Will Eternals Be Available On Disney+ Premier Access?
With "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" now in theaters and wowing critics, Disney and Marvel will soon shift their focus to the release of "Eternals." Directed by the Oscar-winning Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland," "The Rider") and starring Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and more, the hotly-anticipated blockbuster will finally bring the titular Eternals to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and chronicle their adventures as they protect the Earth from cosmic entities known as The Celestials. The "Eternals" trailer footage shows that Zhao has been allowed to bring her own artistic sensibilities to the table as well, which has led to many feeling fans excited to see a different kind of superhero movie.
Of course, the big question is: How and where can audiences watch "Eternals" when it's finally released in November? Disney has made some of its tentpole releases, such as "Black Widow," "Cruella," and "Jungle Cruise" available to view simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access in recent months. However, "Shang-Chi" saw the House of Mouse give one of its major 2021 games an exclusive theatrical release (for the time being), suggesting that the company may be returning to a traditional release model moving forward.
So what is the studio's plans for its next superhero offering?
How Eternals is released could hinge on how Shang-Chi performs
The ongoing global pandemic has forced Disney to take a "wait and see" approach when it comes to each new release, and studio executives are monitoring the performance of "Shang-Chi" in the coming weeks before they make a final decision about "Eternals." According to sources close to Yahoo Entertainment, the House of Mouse is keeping its plans close to the vest for now, but Marvel boss Kevin Feige has dropped some clues.
While speaking to Variety, Feige revealed that the ultimate goal is to hopefully have "Eternals" play in theaters before it makes its way to Disney+. "I think a theatre would be my preference and Chloé's preference. We will see where we go with it." If audiences turn out in droves to see "Shang-Chi" in theaters, it's much more likely that "Eternals" will be given a similar treatment.
That said, fans who'd rather watch the movie from the comfort of their own homes might not have long to wait. Per GamesRadar, the window between "Shang-Chi" opening in theaters and hitting Disney+ will only last 45 days (per GamesRadar).