For fans of physical media, to quote Darth Vader, “This will be a day long remembered”: Disney has decided to release some of its biggest streaming Star Wars and Marvel Studios shows on Blu-ray/4K UHD for the first time.
Four new Collector’s Editions of high-profile Disney+ shows will be up for grabs, starting on April 30: Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Complete First Season, Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight: The Complete First Season, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi – The Complete Series and Star Wars: Andor – The Complete First Season.
Each will come packaged in steelbook cases with “concept art cards and some never-before-seen bonus features,” per Disney, which is the parent of ABC News.
All titles will be available to preorder from March 12.
The decision is a win for those who have been holding out on subscribing to the streaming service or have let their subscriptions lapse.
Aficionados of physical media, aside from being completists who like collecting their favorite movies, are growing impatient with the rising cost of streaming services and the provider’s ability to edit or remove content at their will.
While DVD sales took a major dive as streaming services grew, the industry still generates $1.34 billion a year in annual sales, according to the analysts at Next TV.
Quoting the Digital Entertainment Group, The Wrap recently reported 4K Blu-ray sales rose almost 6% at the tail end of 2023 versus 2022 — and jumped 20% overall.
Filmmakers like Oscar-nominated director Christopher Nolan have also expressed their preferences for the Blu-ray/4K format over streaming.
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