Marvel fans are in for a treat this year with four new movies on the release slate. The second of these is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which was released in cinemas this past week.
This will be Marvel's first Asian-led superhero movie as well as one of the first MCU origin stories audiences have seen in some time. It's also the first Marvel movie to be released solely in theaters since Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019, so it's safe to say a lot is riding on Shang-Chi's performance.
Disney appears to be relying heavily on the box office data from Shang-Chi to determine whether other movies on its calendar like Eternals, which is scheduled for November, will be delayed. Thankfully, the new Marvel movie has already smashed Thursday preview numbers and is setting up for a big opening weekend.
Another big factor that plays into a film's measure of success is reviews. So far critics have universally praised Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but how do audiences feel about it?
Shang-Chi's CinemaScore Grade Revealed
CinemaScore released its official grading for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with audiences giving the film an A. CinemaScore calculates its rankings by polling audience members in theaters on a movie's opening night.
Shang-Chi's grade of A puts it in good company in the MCU with a score on par with movies like Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
A complete list of the CinemaScore grades for the 25 MCU movies so far can be seen below:
- Iron Man: A
- The Incredible Hulk: A-
- Iron Man 2: A
- Thor: B+
- Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
- The Avengers: A+
- Iron Man 3: A
- Thor: The Dark World: A-
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier: A
- Guardians of the Galaxy: A
- Avengers: Age of Ultron: A
- Ant-Man: A
- Captain America: Civil War: A
- Doctor Strange: A
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: A
- Spider-Man: Homecoming: A
- Thor: Ragnarok: A
- Black Panther: A+
- Avengers: Infinity War: A
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: A-
- Captain Marvel: A
- Avengers: Endgame: A+
- Spider-Man: Far From Home: A
- Black Widow: A-
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: A
Audiences Approve of Marvel's Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi is certainly proving itself to be one to watch.
CinemaScore grades range from A+ to F, so an A rating situates Shang-Chi well within the upper echelon. The lowest CinemaScore grade an MCU movie has ever received was a B+ for Thor ,and Marvel's winning streak hasn't been let down by its latest release.
Earlier this year Black Widow achieved an A- CinemaScore grade, so the fact that a newcomer like Shang-Chi can beat out a veteran Avenger is a strong testament to the film's quality.
Now that Shang-Chi is officially out in the world, the question is what's next for the hero.
A Shang-Chi sequel hasn't been officially confirmed, but Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has said there are ideas on the table. Marvel stars like Brie Larson have already welcomed the MCU's newest superhero, and Simu Liu himself has said he's hopeful for a role in Avengers 5.
Now that Marvel has officially proclaimed Shang-Chi to be an Avenger, it looks likely the Kung-Fu master will be joining the world's mightiest superheroes at some point in the future.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is showing exclusively in cinemas now.
