Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hit theaters on Thursday night across the nation. The Hollywood Reporter has written that the MCU film debut to great numbers for the pandemic, taking home $71.4 million in the domestic market with a global gross of $127.6 million. The only film with a higher debut is Marvel’s Black Widow, which brought in $80.3 million. Fast 9 opened with $70 million.
Shang-Chi Simu Liu as the titular hero, Tony Leung as his villainous father, Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, and Ben Kingsley with a surprise guest appearance. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and features the MCU's first majority Asian cast. Much like Black Panther before it, Shang-Chi finds a way to elevate a culture while still meshing in the obligatory Marvel humor and magic.
The MCU will continue rolling with Eternals next, then Spider-Man: No Way Home. The two films will continue to expand the MCU, and familiarize the audience with the concept of the multi-verse and cosmic level villains. While Thanos was a pest, cosmic-level villains such as Galactus or The Beyonder must be on the horizon. A mid-credit scene in Shang Chi seems to confirm something big is coming as well.
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