In this era of streaming services, we are seeing blockbuster movies not take too long to be available on that platform following their theatrical. It appears that the latest film installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is the latest to follow this trend.
On Marvel's YouTube Channel, the main cast of the film, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez, came together to announce that Marvel's latest Doctor Strange vehicle, which hit theaters not even a month ago, will be released on the streaming service Disney Plus on June 22, 2022.
Disney has done similar actions like this before with previous Marvel movies in recent years. However, the difference between then and now is that they released Marvel movies on their streaming service at the same time as their theatrical release to give fans the option of watching at home so that they could stay safe. Of course, when they did this, fans had to pay $30 for a limited time if they wanted to watch the movie on the streaming service. Now, with the pandemic facing the rearview mirror, until further notice, Disney won't go that route anymore.
The real question is why Disney is going this particular route with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in having it be released so quickly on its streaming service in spite of it only having been in theaters for a month and a half when it does. Is this the start of Marvel movies being exclusively on Disney Plus full time because they have enough paying subscribers to not care about the box office, or is it because they want more subscribers for Disney Plus knowing how many Marvel fans out there that want access to as much of the cinematic universe as possible?
It's very possible that this is just an experiment to see what is more financially profitable in this day and age: Giving a blockbuster like Doctor Strange time in theaters before releasing it or releasing it on the streaming service shortly after releasing it in theaters. Disney has more than enough money to do this with the monopoly they run, and since Marvel is their most profitable franchise until proven otherwise, there's no hurt in trying out something like this.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters.
Source: Marvel Entertainment/YouTube