Everything Aussies Need to Know About Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Everything Aussies Need to Know About Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
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After a year off, Marvel’s content train is full steam ahead in 2021 and the latest movie to hit screens is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Shang-Chi introduces a brand new character into the MCU and is a significant step for Asian representation in superhero films. If the trailer and reviews are anything to go by it will also be a damn good time.

Here’s an easy guide with everything you need to know before watching the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in Australia.

When will Shang-Chi be on Disney+?

Unlike Black Widow, Shang-Chi did not get a simultaneous streaming release on Disney+, despite many markets around the world being unable to attend cinemas due to the pandemic.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed that Shang-Chi will be released for streaming on Disney+ on Friday, November 12, to coincide with Disney+ day. This will likely become available around 6 pm AEDT like other Disney+ premieres.

This release is free for subscribers and will not require payment like other Premier Access content.

Who is Shang-Chi?

shang-chi
Image: Marvel/Disney

Shang-Chi is a martial arts master and superhero from Marvel comics.

The character hasn’t had much crossover with other notable Marvel heroes throughout his comic history, occasionally showing up to help the Avengers or appearing in the Secret Wars storyline, but he’s about to become huge in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings tells the superhero origin story of Shang-Chi. He was trained from a young age to be an assassin by his father but eventually defected and left his family to seek a new life in the USA.

As his past starts to catch up with him Shang-Chi must face the mysterious Ten Rings organisation.

Shang-Chi’s superpowers mainly lie in his incredible fighting skills. He excels at a range of hand-to-hand combat and weapon fighting styles. The character has also gained superhuman abilities from his use of the ten rings which each gift him a different elemental or psionic power.

What about the Ten Rings?

shang-chi mandarin
Image: Marvel/Disney

The Ten Rings and its leader, the Mandarin, may seem familiar to MCU fans.

The Ten Rings is a terrorist organisation that seeks to destroy world peace. It’s appeared sporadically in the Marvel timeline, most notably in Iron Man, where the group captures Tony and holds him for ransom.

The Mandarin also showed up in Iron Man 3, where he was played by Ben Kingsley. However, this turned out to be a twist with the Mandarin being a fake character used to hide the actions of the real villain of the story, Aldrich Killian.

Marvel fans can rest assured that the real Mandarin will appear in Shang-Chi in a more comic-accurate portrayal.

Who’s in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings?

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features a groundbreaking and diverse Asian cast.

In the lead role as Shang-Chi is Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience). He’s joined by a stellar cast that includes Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng and Tony Leung as Shang-Chi’s father, Wenwu.

The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12). Shang-Chi was filmed right here in Australia at Fox Studios in Sydney, so Aussies may recognise some of its locations.

Shang-Chi: Trailer

Marvel has released a trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and it really looks unlike anything else in the MCU.

The trailer shows off some stunning martial arts sequences and some epic fantasy elements (a dragon!?). If you look closely you’ll even see Abomination from The Incredible Hulk facing off with Doctor Strange’s Wong.

Disney has gone and dropped a second trailer for the upcoming film, showing off some of the banter we can expect from Awkwafina and Simu Liu. You can check that one out here.

Which Marvel movies do you need to watch first?

Shang-Chi is an origin story, so you’re pretty safe to go into the film blind.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton has confirmed the film is set in the “present-day” MCU timeline and takes place post-Avengers: Endgame, so it may help to be aware of those events.

If you’d also like to do your research on the Ten Rings, these are the Marvel films the group has shown up in:

  • Iron Man (2008)
  • Iron Man 3 (2013)
  • Ant-Man (2015)

You can find all of the above over on Disney+ right now.

Disney has also recently added the Marvel one-shot All Hail The King to Disney+ which tells the story of Trevor Slattery (aka the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3) after his arrest and may help fill give some context before watching Shang-Chi.

What are the reviews saying?

Now that Shang-Chi has successfully premiered around the world, reviews have appeared online.

Long story short, they’re all overwhelmingly positive and full of praise for the MCU’s newest Avenger.

 

Shang-Chi: Australian release date

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is available to watch in Australian cinemas from September 2 and on Disney+ from November 12.

Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT have a revised theatrical release date, pending the lockdown situation. Regardless of when lockdown lifts you can still expect to see Shang-Chi in cinemas for some time or on Disney+ very soon.

This article has been updated since its original publish date. 


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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