Will there be a Shang-Chi Disney Plus release? The eagerly-anticipated next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after last month’s Black Widow movie is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which releases in theaters next month. However, does the Shang-Chi release date include Disney Plus version, like Black Widow did? When will Shang-Chi release on Disney Plus, if it will at all?
Is there a Shang-Chi Disney Plus release date?
The release date of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney Plus is approximately October 18, 2021, which is 45 days after Shang-Chi’s theatrical release date in the US of September 3.
This is unlike the previous MCU movie Black Widow, which was released at the same time on the Disney Plus streaming service as it was in theaters — just like DC Comics movie The Suicide Squad on Warner Bros’ competing streaming service HBO Max. This was done to boost subscriber numbers for these streaming services as much as they allowed fans to watch these movies at home during the pandemic, but with Shang-Chi Disney has decided to make the movie exclusive to theaters for a month and a half. If anyone wants to watch Shang-Chi at home on Disney Plus, they will have to wait until mid-October — the good news being, they might not have to pay the higher premium price.
The latest MCU project on Disney Plus is the animated alternate universe series What If?, which launched its first episode today with the second unrelated story releasing on the service next week. The story of the Shang-Chi movie was seemingly teased in the post-credits scene for Black Widow, although it’s possible it was merely setting up the Hawkeye Disney Plus show that’s out this year — with further hints towards a possible Dark Avengers movie or Disney Plus series too.
