Marvel Studios has been unleashing a ton of content as of late. Fans are ramping up anticipation for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow solo effort, and Loki fans have been exploring the ramifications of time travel on the weekly Disney+ series. We recently got to see the first new footage from the next two MCU movies, and now another new trailer is expected to arrive TONIGHT! But sorry, Spider-Man fans, because it’s not the one you were hoping for.
One of the challenges facing Marvel Studios in its Phase Four is introducing new heroes (or teams) that mainstream audiences might never had heard of. This includes the Eternals, who will have an origin movie in November, and also Shang-Chi (Simu Liu). The movie is expected to introduce martial arts into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also tapping into a villainous group that has been around since the very first film in the MCU: The Ten Rings.
You might recall that The Ten Rings were the terrorists who detained Tony Stark in the desert, trapping him in a cave but also allowing him to invent the suit that saved his life -- and made him a superhero. A component of The Ten Rings surfaced in Iron Man 3 when Ben Kingsley appeared as The Mandarin, but it was a ruse, and the concept of the villain should resurface in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
What’s unusual about this trailer launch tonight is that, yes, Shang-Chi would be the next Marvel movie arriving in theaters after Black Widow, but the studio already had unveiled a full trailer for the origin story. However, there’s a Marvel/Sony movie that is opening in December that’s being kept under tight security, with every small detail about it being held close to the vest. That would be Spider-Man: No Way Home, the third Tom Holland film which may or may not be a multiverse story. It depends on what rumors you believe. When the hell is THAT trailer arriving, because fans have been incredibly vocal on social media begging for it. Instead, you get a second Shang-Chi.
The reason Shang-Chi probably needs additional trailers placed in high-profile slots like the NBA playoffs is because everyone knows who Spider-Man is, and all the studios need to do is announce the date, and people will show. There’s an education process that comes with a new Marvel movie, and more footage - -and explanation -- can only assist. Even when we get into next year, and the continuation of Phase Four, we will get a lot of sequels from Thor, Captain Marvel and Black Panther. They need less ramp up. Launching a new character and a new corner of the MCU takes time.
Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will arrive in theaters on September 3. It’s the second of four new Marvel movies that fans will get to enjoy between now and the end of the year, so make sure you are checking our Upcoming Marvel Movies Guide to stay up to date on all of the progress in the MCU.
