In a normal 2020, we’d be just about a month away from the release of Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” kicking off the summer movie season and beginning Phase 4 of the MCU. But with COVID-19 (coronavirus) changing everything, “Black Widow” is now a blockbuster without a release date and when we talk about Phase 4, it’s referring to something far more important than the continuing adventures of our favorite superheroes. However, it appears that Marvel Studios is using this delay to make a big change, as it appears the Scarlett Johansson film is set to get a brand-new composer.
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According to Film Music Reporter, the two-time Oscar-winning film composer, Alexandre Desplat has been replaced on “Black Widow.” The report claims that “Mission: Impossible—Fallout” composer Lorne Balfe has been chosen to step in and complete the score for the Marvel Studios blockbuster.
Many people will likely view this as a bit of a downgrade. Not to say that Balfe is a bad choice, as the new composer is responsible for many blockbuster scores, including the aforementioned ‘Fallout,’ as well as recent films such as “Bad Boys for Life,” “Gemini Man,” and “6 Underground,” but whenever an Oscar-winning artist like Desplat is removed from a film, cinephiles will be a bit disappointed.
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Desplat won his two Oscars for his work on the films “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The Shape of Water.” However, the composer has been nominated for a total of 11 Academy Award, as he’s worked on the score for films such as “Argo,” “The Imitation Game,” “The King’s Speech,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” to name several.
Of course, under normal circumstances, this change would also be worrisome for how close it comes to the release date. However, with many people assuming that Disney is likely going to push “Black Widow” to November (where it will occupy the release date for “Eternals”), this gives plenty of time for Balfe to work on the music.