Simu Liu took exception to Disney CEO Bob Chapek describing the decision to withhold Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings from Disney Plus Premiere Access to give it a 45-day theatrical window as an “interesting experiment for us”, with the leading man issuing a fiery and heartfelt response on social media.
Naturally, the boss of the entire company likening a mega budget Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster featuring a brand new superhero to a trial run was guaranteed to ruffle some feathers. But Kevin Feige claims that the whole thing is nothing more than a misunderstanding.
In a new interview, Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer admitted that he admired Liu’s enthusiasm, while he also stemmed the tide of speculation that another highly publicized issue between an MCU star and the Mouse House could be brewing.
“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.”
It was a poor choice of wording from Chapek, something he’s inadvertently become famed for after getting Eternals fans worried by recently referring to Chloe Zhao’s cosmic epic as a 2022 release. And just a few months ago, he had to correct himself after accidentally starting a ton of rumors when he said a Han Solo series was in the works for Disney Plus.
As things stand, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is unfortunately tracking for a franchise-low opening weekend, and many fans are happy to wait until it comes to Disney Plus instead of risking a trip to the theater. Hopefully that doesn’t affect Marvel’s long-term plans for the brand, because the early buzz coming out of the fantasy martial arts comic book movie is hugely encouraging, even if it might not translate to box office dollars.