Disney+ is bringing IMAX’s Expanded Aspect Ratio across 13 Marvel movies on its platform on November 12. The new format means that viewers will see smaller black bars in certain scenes. The company says IMAX’s Expanded Aspect Ratio is 1:90:1 and offers up to 26% more picture for select sequences. It’s also closer to the typical 16:9 ratio of TVs.
The 13 movies available at launch include the Disney+ premiere of “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings,” as well as other MCU movies like “Iron Man,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Doctor Strange,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Black Panther,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Black Widow.”
Movies that are available to stream in the new format will feature a prominent label on their Disney+ info screens. It’s worth noting that the standard widescreen versions of the movies will also continue to be available on the streaming service.
“We’re thrilled to create new value for Marvel fans and audiences on Disney+, and we’re looking forward to offering even more IMAX Enhanced functionality in the future,” said Disney+ president Michael Paull in a statement.
The new IMAX format gives Disney+ an edge over its competitors, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The company says that in the future, this collaboration will deliver more enhanced audio and visual technology to Disney+, including immersive IMAX signature sound by DTS, which is likely poised to compete with Dolby Atmos.
The launch of the new format comes on Disney+ Day, exactly two years since the streaming service launch. The company also plans to release several first looks and new trailers for upcoming content on Disney+ Day.