AdminIt’s official: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has a Disney Plus release date. The latest Marvel movie will finally debut on the streaming platform on February 1, 2023.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released in theaters on November 11, so it’s been two months since its worldwide release. Fortunately after a long wait Marvel confirmed (opens in a new tab) coming to one of the best streaming services next month.
We knew it wouldn’t be coming to Disney Plus in January, what with Disney revealing that it won’t be part of the January 2023 release plan. However, now that Marvel has finally given Black Panther 2 a formal release date on Disney’s streamer, the countdown to its release continues.
If you’re looking for more news on Black Panther 2’s Disney Plus debut, we’ve got you covered. Below you can read more about why Wakanda Forever took so long to launch on Disney Plus, as well as other important information about the film. So what are you waiting for?
When is the Black Panther 2 release date on Disney Plus?
On February 1, the worldwide phenomenon arrives on Black Panther @DisneyPlus. Marvel Studios: #WakandaForever will air on February 1. pic.twitter.com/TDefiAFwUvJanuary 4, 2023
As confirmed by Marvel Studios on January 4, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut on Disney Plus on February 4.
The film, which we ranked in the top three spots in our Marvel Phase 4 ranking article, hit theaters in November 2022, and we expected it to arrive in January 2023. This is based on what we knew about some of the best superhero movies” premiere of Disney Plus. However, Marvel has proven that’s not the case, confirming that it will instead arrive a month later.
Marvel movies do not appear on Disney’s streaming platform immediately after a theatrical release. Each film has a worldwide 45-day theatrical exclusivity. If Black Panther 2 was released Exactly 45 days after November 11, it would start on Monday, December 26.
Unfortunately, this premiere on December 26 did not take place. Marvel hasn’t released any of its post-Avengers: Endgame movies on a Disney streamer so soon after their theatrical release. The exception to this rule is Black Widow, which received a release date in cinemas and on Disney Plus in July 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, Disney traditionally releases new movies and TV shows on Wednesdays. That temporarily changed when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuted on Thursday (August 18). This was due to the mid-week release of the Star Wars Andor television series. Apparently, Marvel and Lucasfilm didn’t want their tent franchises competing for viewers on the same day.
If Black Panther 2 follows Marvel’s traditional Wednesday launch for Disney Plus releases, it should come out on Wednesday, December 28, right? No – and Eternals has the key to explaining why.
The Eternals hit theaters on November 5, 2021, but wasn’t available to stream on Disney Plus until January 12, 2022. That’s because Marvel co-released Spider-Man: No Way Home (with Sony Pictures) in December 2021 In our opinion, Marvel didn’t want the Disney Plus Eternals release to conflict with the theatrical performance of No Way Home as this could distract fans from going to No Way Home.
Add to that the fact that Wakanda Forever was still making money over the 2022 holiday season, and it wasn’t in Marvel’s financial interests to end the theatrical release and release it on Disney Plus (free, remember!) by February 2023.
Is there an end credits scene in Black Panther 2?
Yes, but there’s only one post-credits scene in Wakanda Forever – not two.
We explained what that mid-credits sting means for the Black Panther movie franchise (and the wider MCU) in this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever article ending and explaining the post-credits scene. It requires a deep dive into the more spoilery elements of the movie, so only proceed if you’ve seen the movie.
What is the running time of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is two hours and 41 minutes long. This includes his only post-credits scene and two credits sequences.
Interestingly, this makes Black Panther 2 the second longest MCU movie of all time. It is only surpassed by Avengers: Endgame’s three-hour running time, while it is four minutes longer than the divisive Eternals movie.
For more Wakanda Forever content, check out our “Who is Namor?” and “Who is Ironheart?” explainers. You can also find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order, or see where we ranked Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in our ultimate Marvel movies guide.
