Now that Disney and Marvel are getting their late-stage pandemic schedules figured out, we're finally getting some new fare to look forward to. The latest is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a lesser known title to those of us not well-versed in the comics world — but an important entry nonetheless.
This one's been in the works for a while, and it'll be the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that features an Asian actor and character in the lead role. Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is a trained assassin and master of the martial arts who has tried to make a normal life for himself in San Francisco. The problem is that his father is The Mandarin (no, not that one), and Shang-Chi doesn't get to stay out of the family business forever.
In addition to Liu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also stars Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Michelle Yeoh and Ronny Chieng. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will land in theaters on Sept. 3, 2021, after a number of delays due to the global pandemic. There's one more MCU ahead of it, however. Black Widow finally will get its long-awaited (and long-delayed) release on July 9, 2021. It'll simultaneously hit theaters and Disney Plus as part of the Premier Access program, which requires an extra $29 to watch before it eventually hits the general population on Disney+.
