Marvel's most recent movie was a huge box-office success, and they've got another big one still coming out this year. PC: pxhere.com Creative Commons
Marvel released Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at the beginning of September, and it did not disappoint fans. This is the first Marvel film to feature an Asian American as the main character and is one of Marvel’s most action packed.
Eamon Burke, a sophomore at the City College of New York (CCNY) and lifelong Marvel fan, watched Shang Chi opening night and found it surprising, “I think [Shang Chi] was a lot better than I initially anticipated. I thought it had a really thorough plot and it was very colorful … I believe Shang Chi had an interesting story arc as well as just being a badass,” he said.
The movie’s box office numbers surpassed expectations even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first month, it earned $330 million dollars according to boxofficemojo.com. The success of Shang Chi led Marvel to move up the date of its next film: Venom: Let There Be Carnage. That is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2021.
Some Marvel fans hope the success of Shang Chi will lead to movies that feature more characters from diverse backgrounds. Michael Kessler, a City College sophomore, is excited about what Marvel may produce next. “I hope it will set the table for many more Asian lead films in the future, and it will open the door for more diverse characters throughout the Marvel Universe,” Kessler said.
Marvel has more in the pipeline coming this year. Spider-Man No Way Home, Marvel’s most-anticipated movie of the year, is set to open on December 17, 2021 for the holiday season. Richie Vento, a City College junior and Marvel fanatic, will definitely see it in a movie theater. He said, “I am really looking forward to the new Spider-Man film because not only is [Spider-Man] my favorite superhero but the film also is said to have multiple superheroes and timelines that will eventually connect a lot of the superheroes into one multiverse.”
