Marvel Studios' Shang -Chi, Box Office Hero
With movie theaters still struggling, Marvel's Shang-Chi brings it's predominantly Asian cast to the box office for a superhero win.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” is not only an epic Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment, it is also a historical box office hit. North American movie theatres are trying to recover from revenue losses due to COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions.
Illustration by Naomi Ruiz
On Labor Day weekend, Disney and Marvel Studios launched the theatrical-only release of their first live action feature to star an Asian superhero as the lead. The result was a record-breaking $94.6 million opening weekend. According to Forbes.com, the film then brought in $38.5 million during its second weekend, making it the third biggest second-weekend box office earner for a September release.
In July 2021, Disney and Marvel Studios had another big opening weekend with “Black Widow,” earning $80 million at U.S. box offices. Disney simultaneously released the film on their Disney+ service, allowing subscribers to stream the film for an additional $30 charge, rather than going to a movie theatre. Those streaming fees earned “Black Widow'' an additional $60 million during its opening weekend, but the film’s earnings drastically crashed by 69 percent the second weekend.
Theatre owners and “Black Widow” lead actress, Scarlett Johansson, blamed Disney for the huge loss in box office earnings. According to Johannsson's attorneys, Disney's choice to begin streaming the film on the theatrical release date not only bypassed the theatrical-only release agreement that Marvel Studios made with Johansson, but also provided audiences with the option to view the film repeatedly for a one time fee, rather than adding to box office earnings. The “Black Widow” stream option on Disney+ brought additional subscribers to the service, but cut into Johansson’s earnings. Johansson is suing Disney for breach of contract. As a result, beginning with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” MCU films will now be 45-day exclusive theatrical releases.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” is the 25th film in the MCU. It is part of the MCU’s Post-Infinity Saga Phase Four, along with 12 television series, a holiday special, and 11 big screen films, which include “Black Widow,” the soon-to-be-released “Eternals,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
“Shang-Chi” was a highly anticipated film as Disney and Marvel Studios’ first theatrical-only release since 2019. It’s the first MCU film to feature a predominantly Asian cast, with many A-list Asian actors in lead roles, including Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Fala Chen. The film’s namesake superhero, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), is a young adult of Chinese descent keeping a low-profile in San Francisco until he must reconcile with his identity as a Kung-Fu master, his dark past, and his role in the legacy of an entire culture.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is currently in theatres only, and will begin streaming Oct. 17, on Disney+ . Now In its fourth week of release , Shang-Chi continues to be number one at the top box office and the top earner of 2021.
