Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not officially out yet, but at its Hollywood debut on August 16, critics got a chance to watch the upcoming MCU film.
What is the story of Shang-Chi?
In the second film of Phase 4 of the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows Shang Chi, who learns more about the history of his family as he is drawn into the mysterious Ten Rings organization. This new Marvel film is the first to be set in the present MCU timeline.
It's safe to say that fans are interested to know more about what the MCU world is like post-Blip from a fresh perspective.
Here is a complete list of all the cast members in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings:
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Awkwafina as Katy
- Meng'er Zhang as Xialing
- Fala Chen as Jiang Li
- Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist
- Benedict Wong as Wong
- Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan
- Tony Leung as Wenwu / Mandarin
- Tim Roth as the Abomination
- Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
- Jadu Xu as a Black Widow
- Ronny Chieng as Jon Jon
- Dallas Liu as Ruihua
- Jodi Long as Mrs. Chen
- Zach Cherry as a bus ruder
- Andy Le as Death Dealer
What are the early critics saying about Shang-Chi?
After Disney premiered Shang-Chi in Hollywood, plenty of critics got the chance to watch the MCU film. In general, early reviews are positive, with several praising Shang-Chi's action sequences and the post-credits scenes.
Here's a quick round-up of multiple reactions from those who were at Shang-Chi's Hollywood premiere:
Early review for #ShangChi — Wow. Wow. Wow. Just wow. Easily top 10 Marvel films. Hits all the right notes — wonder, excitement, action, family and fun. Just stellar.
— Herb Scribner (@HerbScribner) August 18, 2021
#ShangChi is an absolute triumph, unexpectedly spiritual and emotionally complex, with some of the very best action in the MCU. @SimuLiu is your new favorite Avenger and the movie’s myriad influences (everything from Jackie Chan to Hayao Miyazaki) pay off big time). Astounding.🐉 pic.twitter.com/72Yubnb4KV
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) August 17, 2021
#ShangChi is awesome. This movie hits all that Marvel does well (pacing, humor, character) and adds action like we’ve never seen from the MCU before! 👏🏻👏🏻
Lots of people are about to have a new favorite Marvel hero.
Darker than expected. Loads of fun. Integral to MCU Phase 4!👀 pic.twitter.com/YI3jkwLuq6
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) August 17, 2021
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is PHENOMENAL. Get hyped. Even fight scene/action sequence is better than the last. @SimuLiu fully embraces the marvel superhero role. Amazing imagery. Killer soundtrack. You’ll want to see this on the big screen. #shangchi
— Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) August 17, 2021
As always, stay until the end of the credits with #ShangChi. There are two extra scenes. (It's a Marvel movie. You know the drill.)
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) August 17, 2021
When does ‘Shang-Chi’ come out?
For the first time in a while, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will premiere exclusively to theaters on September 3.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently defended the "experiment". Chapek explained that the film's performance will affect how Disney will handle future releases.
In a pandemic-stricken world, early reviews don't always mean that a movie is going to do well at the box office. This was certainly the case with James Gunn's Suicide Squad.
n the other hand, Free Guy was a theater-exclusive release and exceeded box-office expectations. If Shang-Chi performs well enough, Disney's argument against Scarlett Johansson will lose some credibility.
The Hollywood actress is suing Disney for allegedly cutting her fair share of the box-office split by releasing Black Widow both in theaters and on Disney+.
What's next for the MCU?
Marvel fans have at least two more MCU films (and multiple other Disney+ shows) to look forward to for the rest of 2021.
After Shang-Chi makes its debut on September 3, Eternals is set to premiere on November 5, 2021, followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 16, 2021.
