The first few films returning to theaters have had a rocky start getting the box office numbers expected. This is not the case for Marvel Studios' latest installment and its first film since the pandemic: Black Widow.

It is no secret the pandemic affected movie theaters and the movie industry in a big way. With movie theaters only able to open up within the past two months, films have been premiering exclusively on streaming platforms for the past year, setting precedents that have never before existed in the industry. This has caused a divide in the attention of people who won't go into a movie theatre to see a premiere when they can watch it on platforms like HBO Max and Disney Plus. Opening up on July 9th, Black Widow set box office highs with an $87 million opening weekend and $39.5 million just on July 9th. The highly anticipated film has the highest box office numbers of any film that debuted in theaters during the pandemic so far.

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Before the premiere of Black Widow, the ninth Fast and Furious film debuted in June and held the box office crown for the pandemic era with a $70 million debut. Although all of the films released during the pandemic may have performed better outside of the pandemic, this new box office success will help movie theaters make a comeback. Marvel Studios films typically perform in a range of $100-200 million during their first weekend at the box office, putting Black Widow's $87 million in perspective. Black Widow also premiered through Disney Plus (viewers paid an additional fee), and Disney reported they also made over $60 million through the streaming service, giving the film a more MCU-type debut in terms of overall gross. A scene featuring multiple characters from Black Widow The film will set the ending of Natasha Romanoff's character in Marvel films, now that Scarlet Johansson's contract has expired and the character sacrificed her life in Avengers: Endgame. The new film explores the dangerous espionage past of Romanoff as she reunites with old Russian spy friends Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour). The film aimed to reclaim Romanoff's character and delve into her complex life history before the Avengers. Black Widow reportedly films exclusively from the female gaze, allowing Black Widow to stand outside the realm of over-sexualization for the first time. Besides the outstanding box office debut, Black Widow is also fairing well among critics and fans, with the general notion being that the film was great but not excellent. Black Widow was praised for its unique feminist perspective within the MCU and incredible action scenes but missed the mark a little plot-wise. The film also included an incredible cliffhanger ending and post-credits scene, making fans hope for a sequel film. If you haven't seen Black Widow yet, you can watch it on Disney Plus or catch it in theaters. MORE: Black Widow Is Coming 10 Years Too Late

Source: Entertainment Weekly