After Marvel Studios pulled Black Widow from the release schedule, Wonder Woman 1984 was left as the biggest superhero movie of the summer. However, it appears to be unlikely that the novel coronavirus pandemic will over by the film’s original June 5 release date. Earlier today, The Wrap reported that Warner Bros. was considering the drastic step of releasing Wonder Woman 1984 digitally instead of theatrically. But according to IndieWire, Warner Bros. has now denied the initial report.
It’s also worth noting that the original report stated that Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins had not been consulted about sidestepping theaters. Several major studios, including Universal, Sony, and Disney, plan to release their recent films on digital just a few weeks after they hit theaters. If it were to go straight-to-VOD, Wonder Woman 1984 would be the first big budget major studio release to do so.
RELATED: Wonder Woman 1984 Gets Trippy In New Motion Poster
But there are potentially big problems with taking that step. The first Wonder Woman movie was a blockbuster that made $821 million worldwide. It’s highly unlikely that VOD revenue could match those numbers. That would also make it hard for the film to recoup its budget. Additionally, a digital release would be much easier to pirate than a theatrical bow. As soon as Wonder Woman 1984 hits digital, a perfect copy will be out in the wild.
So far, Warner Bros. hasn’t postponed Wonder Woman 1984 from its June 5th date. But if the pandemic drags on, that will be an inevitable step.
Do you think that Wonder Woman 1984 should skip theaters? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Wonder Woman By George Perez Vol. 1
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
