After Hours
Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Disney
If Hollywood needed a sign that diverse content sells, it got one in 2018.
It started with the blockbuster “Black Panther,” which smashed box office records and went on to win three of the six Academy Awards for which it was nominated. The superhero flick, which had a predominantly Black cast, rang up more than $1.34 billion in ticket sales at the global box office.
Six months later, Jon Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians” shattered expectations. The film tallied more than $238 million in ticket sales on a budget of $30 million, making it one of the highest-grossing romantic comedies ever.
It was a wake-up call to an industry that had largely been reluctant to stray from tried-and-true Hollywood formulas. Studios quickly discovered that more diversity means more money.
Three years later, Marvel is introducing its first Asian superhero, the legendary Shang-Chi, and the film has the chance to become the next “Black Panther” at the box office.
“It’s not only the right thing to do,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, president and CEO of Marcus Theaters of the pushes for more inclusivity in Hollywood. “Frankly, it’s important to do from a business perspective.”
Rodriguez, who is also the chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said that together minorities make up a large chunk of the moviegoing public.
For example, while Hispanics represent around 18% of the population, they make up about 24% of the attendance at movie theaters, he said. Add African American and Asian audiences, which represent 17% and 7% of audiences, and that’s nearly 50% of business.
And films like “Black Panther,” which features a predominately Black cast, don’t just resonate with Black audiences. Other minorities turned out in droves to see the film, Rodriguez said. The same is expected to happen with “Shang-Chi” in September, as well as other films like “In the Heights” and “Eternals,” which feature diverse casts.
‘Create inspiration and drive aspiration’
When Disney released “Black Panther” in 2018, it had the highest opening weekend of any Marvel film up until that point. Domestically, the film hauled in $292 million over its first seven days in theaters, $22 million more than the team-up film “Avengers” garnered during its first week in 2012.
It was the first time Marvel featured a Black superhero as the lead. According to Comscore, 37% of the opening weekend audience was African American, more than double what that demographic usually represents for other Marvel films.
A similar result was seen from audiences that went to see “Crazy Rich Asians” in theaters.
“Black Panther” also benefited by being a critically well-received film. It garnered a 96% “Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes and won three Academy Awards.
Led by the late Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther” told a deeply emotional story of a man coming to terms with the death of his father. Not only must he take on the mantle of king, but he must face the mistakes that were made by the man he idolized and protect his family and his people. This narrative was woven into the context of a superhero film, making the feature more than just an action flick, but an emotionally resonant piece of popular culture.
“Black Panther” paved the way for Marvel to produce other inclusive stories, including the recent launch of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in which Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) must grapple with what it means for a Black man to be Captain America.
Rodriguez noted that “Shang-Chi” will do for the Asian community what “Black Panther” did for the Black community.
“These films create inspiration and drive aspiration,” he said.
A long path to ‘Shang-Chi’
Due out on Sept. 3, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” follows the titular Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist who was trained at a young age to be an assassin by his father, but walked away to live a normal life. However, Shang-Chi can only run from his past for so long.
The film stars Simu Liu, a Canadian television star, as part of a predominantly Asian cast that includes Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Ronny Chieng and Florian Munteanu.
Tony Leung has been confirmed as The Mandarin, the villainous leader of the Ten Rings terrorist organization. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will remember Ben Kingsley portrayed a fake version of this character in “Iron Man 3.”
Behind the camera is director Destin Daniel Cretton (“Just Mercy”) and Chinese-American screenwriter Dave Callaham. Cretton and Andrew Lanham are also credited as writers on the film.
