Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige spent part of Monday’s premiere for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” clearing up a “misunderstanding” between Disney CEO Bob Chapek and the film’s star, Simu Liu, adding another layer of complexity to Disney’s recent run-ins with talent, which have also impacted Marvel.
Last week during an earnings call, Chapek referred to the film’s exclusive September 3 theatre release as a “interesting experiment” in light of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the health of moviegoers due to the pandemic and Disney’s simultaneous premium releases of the films “Black Widow,” “Jungle Cruise,” and “Cruella” on its streaming service, Disney+.
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Shang-Chi Flare-Up on Social Media Called a Misunderstanding
Because of the language, Liu took issue with the statement on social media, making it apparent that she felt Chapek’s words were disrespectful to the film.
The Reporters said that at the premiere, Feige said that Chapek had “no intention” of diminishing the significance of the picture as Marvel’s first to star an Asian superhero.
After a recent argument between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu and Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is mediating the situation.
According to the Reporters, at Monday night’s premiere of the highly anticipated superhero film in Hollywood, producer Kevin Feige described the incident involving Liu’s criticism of Chapek for calling the film “an experiment” a “misunderstanding.”
We Try to Hit Home Runs.
That certainly wasn’t the plan. The film speaks for itself, and like always, we try to hit home runs. Feige has indicated that “no money has been spared” in bringing this origin narrative to the big screen, and that includes both the creative effort and the finances.
Shang-Chi is groundbreaking since it features Marvel’s first Asian superhero and is distributed by Disney. The 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) features the first major role for an Asian actress in a Marvel production.
Last week during an investor call, things started to go south when Chapek was questioned about the decision to only release Shang-Chi and the current Ryan Reynolds feature Free Guy in theatres rather than on streaming services.
While Marvel has been dealing with the “Shang-Chi” controversy, the “Black Widow” actor Scarlett Johansson has sued Disney over the streaming distribution of the picture, claiming that she was not given her due part of the box office proceeds.
After Johansson’s initial remark, the studio issued a public response, accusing her of having a “callous disregard for the catastrophic and sustained global impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic.”
In Conclusion
Starring with Liu are Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung, “Shang-Chi” is based on the Marvel Comics martial arts hero established in the 1970s.
On August 18th, in 25 cities across the United States and Canada, Disney will screen a special preview of the film for a limited group of fans in IMAX theatres.
