Kevin Feige is known to run a pretty tight ship over at Marvel Studios, but the company is having a pretty stormy summer. First, MCU veteran Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) sued parent company Disney for tens of millions of dollars over the release of Black Widow, which she alleges would have made more money at the physical box office were it not also offered via streaming service Disney+ for an extra fee.
And then, just the other day Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu took issue with Disney CEO Bob Chapek calling the release strategy for the movie — it’s going to be in theaters for 45 days before landing on streaming — an “interesting experiment,” which Liu seemed to take as a dig at the movie itself. “We are not an ‘interesting experiment,’” he wrote on social media. “We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.”
What a wildly successful studio head to do? Make nice. Feige addressed both controversies at the world premiere of Shang-Chi, saying of the Johannson situation that he’s “all for amicable solutions.” He was a little more specific about Liu’s comments:
"He is not a shy man. I think in that particular tweet you can see, and I think everyone does, a misunderstanding. It was not the intention. The proof is in the movie and we swing for the fences as we always do. With the amount of creative energy we put in and the budget, there’s no expense spared to bring this origin story to the screen."
Kevin Feige: public relations superhero.
Early reviews for Shang-Chi are glowing
As for the movie itself, it’s getting some excellent early reviews. Just look at some of these raves from the lucky few who got to see it early:
Shang-Chi was everything. I can’t wait for the world to see it, especially the Asian-Americans who finally get to see themselves as heroes.
— Erika Ishii🥔 (@erikaishii) August 17, 2021
Thank you. To all who made tonight happen. To all who watched & said lovely things about the red carpet.
Words, thanks, & photos tomorrow.♥️
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is PHENOMENAL. Get hyped. Even fight scene/action sequence is better than the last. @SimuLiu fully embraces the marvel superhero role. Amazing imagery. Killer soundtrack. You’ll want to see this on the big screen. #shangchi
— Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) August 17, 2021
#ShangChi is awesome. This movie hits all that Marvel does well (pacing, humor, character) and adds action like we’ve never seen from the MCU before! 👏🏻👏🏻
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) August 17, 2021
Lots of people are about to have a new favorite Marvel hero.
Darker than expected. Loads of fun. Integral to MCU Phase 4!👀 pic.twitter.com/YI3jkwLuq6
#ShangChi is an absolute triumph, unexpectedly spiritual and emotionally complex, with some of the very best action in the MCU. @SimuLiu is your new favorite Avenger and the movie’s myriad influences (everything from Jackie Chan to Hayao Miyazaki) pay off big time). Astounding.🐉 pic.twitter.com/72Yubnb4KV
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) August 17, 2021
Shang-Chi is a blast! Marvel delivers a wuxia/fantasy/superhero movie mash-up that’s a lot more fun than how the trailers have been selling it. Exciting action, great cast (Tony Leung rules, of course). This is the MCU back doing its thing on a high level again. #ShangChi pic.twitter.com/eW9bxF9QNB
— Aaron Neuwirth🕎❄️⛄️ (@AaronsPS4) August 17, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings earns the title of the best superhero film of 2021 so far. The action scenes are simply spectacular, especially the train & skyscraper scene. Best martial arts I’ve seen in a long time. Simu Liu & Awkwafina are terrific. #ShangChi pic.twitter.com/M0EEMJqKu3
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) August 17, 2021
#ShangChi is fantastic. It's full of INCREDIBLE, beautifully choreographed fight scenes and full of badass women. Get ready to know Simu Liu's name if you don't already. Marvel has another hit on its hands. pic.twitter.com/3efV1kzJ7O
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) August 17, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings comes out in theaters (and only in theaters) on September 3.
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h/t The A.V. Club, SyFy Wire