Disney+ has announced its new collab with IMAX to upgrade certain Marvel movies on the service to an Expanded Aspect Ratio format, meaning the black cinematic bars on the screen will be thinner in some scenes.
Traditional IMAX ratio is 1.43:1, while Expanded Aspect Ratio is 1.90:1, giving a little more vertical space on the picture. The expanded format is closer to the 16:9 ratio of widescreen TVs. IMAX’s Expanded Aspect Ratio offers up to 26% more picture for select sequences – meaning more of the action is visible on screen, just as the filmmakers intended.
The updated formats will rollout on November 12, the same day that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings premieres on the service. It, along with 12 other MCU films, will be getting the expanded ratio upgrade, so you’ll be able to see more in certain scenes shot in that format.
Complete list of movies upgrading to IMAX Expanded Aspect Ratio format:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Avengers: Endgame
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Black Panther
- Black Widow
- Captain America: Civil War
- Captain Marvel
- Doctor Strange
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Thor: Ragnarok
“For more than a decade, IMAX has helped filmmakers take fans across the Marvel Cinematic Universe in theaters and now that epic journey crosses into a new world: the home,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “IMAX, Disney, and Marvel Studios are giving the fans what they want: the most immersive viewing experience throughout the life of a Marvel Studios film, from exclusive theatrical release to the library at-home where they can now watch the Avengers assemble with more picture than ever before.”