When will Black Panther: Wakanda Forever be released on Disney Plus? Right now, the short answer is: we don't know, but we suspect it'll be January 2023.
Following its theatrical release, you might be wondering when the 30th Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie will join its siblings on one of the world's best streaming services. Below, we take a look at when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is likely to launch on Disney Plus, using the platform's other Marvel movie releases to gauge when it could make the leap from the big to the small screen.
Before you dive in, be sure to read our spoiler-free Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review. Once you're done, read on to find out when Marvel Studios' Black Panther 2 could launch on Disney's streamer.
When is Black Panther 2's Disney Plus release date?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn't have an official Disney Plus release date. The MCU Phase 4 film has only just landed in theaters, but we think it'll arrive in January 2023.
That's based on what we know about other Marvel films' releases on Disney Plus, so we can propose that release window as when the superhero movie could be available to stream at home.
Firstly, Marvel movies don't launch on Disney's streaming platform immediately after their theatrical release. Every MCU film has a worldwide 45-day exclusivity period in cinemas, meaning it won't launch on Disney Plus for over six weeks.
If Black Panther 2 did arrive on our TV screens exactly 45 days after November 11, it would launch on Monday, December 26 – one day after Christmas day, for those who celebrate that holiday.
That December 26 launch is incredibly unlikely, though. For starters, Marvel hasn't released any of its post-Avengers: Endgame films on Disney Plus so soon after their theatrical release. The only outlier in that is Black Widow, which received a day and date launch in theaters and on Disney Plus in July 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Disney traditionally releases new films and TV shows on Wednesdays. That format was temporarily changed for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the latest MCU TV show, which actually debuted on a Thursday (August 18). That was due to the midweek release of new episodes of Andor, i.e. the latest Star Wars TV series. Clearly, Marvel and Lucasfilm didn't want their tentpole franchises to compete for viewers on the same day.
So, if Black Panther 2 follows Marvel's traditional Wednesday launch for Disney Plus releases, it'll come out on Wednesday, December 28, right? It's plausible but not very likely – and Eternals holds the key as to why.
The 26th MCU movie launched in theaters on November 5, 2021, but it didn't start streaming on Disney Plus until January 12, 2022. Marvel co-released Spider-Man: No Way Home (alongside Sony Pictures) in December 2021. It's evident, then, that Marvel didn't want to release Eternals on Disney Plus during No Way Home's theatrical run, as it might have distracted fans from going to watch No Way Home in cinemas.
Still, even if that was the case, we don't expect Marvel to bring Wakanda Forever to Disney Plus until after New Year's Day 2023. The Disney subsidiary is releasing its Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney's streamer on November 25, so it won't want Black Panther 2 to clash with its second TV Special Presentation.
Additionally, Wakanda Forever is certain to perform wonders at the global box office. So it's not in Marvel's financial interests to end its theatrical run and release it for free on Disney Plus until after the holiday season.
Is there an end credit scene in Black Panther 2?
Yes, but there's only one post-credits scene – not two – in Wakanda Forever.
We've broken down what that mid-credits stinger means for the Black Panther film series (and wider MCU) in this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending and post-credits scene explained article. It takes a deep dive into the film's more spoiler-y elements, so only proceed if you've seen the movie.
What's the runtime for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever runs for two hours and 41 minutes. That includes its sole post-credits scene and its two batches of credits.
Interestingly, this makes Black Panther 2 the second-longest MCU film of all-time. It's only surpassed by Avengers: Endgame's three hour runtime, while it's four minutes longer than the divisive Eternals film.
For more Wakanda Forever-based content, check out our "Who is Namor?" and "Who is Ironheart?" explainers. Alternatively, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order, with Black Panther 2 slotted into the MCU timeline.
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