Four years ago, when this blog had more of a mass media focus, I published an entry regarding the Marvel Comics character, Iron Fist, and how it reflected the lack of Asian representation in on-screen superhero mediums. While most vocal fans sought to recast Danny Rand/Iron Fist as an Asian character rather than as a White martial artist, I suggested something else entirely: to bring one of Marvel’s cult favorite characters, Shang-Chi, to either the small screen or the big screen. I had mentioned this for two reasons: 1. Bringing an existing Asian hero would keep naysayers from claiming that the studio was “pandering” to its audience, and 2. I’ve been a fan of Shang-Chi since I was 11 years old, so I had a semi-personal stake in that recommendation.
Fast forward to the summer of 2021. Amidst a global pandemic, the theatrical release of Shang-Chi’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut is rearing to make its way to theaters on Labor Day weekend. The naysayers were everywhere. Many anticipated that in spite of praise from movie critics, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings would flop at the box office, due to movie theaters opening and closing at such a turbulent time. Marvel’s Black Widow divided it’s release between theaters and the subscription streaming service, Disney+. James Gunn’s beloved DC movie, The Suicide Squad, under-performed at the box office, despite a #1 debut on its opening weekend, recouping its losses by streaming on HBO Max. With Shang-Chi being announced as a theatrical release only, the odds were stacked against it. Then again, even in the comics, Shang-Chi always had a thing for fighting the odds.
In the face of every doubter, Shang-Chi debuted at #1 at the box office, breaking Labor Day weekend records, from its midnight screenings, all the way to the end of its four-day weekend. The underdog Marvel movie kept fighting to stay at the top, holding the top spot at the box office for 3 weeks straight and counting (at the time of this entry) , quickly approaching the $200 million mark, the first U.S. movie of 2021 to do that without an on-demand streaming release during its theatrical run.
So, why did Shang-Chi succeed when most predicted it would fail? One could mention numerous reasons; dazzling martial arts scenes envoking everything from Jackie Chan-styled fights to wuxia duels that evoke classic Jet Li movies, a charming performance from Simu Liu balanced with comedic timing from Awkwafina, even the monumental presence of famed Hong Kong acting legend Tony Leung as the warlord Wenwu, aka “The Mandarin”, a character that Marvel fans had been aching to see onscreen since the first Iron Man movie was released in 2008, elevated and even humanized by Leung’s presence and performance.
One could go on and on about how awesome Shang-Chi was, but that doesn’t explain how such a movie became a box office champion. So, how did the “Master Of Kung Fu” do so well at the movies? A simple answer: because he was a hero who was needed.
Much like Black Panther became a symbol of heroism for not only Black Americans, but for people of African descent across the globe, Shang-Chi was seen as a hero for the Asian community; an easily relatable character with the prowess of a champion, a humble soul finding his way, seeking balance in his seemingly chaotic life, torn between his allegiance to his father, and his yearning to stand for the good in his world as his mother did. And much like King T’Challa had fans everywhere shouting “YIBAMBE!” and “WAKANDA FOREVER!”, Shang-Chi had fans rooting for him with every punch, every kick, every leap and wave of his hands. In a time where Asians in the U.S., Canada, and UK have been in the crosshairs of racism and bigotry, Shang-Chi is the champion that emerged to remind them that they can be champions too.
Four years ago, I expressed my belief that bringing Shang-Chi to the big screen would be just what the world needed. Even then, I had no idea how much of a difference bringing him to the big screen would make.
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