September 23, 2020, marked a tragic day for Marvel fans across the world. Marvel announced that all of their movies, television shows, and other projects were going to be postponed for several months. Disappointment filled the internet and the hearts of Marvel fans worldwide. The global pandemic not only has affected schools and restaurants, but it has even managed to creep into the entertainment outlets.

Highly anticipated movies such as Black Widow, Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Eternals release dates have been pushed back several months. The new Marvel television shows that were supposed to launch on Disney Plus this fall season have also been delayed. The shows that got bumped back include Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight; with delays expected until further notice. Luckily, Disney Plus will still be premiering WandaVision in December of 2020! This means that WandaVision will be the first official title of Marvel’s phase four—and the only Marvel release of 2020! 

Marvel’s Black Widow was originally set to come to movie theaters on May 1st, 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the release date got pushed back to May 7, 2021; just over a year from the original date. It is rumored that the company considered the idea of streaming the movie on Disney Plus for around $30, just like Disney did with the new Mulan movie. Marvel decided not to try any alternative plans, instead setting a traditional, theatrical release date of May 7, 2021. 

Many people were very disappointed with the announcement of the release date delays. One student Ethan Joo (9) said, “Everything is eventually going to get pushed back, sadly it’s just a way of life for now till’ COVID-19 is extinguished from existence. But WandaVision is a show that I am definitely going to binge!” 

Black Widow has been a highly anticipated movie and has been in the works for years. The character of Black Widow is one of the only original Avengers without a solo movie and fans begged to see her lead her own big-screen outing. The movie will be an “action-packed spy thriller, where Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger” (MARVEL). The film will be starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, and Yolanda Lynes. 

The WandaVision television series consists of six episodes (but rumored to potentially have more), starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Teyonah Parris. The show is rumored to take place after Avengers: Endgame. It is speculated that the events of the show happen in Wanda Maximof’s, played by Elizabeth Olsen, alternate reality. Many people believe that the show will take place in the reality stone and will all be made up from Scarlet Witch’s mind. We will find out for sure this upcoming December! 

The trailer for the upcoming TV show earned a whopping 53 million views in the first 24 hours. That is more views than the Avengers: Infinity War Superbowl TV spot earned in 24 hours! The news came as a shock to many because Avengers: Infinity War also broke the record with 18.7 million views in the first 24 hours (THE DIRECT).  

COVID-19 has drastically impacted the movie industry and has led to a delay in almost all anticipated Marvel franchise releases. These delays have made fans disappointed, as the new movies and TV shows were something that was looked forward to during lockdown. COVID-19 has impacted so many areas of ordinary life, reaching even into the entertainment industry. With so many people being stuck at home, upcoming Marvel releases provided a glimmer of hope. Hopefully, Marvel will stick to its anticipated release timeline. If Marvel fans can hold out just a little longer, the upcoming new films and shows are promised to deliver a much needed mental break from the pandemic.