Eternals is hitting Disney Plus next month

Marvel has finally announced when Eternals will be free to stream (for subscribers) on Disney+. The movie, which opened on November 5, will be available on the platform starting January 12. Like many of the Marvel movies on the platform, it will be available in the IMAX aspect ratio.

That two-month window between theatrical and streaming release is in line with what Marvel and Disney decided to do with this September’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi opened nationwide on September 3, and was available for streaming on Disney+ starting November 12.

Meanwhile, July’s Black Widow didn’t hit Disney+ for all subscribers until October 6, seven months after its release. The film had been available with “premier access,” since its initial release, which cost viewers $30 on top of their subscription. The rest of Marvel’s 2021 releases ultimately abandoned that premium model, possibly because Scarlett Johansson sued Disney because of it. Disney and ScarJo ultimately settled for a reported $40 million.

Eternals, which stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington and Bryan Tyree Henry, has grossed $385 million at the box office.

That put it behind Shang-Chi’s $432 million but ahead of Black Widow’s $379 million. Marvel still has the chance to make up some box office ground starting December 17, when the much-hyped Spider-man: No Way Home hits theaters. The newest installment will be in theaters only, and ticket sales will depend on how shy people feel heading out given the new Omicron variant.

Eternals also had the lowest rated Rotten Tomatoes score of any MCU film. Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao helmed the film, but the pairing didn’t work for many. Marvel has yet to announce a sequel to the film. Zhao told The Playlist that she would love to work with Marvel again, saying “I would be back in a second working with the team at Marvel, for sure.”