Despite concerns about the Delta variant of COVID-19, and more states returning to pre-vaccine policies, Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is still set to land exclusively in theaters. The reason for this, according to Disney’s CEO, is more contractual than anything else.
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Speaking during a recent earnings call to discuss Disney’s Q3 earnings (via DisInsider), Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that the reason for Shang-Chi not being released on Disney+ elsewhere is because the company had settled on various distribution agreements prior to the sudden increase in COVID-19 cases over the summer. According to Chapek, though, the company will still be looking at Shang-Chi’s 45-day exclusive window in theaters as “another data point” in figuring out how they move forward with future releases.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Canadian actor Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience), who is set to take on the mantle of the titular hero in Marvel Studios’ first Asian superhero-led movie. Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Joining Liu are Awkwafina as Katy, Tony Leung as Wenwu/ The Mandarin, Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, Meng’er Zhang as Xialing, Fala Chen as Jiang Li, Ronny Chieng, Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist, and MCU alum Benedict Wong, who is reprising his role as Wong.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. It is produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers.
