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Can You Watch ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ on Disney+?

The latest MCU entrant is getting a theater-exclusive run

Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson got his start writing about direct to video movies almost 15 years ago. This was back in a time when video stores were a part of everyday life, as opposed to being roadside attractions like gator farms or the Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota. With that writing on the wall in huge day-glo capital letters and probably moving neon, Steve migrated to streaming, which was clearly the future of home entertainment. Steve has been an enthusiastic proponent of the home theater for years, however, and seeing streaming's growth has proven gratifying as a way to fill the video store's shoes.
Read full bio ›
Steve Anderson

The latest arrival of a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) title in theaters is no doubt a welcome development for everybody who was hoping for a slice of normalcy to return to their lives. While “Black Widow”-watchers were able to stream the film with Disney+ Premier Access, that will not be an option for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

Disney is “experimenting” with going back to theatrical-only releases, starting with “Shang-Chi.” It will consider its success against films like “Black Widow” and “Jungle Cruise,” which released in theaters and with Premier Access on the same day.

What Disney desperately wants to avoid is a scenario like Paramount experienced with “Snake-Eyes,” which bombed so badly at theaters, the movie was made available for digital rental just three weeks after it hit theaters. It’s unlikely a Marvel movie would suffer that fate, but if audiences are scared off over health concerns, anything is possible.

Since “Shang-Chi” is getting a theatrical-only run, that would put the film’s Disney+ debut in mid-October. There’s an outside chance that Disney could try to tack a Premier Access ($30) charge on the movie to see it then, but that’s very unlikely. Disney has emphasized, repeatedly, that it wants to “stay flexible” on releasing.

So for right now, Shang-Chi is hitting theaters, will hit Disney+ eventually, and likely won’t require a $30 up-charge to get in when it hits. We’ve already seen how quickly this can change, so be ready. Hopefully, Disney can find a better way to inject certainty with their flexibility to improve the customer experience.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

September 1, 2021

Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson got his start writing about direct to video movies almost 15 years ago. This was back in a time when video stores were a part of everyday life, as opposed to being roadside attractions like gator farms or the Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota. With that writing on the wall in huge day-glo capital letters and probably moving neon, Steve migrated to streaming, which was clearly the future of home entertainment. Steve has been an enthusiastic proponent of the home theater for years, however, and seeing streaming's growth has proven gratifying as a way to fill the video store's shoes.
Read full bio ›
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