Disney confirms Shang-Chi will still be released only in theaters

With COVID cases rising, we’re beginning to see studios starting to push the release of their upcoming films once again, but some are holding firm. During Disney’s recent Q3 earnings call, CEO Bob Chapek spoke of the studio’s simultaneous theatrical/Disney+ Premier release strategy that they’ve used for Cruella, Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise. “We value flexibility in being able to make last-minute calls,” Chapek said, but it seems that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings won’t be making the jump to Disney+ Premier.

Chapek confirmed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will still debut in theaters next month as planned, but admitted that prior agreements with exhibitors are preventing them from making any last-minute changes to bring Shang-Chi to Disney+ Premier on the same date. “Certainly when we planned we didn’t anticipate the resurgence of Covid,” Chapek said. Thanks to a deal made earlier this year, Shang-Chi, along with Free Guy, will be available to stream 45 days after they hit theaters, which Chapek called an “interesting experiment” for the studio. Rising COVID cases almost certainly means that Shang-Chi won’t have the audience Disney originally expected, but at least it will be available for viewers at home a little sooner than usual.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist who was trained at a young age to be an assassin by his father Wenwu, only to depart to live a normal life in San Francisco. However, he must confront the past he thought he had left behind when he’s drawn back into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. In addition to Simu Liu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also stars Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy, and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film and co-wrote the script with Andrew Lanham and David Callaham. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters on September 3, 2021.