Black Widow gets new release date as The Eternals, Thor 4, and Doctor Strange 2 pushed back

(Image credit: Disney)

The new Black Widow release date has been announced. Natasha Romanoff's standalone MCU movie will take the place of The Eternals on November 6, with all of Marvel Phase 4 moving around the calendar to accommodate the previously-announced delay.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Black Widow, once slated for May 1 until COVID-19 and the closure of cinemas worldwide forced Marvel's hand, is now heading to November 6.

What does that mean for the rest of the MCU? Well...Deep breath. This is big.

The Eternals is now releasing on Feb 12, 2021, which was previously the date held by Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings. That'll head to May 7, 2021, replacing Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

The Multiverse of Madness will now be out in Fall 2021, specifically November 5. Thor: Love and Thunder is retreating into February 28, 2022.

Some ripple effects are even being felt in what is presumably Phase 5. Black Panther 2 holds its ground on May 8, 2022, while a Captain Marvel sequel is moving forward all of two weeks: expect that to soar into theatres on July 8, 2022.

Phew. That's quite a lot to take in. What it means for the wave of new Marvel TV shows (which presumably tie in to the MCU's big-screen efforts through post-credits and cameos) remains to be seen. That news will come later. For now, we'll have to take in the news that this is the first year since the MCU's inception in 2008 to feature only one Marvel movie.

In other Disney news, Mulan has moved to July 24, 2020, Jungle Cruise to July 31, 2021, and Artemis Fowl will go straight to Disney Plus on a to be announced date. Get all the latest here.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.