The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is changing. After 13 years following the likes of Iron Man, aka Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America, aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and other members of the Avengers, it was high time other characters stood in the spotlight.
Picture Credit: Marvel Studios
We all adore the MCU and the characters already in it, but the move into Phase Four is incredibly exciting; we are still seeing the characters we love in future movies, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, but also new characters never before seen on the big screen.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the second movie, following Spider-Man: Far From Home, in Phase Four of the MCU, and the 25th film in total; fans are already loving the journey of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu).
The movie stars Liu in the titular role, a new character for the MCU who must confront the past he so badly wanted to leave behind, after he is drawn into the world of the Ten Rings Organisation.
The Ten Rings is a group we have heard of before, and one that has lingered ever so slightly in the background of Marvel. First seen in Iron Man (2008), the organisation went on to cause chaos in Iron Man 3 (2013), as the terrorist group had some pretty sinister plans.
Now, it seems, Shang-Chi will tackle this organisation, and delve into a deeper understanding of who they are, and where they came from.
The film released into cinemas on September 3rd, 2021, and after being out for only a few days, it is already number one at the UK and Ireland Box Office; it has generated £5.76 million so far, making it the biggest opening weekend in the pandemic era.
Shang-Chi has been met with immense success and adoration, as fans and critics alike are praising the movie for a multitude of reasons.
Laura Sirikul from Empire stated that ‘Liu knocks it out of the park as Shang-Chi’, Neil Smith from GamesRadar claims the movie ‘Firmly steers the MCU into previously uncharted territory’, and Tim Robey from Telegraph says it was ‘Love at first fight’.
It seems that the new direction that the MCU is heading is blowing fans away; as we’ve been used to many of the same characters for over a decade (and while we still love them), seeing new and diverse characters hit the big screen is incredible, and does indeed seem to be paving a new and exciting path for the MCU.
After Shang-Chi, the MCU will be debuting Eternals, followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home; that’s it for 2021, but next year (2022) has even more movies (and series) in store.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in cinemas now!
Watch the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings below!
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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