It looks like an Eternals and Shang-Chi China release is unlikely. China’s CCTV6 Movie Channel recently aired a list of U.S. release dates for Marvel Studios Phase 4 of the MCU. Problem is, they skipped both Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This report comes by way of Variety who go on to speculate this could mean trouble for both movies getting a China release.
We kinda know what the issues are with both movies and the circumstances are very different.
Eternals
Eternals is getting the cold should from China for one reason alone, director Chloe Zhao. Zhao has been blacklisted in the county and wiped from their curated version of the internet. Zhao was critical of the nation she was born in back in 2013, and well, you know China. That cannot be allowed, because it might give others ideas they can criticize their government and where does that lead to. Yup, potentially the leaders controlling everyone’s lives being out of a job and just the same as every other chump. Clearly this cannot be allowed to happen. Hey that’ is China’s current policy and it’s not even getting political, that’s how it works over there, simple.
Shang-Chi
This one is even worse in some ways. The Chinese culture have deemed Shang-Chi no good because they don’t think stars Simu Liu, nor Awkwafina are attractive enough. Yup the Chinese have a standard of beauty which appeals to them for their movies stars and apparently these two don’t meet it. At least, this is the only reason that has a semblance of evidence to support it. Social media in China really did pan the pair after those first Shang-Chi trailers hit.
Marvel Superhero movies getting censored in China just sounds so bizarre in 2021. The Chinese reaction must also be causing a bit of a headache for Disney as a whole. You see studios are currently caught between a rock and a hard place. With one hand diversity and sweeping changes to a perceived male/white dominant industry are at the forefront. Until you factor in China, then it becomes about not upsetting China so that your movie can make $3-400M extra over there. There are a variety of touchy subjects you just can’t go near if you want your movie to play in China.
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So some studios, by not joining the diversity movement, can actually make more money by breaking China. Such a strange species we belong to eh?
Do you think an Eternals and Shang-Chi China release will happen or not? Leave any thoughts you have below as always.
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