In this day and age of cinema, fans expect films to get a streaming release within 6 months of their theatrical release. Call us spoiled, but the studios have unfortunately made this trend a reality. So since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released in theaters back in May, many Marvel fans have been waiting with bated breath for the film’s Disney Plus release. Now, they can finally let out a sigh of relief and break out the champagne!
Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release has officially secured a Disney Plus release date, which became public knowledge thanks to the streaming service dropping a trailer that announced the good news. As per the trend with past Marvel streaming premieres, the official release date is applicable in all countries with Disney Plus, not just the United States.
Back in June, director James Gunn responded to a fan asking about a digital release date by saying “Let us enjoy cinemas,” implying he was in no rush to get the film on streaming. So, it’s surprising for fans to see the film come onto Disney Plus just three months after its May 5 release in the U.S. Though it seems like it may have been Marvel’s decision, not Gunn’s, the man was most probably aware of his Marvel swan song’s upcoming addition to the platform and he still lied with a straight face.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s streaming release date follows the trend set by Antman and the Wasp: Quantomania and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Both of the prior Marvel releases saw a Disney Plus launch within three months of their theatrical launch. The latter film even set viewership records when it premiered on the streamer on Feb. 1.
Between this dropping in August and Secret Invasion continuing its run through the end of July, Marvel fans are due for a breather. This continues to prove why it’s a good thing Bob Iger wants to scale back on how much Marvel content is being released.