Fans locked in debate on whether ‘Shang-Chi’ is top-tier or middling MCU

Phase five of the MCU is about to begin in a few weeks and fans have begun to look back on what Phase 4 has given us so far. While the Disney Plus exclusives had fans wishing for an official home release, there is currently a debate going on about the new Marvel films that were released about if they were “really good” or “just mid.” And one of them is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Reddit user u/Own-Donkey opened up a discussion of the quality of Shang-Chi on r/MarvelStudios. OP believes that Shang-Chi was really good. They believe that all the characters have good motivations, the fantasy elements were enjoyable, and that it was really good for a standalone story. They were worried though that their opinions of this film might be a hot take and shared their argument why it shouldn’t be hated, especially the final fighting scene.

Meanwhile, a now-deleted response post referenced OP’s take and claimed that Shang-Chi is overhyped. They were not okay with the Mandarin character (the one played by Ben Kingsley in Iron Man 2) because it was “an outdated racist-looking character.” They also believed the second act felt forced and “became a different film entirely.“

This post opened conversations if the film was really overhyped or if it was it good. Mostly because some were not happy with the final fighting scene.

OP received support from other like-minded people. They agreed that out of all the Phase Four films that were released, Shang-Chi is somewhere high up. They can agree with OP in terms of the film’s other content such as its eastern cinema influences, fighting scenes, returning characters, and character motivations.

Asides from the hate for the third act, some fans argued that they couldn’t enjoy the film because it was produced by an American studio rather. They wished that directors who have actually worked on eastern martial arts films, like Ang Lee, were involved but accepted that it was wishful thinking.

Whether you love or hate it, Shang-Chi received praise from fans and critics alike. The film has an average score of 91 and 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed over $432 million at the box office. The film was also praised for its eastern influences and its positive representation of Asians in a Marvel Blockbuster film.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to stream on Disney Plus.