Black Widow coming out in theaters and on Disney+ on the same day

After much hemming and hawing, it’s official: Black Widow will be released into theaters AND onto Disney+ on the same day, for an extra $30 fee.

Welp, it finally happened. For months, fans have wondered if Disney was going to stick to its guns and release Black Widow — the long-awaited solo movie about Scarlett Johansson’s late Avenger — only in theaters despite attendance still low thanks to the pandemic, or if it would treat Black Widow like it had Mulan, Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon and also release it straight to Disney+ for an extra fee.

At last, a decision is made: according to CNN Business, Black Widow will indeed drop into theaters on July 9, but it will also be available on Disney+ on that same day via the company’s Premier Access function, meaning you’ll be able to pay an extra $29.99 to watch it at home.

Disney has yet to take this approach with a Marvel movie, but this was probably always how things were going to go. Happily, coronavirus cases and deaths are dropping in the U.S., but they’re not gone, and people are understandably wary of returning to the theater. Giving people an option is for the best.

That said, Disney could always take a page from HBO Max’s book and release its movies into theaters and onto Disney+ at no extra charge to subscribers, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that.

Disney is also releasing Cruella in theaters and on HBO Max, but on May 28. And Pixar’s Luca will come exclusively to Disney+ on June 18.

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