A couple of weeks ago, a report from That Hashtag Show laid out a 2020 release schedule for the MCU which alleged that The Eternals will be heading to theaters on November 6th.
While we’re still awaiting confirmation on this rumor, the same site has now doubled down on the claim in a new piece which also asserts that Chloe Zhao’s feature is tentatively scheduled to go into production in September 2019. According to THS’s Charles Murphy, this latest intel has been taken from a different source to the one used for their 2020 slate, though this starting month certainly syncs up well with the alleged release date.
In any case, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 currently on hold, it looks like The Eternals will play an important role in leading audiences further into the cosmic side of the MCU. So while the movie seems to be journeying into a rather unfamiliar period in the franchise timeline, it’s easy to believe another recent THS claim that the film will still hold connections with several of the cinematic universe’s pre-established characters. With this in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the upcoming Captain Marvel or Avengers 4 lay some of the groundwork for this new property.
Speaking of familiar faces, that same 2020 slate alleged a May 1st release date for Black Widow. With Natasha Romanoff’s long-awaited standalone debut previously rumored to begin shooting in June 2019, it looks like Cate Shortland’s feature could serve as a relatively grounded flipside to The Eternals.
But before we see any such plans come into fruition, Marvel Studios first has to finish off their Phase 3, and they intend to do so when Avengers 4 hits theaters on May 3rd, 2019, before Spider-Man: Far From Home ushers in the new era on July 5th.