It may be the most lucrative franchise in history, with a fanbase so massive that every project they churn out is virtually guaranteed to be a smash hit, but it seems that even the seemingly indestructible Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t immune to the Coronavirus pandemic that has dominated headlines across the world for months now.
The Falcon and the Winter Solider, the studio’s first Disney Plus exclusive series, has already had shooting halted due to the virus, and there’ve also been rumors that May’s Black Widow could end up being delayed, too, as Marvel Studios rush to ensure that their output is able to maximize its financial potential.
Even the future of the MCU has been affected, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton placing himself into precautionary self-isolation after being tested for the Coronavirus. This has caused all first-unit crews to stop working on the franchise’s first Asian-led blockbuster, and a new report indicates that the delay could end up costing Marvel $300,000 per day.
Even though second-unit production is still carrying on for the time being, the first-unit team have been ordered to stay away from set, but they’re still required to be paid to keep them in Australia, so that they’ll be able to jump straight back in when filming has been given the okay to resume.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently scheduled for release in February 2021, but with shooting now delayed, it remains to be seen whether it’ll still be able to hit that date. The Coronavirus has thrown the entire movie industry into a state of disarray unfortunately and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in the near future.