Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is on course to become the #1 movie at the U.S. box office, and the current spot belongs to Black Widow. Marvel Studios' return to movie theaters has been a successful one, as they currently hold the top two spots with Black Widow and Shang-Chi.
Marvel Studios' Black Widow has been going through a lawsuit related to the film's distribution as well as the contractional agreement of paying Scarlett Johansson. Despite this, the stealthy assassin's solo-led film debuted at the box office in July with the #1 spot. It appears now that Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings is on track to surpass Black Widow's domestic gross and may even be the first film to earn $200 million in the U.S. during 2021.
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This is all unprecedented, as many people are still hesitant to go to the movie theaters due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so this affects sales. It's also important to note how well Black Widow managed to do despite how much was going against the film. It was the first film in Marvel Studios' fourth phase, it was delayed numerous times due to the pandemic only to be released during the health crisis in both theaters and on Disney Plus at additional cost to subscribers. Despite all of this, it pulled through to that number 1 spot, beating out films such as A Quiet Place II and Fast and Furious 9.
Deadline reports that over the weekend, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings managed to bring its total earnings to $176.9 million, which is just under Black Widow's $183.2 million earnings. This is why many are projecting that Shang-Chi will surpass $200 million because it still has a good amount of time left in theaters before it gets pulled. Still, this doesn't take away from Scarlett Johansson's fight with Disney, as she's becoming a trailblazer by not allowing herself to be taken advantage of. Other actors/creators should take note of how this goes.
This is a great place for Marvel Studios and Disney to be in, where the only competition is themselves. Marvel Studios' live-action films appear to be unstoppable, despite many wondering how long the superhero movie craze will end up lasting. Marvel Studios has a whole new set of stories that its lining up for Phase 4, which are rumored to be building up towards the Young Avengers. Right now, fans can't get enough of Marvel, so there are no signs of them slowing down any time soon.
With Eternals releasing in November and Spider-Man: No Way Home arriving in December, many fans are excited to get more from the studio. The next few years will see sequels to popular movies such as Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and Thor. Phase 4 will also mark the debut of the long-awaited Fantastic Four.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in theaters now.
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Source: Deadline