Disney+'s Black Widow Experiment Was Officially A Failure
Black Widow's hybrid approach to releasing the MCU film has officially failed the movie itself on several different levels. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was introduced in 2010 in Iron Man 2, and there was immediate demand for a solo movie starring Marvel's super-spy. Surprisingly, the studio waited until the beginning of Phase 4 — and the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, in which Black Widow died — to make the film a reality. This naturally made Black Widow something of a hard sell, prompting accusations Marvel had failed Black Widow — even in her own movie.
Unfortunately, the problem was compounded by Disney's ultimate release strategy. Black Widow's theatrical release kept being pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic, and in the end Disney went with a hybrid release. The film released simultaneously in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming platform - albeit as Premier Access content where subscribers had to pay an additional charge to watch it. This proved to be controversial, with Scarlett Johansson launching a lawsuit due to loss of earnings. Her contract stipulated bonuses based on whether the film hit box office benchmarks, and she felt the distribution strategy effectively prevented these being achieved. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit became the hot topic, driving most discussion of the film for months.
Related: Marvel Continues Phase 4's Black Widow Insult In Moon Knight
Many believed hybrid releases would become the norm in the age of streaming, with Black Widow seen as an early experiment. Studios continue to explore this approach, with some following the Premium Access model and others simply making their films available on streaming platforms at the same time they release in cinemas.
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