Currently dominating the UK-Ireland box office, Disney’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is, of course, destined for home-streaming later in the year – but when?
Taking £35.3m so far and rising, the big budget superhero blockbuster is obliterating all opposition, with only really Sonic The Hedgehog 2 nipping at its heels with £24.7m.
With its dazzling special effects and big-screen friendly high-end horror, it’s clear why Disney opted to give The Doctor an exclusive theatrical run.
But it will, inevitably, join its stablemates on Disney+ - if you can bear the wait.
These days, studios tend to initially release big blockbusters theatrically first, cashing in on those huge opening weekends, then release it to stream before you can even blink.
Want the latest streaming news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our Binge-Worthy newsletter HERE
Massive films look great in a platform’s library, attracting new subscribers and making it more likely current users will stick around.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrived on Disney+ on November 12, 2021, around ten weeks after its American cinema release on September 3. Elsewhere, Eternals landed on the streaming platform on January 12, 2022 - around nine weeks after its US cinema release on November 5, 2021.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness was released here on May 5, so it would make sense for to hit UK TV screens around early to mid July.
This could feasibly be around the same time as Thor: Love and Thunder is released on July 8.
It is possible for the latest Strange movie to hit Disney + as early as June 20, as this would be towards the end of its theatrical window, but this seems a little too hasty, according to Digital Spy.
The studio will want to make the most of Doctor Strange 2’s obvious appeal, and it doesn’t really face any current competition – though Tom Cruise’s hotly-anticipated Maverick - the sequel to Top Gun - is out on Friday, May 27.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is the sequel to 2016’s first solo outing for the Marvel superhero.
The second instalment has wowed audiences with its incredible effects, bizarrely out-there storyline and surprisingly graphic horror elements.
The movie sees Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) join forces with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can traverse ‘multiverses’ while battling a multitude of threats, including other-universe versions of himself.
Along the way they seek help from Wanda the Scarlet Witch and Wong, Strange’s sidekick and fellow sorcerer.
