Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is set to debut on Disney+ on May 17, 2023, after the movie’s digital and physical release on April 18 and May 16, respectively. This announcement came after the movie’s initial home release marketing failed to mention a Disney+ release, leading to speculation about its availability on the streaming platform.

Disney’s Change In Release Strategies

Disney’s release strategies have undergone a noticeable change, as seen in the home release marketing of Avatar: The Way of Water and Ant-Man 3, where a streaming date was omitted from their initial promotions. While previous Disney movies had Disney+ at the center of their home release announcements and marketing, Avatar 2 and Ant-Man 3 did not follow the same trend. This change may be attributed to newly-returned Disney CEO Bob Iger, who replaced his predecessor Bob Chapek in November 2022.

Implications For Future MCU Movies

Debuting movies for digital purchase and Disney+ streaming on the same day may have impacted Disney’s PVOD sales. As Iger aims to course-correct any damage done by Chapek, the return of having to wait for streaming releases may become a trend for Disney movies in the future. It is highly likely that Disney will employ a similar strategy for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has generated significant box office excitement.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’s Disney+ release date announcement has come as a relief to many fans who were eager to watch the movie on the streaming platform. The change in Disney’s release strategies and its potential implications for future MCU movies remain to be seen.