The God of Thunder himself has welcomed the latest Marvel hero into the MCU family. Next month will see the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, featuring the debut of Simu Liu’s eponymous Shang-Chi. The character is the franchise’s very first Asian leading man, so this movie is a major deal for the cinematic universe and the superhero genre as a whole.
And it seems Thor star Chris Hemsworth is just as excited to finally watch it as the rest of us.
Hemsworth shared a new TV spot for Shang-Chi on his Instagram on Monday, welcoming Liu’s martial arts expert into the MCU in his accompanying caption. “Welcome to the MCU Shang-Chi!” The Australian actor wrote. “Can’t wait to see this. It’s going to be epic! Out September 3rd #ShangChi @marvelstudios.”
Hemsworth’s post coincided with the movie’s world premiere on Monday, with the same day offering tickets available for pre-order. The first reactions from this week’s showing are overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising Liu as perfectly cast in the title role and making for an exciting new hero in the MCU. As directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Shang-Chi has been described as “phenomenal” and full of “fun, heart, and jaw-dropping action.” Well, that definitely gets us even more excited than we already were.
It’s good to know that it’s being critically well-received, but the real test for Shang-Chi will lie in its commercial performance. With the outbreak of the Delta COVID-19 variant, its box office gross could take a big hit and, unlike Black Widow, it’s not currently on target to open simultaneously on Disney Plus. Instead, it’s due to make its streaming debut 45 days later.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits cinemas on September 3rd. Chris Hemsworth, meanwhile, will return in Thor: Love and Thunder, opening on May 5th, 2022.
