It seems that another Marvel Studios star may also have issues with Disney leadership and streaming plans. Simu Liu, the star of the upcoming “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” took to social media after comments made by Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
According to Variety, Liu is likely reacting to a comment made by Chapek during Disney’s third quarter earnings call August 12. During the call, Chapek discussed the theatrical-only premiere for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
On ‘Shang-Chi,’ we think it’s actually going to be an interesting experiment for us, because it’s got only a 45-day window for us. So the prospect of being able to take a Marvel title to the [streaming] service after going theatrical at 45 days will be yet another data point to inform our actions going forward on our titles.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek
Unlike Marvel’s most recent film, “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” will debut exclusively in theaters for a 45-day run. After that, it will be available on Disney+. The “experiment” is that “Shang-Chi” is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to bow solely in theaters since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liu took issue with Chapek calling the film “an interesting experiment.” In a Tweet made early August 14, Liu appeared to take a thinly-veiled jab at Chapek.
We are not an experiment.
We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year.
We are the surprise.
@SimuLiu on Twitter
Liu also used his Instagram account to share his thoughts. This time, Liu directly quoted Chapek’s “interesting experiment” remark.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” will follow the same path as the Disney-produced “Free Guy,” starring Ryan Reynolds. “Free Guy” will also have 45 days in the theaters before coming to a streaming service. Because “Free Guy” was released under the 20th Century banner, it will likely go to HBO Max before coming to Disney+.
Recent Disney films “Cruella,” “Black Widow,” and “Jungle Cruise” premiered simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” hits theaters September 3, 2021.
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Marvel is the only one of Iger’s “acquisitions” that has been consistently successful for Disney, and now Chapek has managed to enrage/alienate 2 stars of Marvel film’s stars in a row? What does Bob Chapek think his job is exactly? I know he got where he is by cutting budgets and raising prices to “produce a profit on the books” …but really that amounts to short changing the talent and price gauging the public. You can’t be the CEO of a “creative company” and alienate the artists and actors who create the product your company sells, that’s so unbelievably arrogant and all it’s going to do is drive your company into the ground.
In a addition to that, 90 days, or 3 months, had been the standard length of time a Movie ran in theaters before being released on Blu-Ray/DVD/On Demand, and that was an agreement all the major studios had with theater owners around the world. So cutting that time in half to 45 days to prop up you streaming service? …That probably isn’t going to go over well with the Theater owners, who you now are also short changing in addition to the talent like Scarlett Johansson, in order to “produce a profit on the books”.
But you make a lot more money selling tickets in theaters for a film, than dumping all your first run content into to a subscription based streaming service. Plus it’s the “The Talent” and “The Stars” that public is paying to see… Scarlett Johansson is selling the tickets to the movie, no one is buying tickets to Disney films because of Bob Chapek
So? like? Is there a third dude named “Bob” at the company you all want to try and prompter to CEO? Because this current Bob seems defective, and they still haven’t taken the “Iger training wheels” off him yet
As much as I enjoy anyone taking jabs at Chapek, this movie doesn’t interest me in the slightest. They should have taken the James Bond approach to Marvel movies where they could change actors as needed to keep it going instead of them stepping back or dying off.
Wish they had streamed bob out of here after 45 days.
I don’t think Chapek will be in the driver’s seat at Disney for very long. Upsetting his fanbase and making enemies along the way.