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Credit: Marvel StudiosEarlier this summer, following the successful initial July 9, 2021 release of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Marvel Studios experienced its biggest box office nose dive in its history.
Related: Marvel Pres. Kevin Feige Reportedly Livid, “Embarrassed” About ‘Black Widow’
Billed as a “stunning crash”, many journalists and Marvel fans blamed the failure of Black Widow‘s second weekend in theaters on the fact that the movie was simultaneously released on the Disney+ streaming platform, thereby making it easier for would-be pirates to record and distribute online.
Related: New Marvel Star Accused of Cultural Appropriation, Fans Plan ‘Shang-Chi’ Boycott
Johansson’s $50 million lawsuit regarding the simultaneous release notwithstanding, Black Widow‘s origin story prequel — set between the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — is the number one movie of the year so far, earning over $183 million at the domestic box office.
Now, Marvel’s most recent Phase 4 film, Simu Liu-led Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to take the number two spot this weekend after shattering all expectations during its Labor Day weekend release.
According to one article:
Now in its second week of release, Disney’s Shang-Chi will out-earn the $160 million of Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Part II by the end of Friday to become the third highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office. Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru projects Marvel’s latest will then overtake the $172.9 million of Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga by Sunday, making Shang-Chi the #2 movie domestically after 17 days. In first place is Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow with its $183 million haul from over the summer.
The top five films of the domestic box office as of September 17, via The Numbers:
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Black Widow ($183.2 million)
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F9: The Fast Saga ($172.9 million)
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A Quiet Place: Part II ($160 million)
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($155.1 million)
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Jungle Cruise ($110.4 million)
Related: There’s a Tony Stark Cameo In the Latest Marvel Movie Trailer
Shang-Chi‘s success proves that Marvel Studios fans want more than the same old storytelling — they want fresh faces and new tales from the Marvel Comics universe. And, thanks to the fact that a Shang-Chi sequel has already been greenlighted at The Walt Disney Company, Marvel movie fans might not have to wait too long for more of this popular new character to hit the big screen.
More on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Related: With Black Widow Out, ‘The Marvels’ May Bring a Brand-New Avenger
The official description of Shang-Chi reads:
Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. The film also stars Tony Leung as [Shang Chi’s father] Wenwu [The Mandarin], Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, as well as Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng.
More on Black Widow
Related: ‘Hawkeye’ Is the Most Anticipated Marvel Project, According to Twitter
The official description of the movie reads:
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down [Taskmaster and Dreykov (Ray Winstone)], Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. “Black Widow” — the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.
What do you think about Marvel Studios holding the top two box office spots of the year after this weekend?