'Mulan' to 'Black Widow': Here's when Disney's delayed films will hit cinemas

The entertainment giant has unveiled a new calendar of releases that takes fans into 2022

Scarlett Johansson's 'Black Widow' will now hit cinemas in November. AP

With curtains drawn at cinemas around the world as part of preventative measures to slow the spread of Covid-19, the release of the latest blockbusters has also been stemmed.

Studios have been forced to postpone release dates for upcoming films, to ensure audiences will be able to see them in their favourite movie theatres.

Films including the next chapter in the James Bond franchise, No Time to Die, the thriller A Quiet Place 2, and the sequel to Wonder Woman have all pushed back their release dates in response to the pandemic.

And now, one entertainment giant has made a sweeping slate of changes to its release schedule, unveiling a new timeline of films that takes into a count projected cinema closures across the world.

Disney revealed on Friday, April 3, that the live-action remake of Mulan, which was due to hit cinemas last month, will now be released worldwide on Friday, July 24.

"The words loyal, brave, and true have never meant more to me than they do in this time,’ said director Niki Caro. "Once it is again safe to gather, to sit in a movie theatre together and share the experience of of a great story, we will be there"

Black Widow, meanwhile, the latest chapter in the Marvel franchise, was slated to be released in May, but has now been pushed back to Friday, November 6.

Fellow Marvel adventure The Eternals, which had originally held that November 6 slot, has now been moved to Friday, February 12, 2021.

While the former charts the origins story of operative and Avenger Black Widow, with Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz among the cast, The Eternals, which stars Angelina Jolie, marks the debut cinematic release of Marvel's namesake fictional race of humanoids.

The release dates remain subject to change, with no confirmed reopening date given for cinemas.

Disney also confirmed that Doctor Strange 2 will be released November 2021 while the fourth instalment of Thor's cinematic adventures, Love And Thunder, is expected to land in February 2022.

Artemis Fowl, a sci-fi fantasy based on the books, was due to be released in May but will skip cinemas completely, instead being released on streaming platform Disney+ at a to-be-confirmed date.

Looking further into the Marvel calendar, Disney also revealed fans can expect a follow-up to 2018's Black Panther in May 2022, and a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel in July 2022.