The road to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been an unpaved one. Following Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, writer and director Ryan Coogler was tasked with making the impossible possible. A sequel that lived up to the success of its record-breaking predecessor sans its original actor (and reworking the MCU’s entire storyline) is a feat that could make any established filmmaker run for the hills. But Coogler delivered, and on Nov. 11 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered in worldwide theaters to resounding applause.
In just its first weekend alone the movie ran laps around DC’s Black Adam, broke a nine-year-domestic box office record, and became the first MCU movie of phase four to receive a Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Doubled as a eulogy to Chadwick Boseman and a continuation of Wakanda’s storyline, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever delivered breathtaking visuals, sucker-punch emotions, and an origin story for what might become one of the MCU’s next big baddies, Namor.
There’s no question that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is best seen in theaters, as Coogler’s visuals, the cast’s acting, and Ludwig Göransson’s musical score all blend best when seated in a dimly lit theater with surround sound. That being said, a movie this good deserves to be watched more than once. Heck, more than twice. That’s where streaming comes into play.
Here’s what you need to know about when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be available to stream on Disney Plus.
When will Disney Plus release Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on streaming?
The streaming release date for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has officially been confirmed. As of Feb. 1, Disney Plus subscribers and Marvel fans can watch the acclaimed sequel from the comfort of their homes.
Now that streaming has completely taken over Hollywood, the gap between theatrical releases and streaming releases is much shorter than in the days of yore when movies strictly transitioned over to VHS and DVD. Typically that time frame was four to six months in the 1980s, then three months in the late 2010s. Now, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, that gap has shrunk even more significantly.
Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were the first MCU films ever to skip a theatrical release and premiere strictly on Disney Plus. Obviously, that was due to safety protocols and the closure of cinemas around the world. Now that the pandemic has practically diminished, MCU films are back to their regularly scheduled theatrical releases. As such, it was assumed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would receive a 45-day theatrical window before moving over to Disney Plus, but as we know, that wasn’t the case.
45-day theatrical windows are the norm nowadays, but that doesn’t always mean 45 days on the dot. Thor: Love and Thunder was extended to 63 days so that Disney could release it on Disney Plus Day. That was an anomaly. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness arrived on Disney Plus only 48 days after its premiere, and that was because Disney prefers to release Marvel movies on Wednesdays.
As it turns out, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever extended the gap between its theatrical premiere and streaming release the farthest, releasing a full 82 days later on Disney Plus. Better late than never, we guess.
Come Feb. 1, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will officially be available to stream on Disney Plus.