next year, amid concerns about the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on moviegoing.
Burbank-based Disney on Wednesday said the Scarlett Johansson superhero blockbuster is now set to hit cinemas on May 7, 2021. It was previously set for Nov. 6, after an original release date of May 1 was delayed.
Disney also pushed back the launches for a host of other movies, including Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile,” Marvel’s “Eternals,” the Ben Affleck thriller “Deep Water” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
Of those titles only “Death on the Nile” is still scheduled to open this year, moving from October to Dec. 18. The lower-profile thriller “The Empty Man” actually moves up from a planned December opening to the Oct. 23 date vacated by “Nile.”