As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the globe, Disney is putting its foot down, when it comes to the release date for their upcoming Marvel Studios' "Black Widow," according to CBR. The news comes as MGM pushes back the release of the new James Bond film "No Time to Die." The newest 007 film was scheduled for release on April 10 but has been pushed back until November.

The health crisis overseas has led to a serious decrease in revenue from the global box office thanks to movie theaters shutting down to slow the spreading of coronavirus.

Even in markets where cinemas are still open, people are still unsure about going to public places over fears of potentially catching the virus.

'Black Widow' delay would add to the massive backlog of unreleased films

The coronavirus has created a backlog of unreleased films to begin growing. Once the theaters reopen, schedulers in areas like China will have to find ways to fit in all those big releases. Marvel Studios' big films have always been big hits in global markets. 2019's "Captain Marvel," brought in $456.7 million globally, with 35 percent of them coming from Asian markets.

If global theaters do not open by the scheduled May 1 release date, "Black Widow" could end up losing hundreds of millions of dollars, even if they are amongst a crowded schedule, which could still equal less revenue for the film.

A "Black Widow" release outside of May could lead to losses domestically, as May is the starting point for the summer box office, which could help boost a film into the billion-dollar bracket. The global markets could still recoup their losses if the film were released after the outbreak.

Postponing 'Black Widow' would alter the Phase 4 lineup

Even with the possibility for the global box office totals of "Black Widow" to slop, delaying these films is much easier said than done. For Marvel Studios, delaying "Black Widow" doesn't just delay the start of Phase 4, but also could potentially alter the entire Phase 4 slate.

If "Black Widow" is delayed until November 2020, taking the spot held by "Eternals," "Eternals," would then have to take the release date held by a 2021 MCU film, creating a chain reaction to all future MCU films.

A sudden change would possibly shake up Disney Plus, causing certain shows to have to wait longer before they can be released. This could be a key factor in keeping "Black Widow" releasing in May because it could severely impact not just this year but the next several years of content. While Disney and Marvel Studios say they won't push back the release date, it really depends on how worse the coronavirus outbreak gets, and whether Disney sees a better value of pushing it for a November release.
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