Marvel’s Shang-Chi will come to Disney Plus 45 days after theatrical release

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will not be available on Disney Plus Premier Access the day it comes out in theaters. Instead, the movie will be part of an “interesting experiment,” says Disney CEO Bob Chapek, debuting in theaters on Sept. 3, but coming to Disney Plus just 45 days after the theatrical debut. Disney announced this Thursday during its quarterly investors call.

July’s Black Widow debuted on both Disney Plus Premier Access and in theaters on the same day. The day-and-date strategy proved to be fairly successful for Black Widow’s opening weekend. The movie scored $80 million at the box office and $60 million from streaming in that weekend alone, but struggled in subsequent days with a large drop off on its second weekend in theaters. On top of that, the movie’s digital releases also sparked a legal battle between Disney and Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson, who claimed in a lawsuit that the movie’s Premiere Access release was a deliberate act on the part of Disney to undercut her contract.

“We will always continue to do what’s best for the film, and what’s best for our constituents,” says Chapek.